Amstelveen, Aug 24 (IANS) India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 ended with a 3-5 defeat against Argentina in their concluding Pool E match at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Monday.
Argentina raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening six minutes through Joaquin Toscani and Nicolas della Torre, before Sukhjeet Singh pulled one back for India in the 10th minute.
Tomas Domene restored Argentina’s two-goal cushion in the third quarter and added another from a penalty stroke before Lucas Toscani made it 5-1. Sukhjeet scored his second late in the fourth quarter, while Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke to give the scoreline a more respectable look.
Argentina moved to six points and will now await the result of the Netherlands-England clash to learn which two teams will progress to the semi-finals from Pool E. India finished last in the pool and will now play for the 7th-8th position.
Argentina could hardly have made a more emphatic start. With less than a minute on the clock, Joaquin Toscani found space at a tight angle after a ball was pushed across the face of goal from the right and slapped it into the net.
India were immediately under pressure, and Argentina continued to attack with pace, repeatedly catching the Indian defence and midfield short of time.
Argentina earned another penalty corner in the third minute after Jarmanpreet Singh was adjudged to have intentionally used his stick to send the ball out of the baseline. Mohith made an excellent save, but the reprieve was brief.
Another loose defensive challenge, this time by Yashdeep Siwach, handed Argentina another PC in the sixth minute, and Nicolas della Torre beat Mohith to his right to double the advantage.
India gradually tried to find a foothold. Abhishek helped construct an attack in the 10th minute, with the ball eventually reaching Sukhjeet, whose firm push found the net to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Argentina, however, remained dangerous and almost restored their two-goal advantage before the end of the quarter when Amit Rohidas failed to collect an aerial inside the Indian 23-metre area. The hooter came just in time for India.
The second quarter was goalless, but India struggled to turn possession into clear chances. Argentina frequently used aerial balls to bypass the Indian midfield and find their forwards deep inside the attacking quarter. India created openings through Aditya Arjun Lalage, Dilpreet Singh, Sanjay and Hardik Singh, but unforced errors at crucial moments prevented them from capitalising.
The third quarter proved decisive. Mohith saved another Argentine penalty corner early in the period, while Argentina’s appeal for a re-award was rejected following a video referral. But India were punished soon after when Sanjay was dispossessed while attempting to weave through several Argentine midfielders. Argentina immediately broke forward, and Tomas Domene finished the move to make it 3-1.
India then had a frustrating spell of penalty corners. Harmanpreet Singh’s dragflicks repeatedly found the Argentine rusher or failed to produce the desired finish. A subsequent PC earned through a move involving Yashdeep, Hardik and Jarmanpreet also went unrewarded, while India’s referral was unsuccessful.
Argentina extended their lead in the 45th minute. Mohith made two successive saves, but after another Argentine attempt, Yashdeep was struck by the ball in front of goal, resulting in a penalty stroke. Domene made no mistake, scoring his second of the match to put Argentina 4-1 ahead.
India pushed forward in the final quarter, but Argentina delivered another blow in the 53rd minute when Lucas Toscani was given time and space to unleash a tomahawk that beat Suraj Karkera. At 5-1, the contest appeared beyond India’s reach.
Sukhjeet gave India renewed hope in the 58th minute, producing a deft first-touch deflection from Mandeep Singh’s cross to score his second goal. A minute later, he was brought down inside the circle, and Hardik converted the resulting penalty stroke to make it 5-3.
India had one final opportunity when Harmanpreet earned a penalty corner just before the final hooter. But Argentina goalkeeper Tomas Santiago stood firm, making the save that confirmed India’s exit from semi-final contention.
–IANS
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