New Delhi: Lowest ranked Argentina overcame
a late fightback from Canada to score a 4-2 victory and set up
a clash with India for seventh-place play-off in the hockey
World Cup here on Tuesday.
Lucas Martin Villa (29th minute), Matias Enrique Paredes
(43rd), Mario Nicolas Almada (56th) and Tomas Innocente
Argento (70th) scored for the Argentines to finish fourth in
Pool A with six points -- from two wins -- and same as New
Zealand.
Scott Tupper and David Jamesson scored for Canada in the
60th and 65th minutes respectively.
Argentina will play hosts India, who finished fourth in
Pool B with four points, on Friday 12 for the seventh place.
Argentina had a better goal difference of minus three
(eight scored and 11 conceded) than New Zealand's minus
four (eight scored and 12 conceded).
New Zealand play South Africa, who finished fifth in Pool
B for the ninth-tenth place on March 12 while who will finish
with wooden spoon will be decided on March 11 bwteen Pakistan
and Canada, bootom finishers in Pool B and A respectively.
Argentina, ranked 14th in the FIH chart, lowest among the
12 teams participating in the World Cup, dominated and
controlled the match throughout but conceded two late goals
before they also scored in the last minute to win the match.
Canada mostly defended from their own half and rarely
made dangerous moves inside the Argentine striking circle,
except for the last 10 minutes.
Argentina, who put pressure on Canada defence from the
very beginning, got five penalty corners from which they
converted one while Canada earned just one penalty corner
and they scored from it.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 09, 2010, 23:03