Netherlands outplays Argentina by 2-1 in 2011 Rabo FIH Champions Trophy
Maartje Paumen, the skipper of the Netherlands, scored two goals, asNetherlands registered a 2-1 victory over Argentina in the Pool C match of the 2011 Rabo FIH Champions Trophy that took place at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on June 30.
With one victory and a draw, the host side is sitting aside with South Korea. It is worth mentioning here that Argentina lost the first game in the international fixture since 2010 Champions Trophy. It has consecutively won the last thirteen games. However, the Dutch side not only broke the winning-streak of Argentina, but also eradicated the curse over their failures. Previously, the Las Leonas took Netherlands down in the last four games played in the international fixtures, including Champions Trophy and the World Cup.
Las Leonas and the Netherlands opened the match cautiously and showed splendid passing in the early minutes of the first half. However, the players from the defending World Champions were not powerful enough than the host side on the field. The Dutch strikers accomplished back-and-forth attacks and obtained a couple of short-corners. However, the strikers from the home team failed to convert the chances into successful scores.
Though the host side was attacking in the first half of play, it was Argentina which created a goal-scoring chance. Luciana Aymar, the record seven times FIH Player of the Year award holder, took the ball in front of the net, but it was cleared from the other side. Joyce Sombroek, the custodian of the Dutch team, made a timely attempt to get the ball under her control and clear it out from the danger zone.
After missing a few attempts, Netherlands received a short-corner in the 20thminute of the game and tested Maartje Paumen. She didn’t frustrate her team-mates, executed a well-organised shot into the goal-post in the 21st minute and took the lead in the match. However, their joys were short lived and Argentina made a counter-offence after seven minutes.
The World Champions earned a short-corner in the 28th minute of the match. Delfina Merino in the rebound effort hit the ball at the roof of the net and had it all even at one-all. In the remaining minutes of the first half of play, Kim Lammers and Eva de Goede rendered numerous attempts in search of a leading goal, but to no avail. The first half ended with Argentina and Netherlands at 1-1.
The attackers from both the teams restarted the game in order to establish their dominance, but all their efforts went unproductive. The match’s turning point came when the host side earned another penalty-corner in the 68th minute of the match. Paumen was called again who scored her second goal of the day through a brilliant conversion and sealed the victory for the Netherlands by 2-1.
Tags: