By s2h Team

The goalkeepers were kept out of the conversation as Argentina and France went toe-to-toe in a cagey semi-final of the 2021 FIH Men’s Junior World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on a rainy Friday. But they were soon in the thick of things when 60 minutes flashed by with no goals scored and the match into the dreaded shootout.

Argentina’s goalkeeper Nehuen Hernando was the one celebrating at the end of the episode after proving the stumbling block for France in their quest of making their second final.

Guillaume De Vaucelles was the keeper to feel crestfallen and French frustration seemed to show in a scuffle that took place amid Argentine celebration immediately after Hernando thwarted Lucas Montecot.

The Argentine custodian foiled three French attempts to script a 3-1 win for his side and a place in Sunday’s final against hosts India or Germany. Argentina, 2005 champions, predictably went about their business as is their wont.

They played deep in defence with an eye on counterattacking their opponents.

There was little or no goalmouth action in the first half and going into the second, France, runners-up in 2013, appeared to hold the territorial advantage coupled with the greater possession.

With Argentina maintaining their defensive structure, notions of a shootout were rife even with the match in the third quarter.

A mistake or a moment of indiscretion, it seemed, would settle it, and Argentina were presented with an opportunity to force the issue when Antonin Igau got yellow carded with less than four minutes to go.

France, however, held out without too much discomfort and went close to scoring a sensational winner when Benjamin Marque stole the ball in midfield, sped into the circle and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper after moving past the right backline with the last play of the match.

France forced just one penalty corner as opposed to Argentina’s three but could well have been a goal ahead in the first half had a nifty ploy worked.

Timothee Clement, second on the goal scorer’s list with 11 goals (Miles Bukken’s of the Netherlands leads with 15), did not go for the drag flick himself.

Instead, the captain attempted the slip ball which he fluffed with both Argentine runners in no-man’s-land.