Las Leonas took the victory to enter the top four of the World Cup. Pictures Argentine Confederation of Hockey
Lionesses roar. The Argentine women’s field hockey team beat England 1-0, with a goal from Victoria Granatto (16 ‘of the second half), at the Olympic Stadium in Tarrassa and qualified for the semifinals of the XV World Cup in progress in Spain and Holland. The next rival will be Germany.
“I think I played a great match today. We knew it was going to be very difficult because the quarter-finals are all or nothing. I’m very happy with everyone’s performance. But Belén (Succi) was spectacular. That’s why Euge gave her the prize to her, because it was huge, “Majo Granatto told ESPN.
The Leonesse were unable to develop their attacking game from the first phase which had led them to have an average of 5 goals per game. Instead, England, who had lost their last two duels with Argentina to a double 5-2, had prepared a match for them by holding back.
In English tactics it was essential not to commit short corners, where Argentina’s Agustina Gorzelany had shown her qualities in the fixed game with six goals.
But at half-time he is goalless and in the third quarter it is England who are looking for Succi’s goal with a shot too cross from Shona Mc Callin.
The last quarter brought all the good things of a match that was too closed in the first three quarters. Argentina have finally found the way to the goal, arriving in the second minute of the last period with a cross from Victoria Granatto that beat Maddie Hinch.
Las Leonas then had the first penalty corner but the shot was far from the desired goal.
England waited until the last two minutes to launch the attack and were very close to parity but along the way they met Belen Succi, the goalkeeper who had announced his retirement in this World Cup and who showed off by rejecting the shooting specialist Giselle Ansley on set.
“This is a team. We are building it match after match, putting the team above everything else. There is an incredible union, there is trust with the one next door. We came out like this and that’s why we won it, more or less effectively “, added Granatto.
“The delivery was remarkable. We went out to win from the first minute. We came here for everything”, remarked Rocío Sánchez Moccia, with his daughter Francesca in his arms.
Source: Clarin
