Argentina faced the toughest task in women’s hockey – taking on the three-time defending champions, the Netherlands, on their home soil in the FIH Hockey World Cup final in Amsterdam on Saturday.
But they kept their composure when it mattered most, drawing 1-1 in regulation time and then edging the dominant Dutch 3-1 in a shootout to claim the world title for the first time in 16 years.
The two sides were meeting in a women’s Hockey World Cup final for the fifth time, and the opening half lived up to the occasion as both battled for early control. Possession was largely shared, and chances were at a premium.
The most notable of those saw Argentina goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino produce an excellent save after coming out of goal to deny Pien Dicke after a solo run to keep the scores level.
The Netherlands began to build more momentum as the half progressed. Their persistence finally paid off just 51 seconds before halftime when they were awarded their first penalty corner of the match. Yibbi Jansen stepped up and whipped the ball into the left side of the goal, sending a roar around the packed stadium and giving the Netherlands a 1-0 lead at the break.
Argentina had several opportunities to level the scores from penalty corners in the third quarter but were unable to convert. They kept pressing, though, and with six minutes remaining in the fourth period, another penalty corner finally presented them with the breakthrough they needed.
María Granatto pounced on the rebound and fired home the equaliser, setting up a tense finish. Neither side could find a winner in the closing minutes, sending the match into a shootout to decide the world champions, which Argentina edged 3-1.
An elated Argentinian goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino was named as Player of the Match and said afterwards: “I really have no words for this. We were looking forward to this moment… Holland is a really tough opponent, and we knew it was going to be like that. So it was like fight each ball and the goal will come, and then just have fun in the shootout.
BELGIUM CLAIM BRONZE
Earlier, Belgium ended a 48-year wait for a World Cup medal with a gritty 1-0 victory over Australia in the bronze-medal playoff.
Both teams showed they had shaken off their semifinal disappointment as they came out with fighting intent, although few scoring chances were created in the opening quarter. The best opportunity of the period fell to Australia’s Steph Kershaw on a breakaway, but, one-on-one with the keeper, the final shot was pulled wide.
The deadlock was broken in the second quarter, with Belgium making the most of their first penalty corner of the match. Charlotte Englebert rocketed the ball into the bottom right corner to put her side 1-0 up in the 20th minute.
The Hockeyroos pushed to find the equaliser, particularly in a hard-fought final quarter, and they pulled off their keeper with just over four minutes remaining but couldn’t breach the solid Belgian defence. The Red Panthers held on for the win and a return to the World Cup podium for the first time since 1978.