The Lionesses are looking for a new ending. EFE / Enric Fontcuberta
The Argentine women’s field hockey team, led by Fernando Ferrara, faces Germany for one of the semi-finals of the Spain-Netherlands 2022 World Cup, in which Les Leonas seek the third title in history.
Argentina and Germany will play this Saturday from 16:30, Argentine time, at the Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa, 30 kilometers from Barcelona. They broadcast ESPN 2 and Star + on television.
The Netherlands, current two-time champion, will face Australia in the other semi-final starting at 13:30 (ESPN 3 and Star +).
Las Leonas, world champions in Perth 2002 and Rosario 2010, They come after beating England 1-0 in the quarter-finals.with a goal from Victoria Granatto and an exceptional performance from goalkeeper Belén Succi.
The Argentines (silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and unbeaten FIH Pro League champions this year) comfortably won their World Cup group by beating South Korea (4-0), Spain (4-1) and Canada (7-1).
Germany finished second in their zone under the Netherlands, with two wins over Chile (4-1) and Ireland (3-0) and one defeat against the Dutch (1-3). For the playoffs, the Germans first beat South Africa (1-0) and then, for the quarter-finals, they beat New Zealand 1-0.
history
The International Federation (FIH) scores 25 wins for Las Leonas against 14 for the Germans. The last fights were for this year’s FIH Pro League, with two straight wins for the Argentines 3-1 and 2-1. At the Tokyo 2020 Games (played in 2021), the celebration was also 3-0 by Argentina. The last victory of the Germans dates back to April 3, 2021, by the Pro League.
“The team is very happy and we are very excited about what’s to come, we did a good job in the last game (against the English) but now the best thing is coming for us and we are focused on that. Seeing is who we are. , the group is growing stronger, we are very united and we all have the same goal, “said Victoria Sauze at a press conference.
“It’s been a very important first half, but now we are focused on giving our all this weekend,” added the 30-year-old Tucumán midfielder. Sauze sustained a fracture of the proximal phalanx of his right thumb during the Pro League in June this year, but he recovered and made it to the World Cup.
“Today I am 100 years old and I feel complete thanks to my teammates and the coaching staff who supported me. Dedication and discipline, following the game plan to the end and putting an attitude into it, is what brought us here”, concluded Sauze.
Coach Ferrara, who succeeded Carlos Door lock Retegui after the conquest of Las Leonas in the last Olympic Games, he considered it “Germany are a very good team and have an excellent defense. They play very well with and without the ball. It will be a very difficult match. We are two great teams and we hope to play better than them.”.
The Argentine coach said: “I imagine a more open game than England because Germany offers more in attack. But we also arrived well, with confidence in our game.”
“We had a very good group stage. Against England it was tough but we dominated the game by 90%. We proposed to play in attack. It was difficult to find the goal because England defended well but luckily it came. . It went well. In the end they managed to equalize but that’s where the players and (goalkeeper) Belén Succi came out to carry on the game. The Las Leonas singles played very well, “Ferrara expanded.
The coach took the opportunity to wish Succi, who will retire from the national team after the World Cup, “The best possible closure because he deserves it for everything he has given to the team over the years”.
Finally Ferrara and Sauze thanked “the encouragement of the Argentines living in Spain and the affection of the people” who made them feel local in the city of Terrassa, home of the World Cup in which Las Leonas has been from day one.
Source: Clarin
