FIH Pro League: Inclement weather plays spoil sport in men's game; Argentine women win in shoot out against Germany
FIH Pro League: Inclement weather plays spoil sport in men's game; Argentine women win in shoot out against Germany
FIH Pro League: Argentina women edge past Germany; men’s match cancelled due to inclement weather
Inclement weather has played spoil sport. After the hosts Argentina got the better of visiting Germany's women's hockey team in the penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw, the man's game between the two nations had to be called off because of torrential rain. This is the first game of the inaugural edition of the FIH Pro League that has to be cancelled because of unprecedented inclement weather at this time of the year.
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Inclement weather plays spoil sport in men's game[/caption]
As Argentina welcomed the national teams of Germany to the Cenard National high Performance Center in Buenos Aires on Friday, a day that was heavily affected by the weather conditions, the hosts women claimed a shoot-out victory over Germany in a match that featured numerous forced stoppages due to thunder, lightning and heavy rain, all factors which would force the cancellation of the day’s second match between the two nations’ men’s teams.
Argentina’s women (FIH World Ranking: 4) came for its encounter against Germany (WR:5) sitting top of the FIH Pro League standings thanks to a win against Belgium coupled with a two points earned from a shoot-out success over USA after regular time finished with the scores level. Whilst starting the day fifth in the standings, Germany’s excellent 3-1 triumph in New Zealand against the Black Sticks being the perfect remedy to its earlier narrow shoot-out loss at the hands of the Hockeyroos in Hobart, Australia.
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Inclement weather plays spoil sport in men's game[/caption]
The home favourites, cheered on by a sell-out crowd at Cenard, took the lead just three minutes into the contest when captain Delfina Merino cut into the circle from the right before unleashing a backhand rocket into the bottom corner. Merino’s goal was the second blow in a matter of minutes for Die Danas, who moments earlier had lost attacker Charlotte Stapenhorst through injury.
The second half was hit by numerous disruptions due to thunder, lightning and heavy rain. A penalty corner awarded to Germany just before the first of the enforced breaks was emphatically converted immediately afterwards by Rebecca Grote, who slammed her drag-flick into the top left corner to level the scores at 1-1.
Things were to get even better for the team coached by former Belgium international Xavier Reckinger, who expressed his delight when captain Janne Müller-Wieland’s deflected penalty corner effort put Germany into a 2-1 lead moments before more thunder and lightening forced both teams to leave the field once again.
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Carlos Retegui’s Argentina levelled the scores shortly after the restart with a brilliantly worked penalty corner routine, Player of the Match Rosario Luchetti angling a deflection high into the Germany net before inclement weather forced the match to be halted on two further occasions, with torrential rain creating unplayable conditions due to the pools of water that had formed on the playing surface.
Despite all of the challenges, the match eventually finished with the scores locked at 2-2, meaning that the two sides would try to claim the bonus point in the shoot-out. The one-on-ones went all the way to sudden-death before Carla Rebecchi continued her wonderful return to international hockey with the crucial strike to keep Argentina at the top of the FIH Pro League standings.
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FIH Pro League: Argentina-Germany (Men) cancelled due to weather conditions
Due to heavy rain and thunder in Buenos Aires, it was not possible to play today’s FIH Pro League Men’s game between Argentina and Germany. As stipulated in the League regulations, since the match was identified as not being able to be played on the same day as originally scheduled, it will not be re-scheduled to another day. Therefore, the match was cancelled and is considered a draw (0-0).
22 February - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Result: Women’s Match 14
Argentina 2, Germany 2 (4-3 After Shoot-Out)
Player of the Match: Rosario Luchetti (ARG)
Result: Men’s Match 13
Argentina 0, Germany 0
Match cancelled due to weather conditions
- PTC NEWS
