Amsterdam: Argentina defeated New Zealand 3-2 in the semi-final pool at the women`s Champions Trophy field hockey here Saturday but must wait for the outcome of the South Korea and Netherlands match to see if they have made the final.
Argentina can only go through if Netherlands beat Korea by three or more goals to put the South Americans into second place ahead of South Korea in the pool table.
Carlos Retegui, Argentina coach, dislikes this format of the tournament.
"I am sad we lost and I am sad that the format possibly allows Korea to win only one game and still make the finals," Retegui said.New Zealand coach Mark Hagar took the contrary view.
"I like the format because it means that teams which produce consistent performances will progress to the finals," Hagar said.
Argentina dominated the first half, scoring three goals into New Zealand`s open net in what looked like developing into a high scoring game for Argentina.
First Soledad Garcia beat two defenders and rounded New Zealand goalkeeper Sally Rutherford to drive into goal.
Luciana Aymar exchanged passes with Garcia minutes later to burst into the circle and complete a soft goal after Garcia drew Rutherford out.
Moccia Sanchez finished Argentina`s scoring with an easy put into goal of a cross from the right.
New Zealand hit back, earning the first penalty corner of the game, converted by Clarissa Eshuis with a clean flick high into the net after the half time siren.
New Zealand took the wind out of Argentina with Charlotte Harrison`s scramble across the line of a rebound off Eshuis` second penalty corner flick, early in the second half.Luciana Aymar put Argentina`s lack of power in the second half down to attitude.
"After New Zealand`s second goal it was mentally hard for us to continue," Aymar said.
Hagar was pleased with New Zealand`s performance.
"I am proud of the girls and we were unfortunate not to come away with a draw in the second half," Hagar said.
"We did better in the second half because we held possession longer and made more passes," he added.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.