S2H Team

Germany kept up their fine run in the men’s FIH Pro League with a 3-2 win over hosts and Olympic champions Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday. The result took the winners to third place on the table where they have collected 16 points. Argentina are sixth with 10.

Belgium are leaders by far with 32 points from 13 matches followed by The Netherlands with 18 from 11 at second spot.

For Germany it was their third successive outright win after a hugely successful visit to Amstelveen, The Netherlands, last month where they won both matches 4-2 and 3-1. Either team coped with disadvantages. Germany took the absence of four experienced players owing to club commitments in their stride. Argentina, on their part, grappled with a Covid-induced layoff of more than a year and an ensuing layer of rustiness.

All said and done, however, it was a deserved victory for Germany but Argentina can look back with some satisfaction and hope for the next match on the morrow.

The statistics also confirmed Germany as meritorious winners. They had 19 circle entries to only 8 by Argentina and produced more shots on goal at 14-9. Argentina, however, led 7-6 on the penalty corner count.

Christopher Ruhr, Luis Gill and Contstantin Staib were on target for Germany. Jose Tolini scored both Argentine goals from penalty corners, taking his tally to 10 — just one adrift Belgium’s Alexander Hendrickx who leads the goal scorers’ list with 11.

Germany had a goal disallowed and hit the woodwork twice from penalty corners, the unlucky drag-flicker being Ruhr. But Ruhr had made no mistake with the first penalty corner forced by Germany in the eighth minute, finding the net with a high drag-flick to bring up his fourth goal in the ongoing league. Jose Tolini, however, restored parity from Argentina’s second PC, scoring cleverly with a flick to the right of the goal – his strike bringing up his ninth goal in the league.

Gill made it a memorable debut with a goal a minute before halftime seemingly out of nowhere which regained the lead for Germany.

Argentina, however, drew level for the second time in the match with a 32nd-minute penalty corner when Tolini scored his second with a drag flick that went into the left top corner of the goal.

Ruhr then hit the crosspiece with Germany’s fifth PC and there was more agony for his team when Constantin Staib had a goal disallowed for dangerous pay after the umpires called for a referral.

Vivaldi kept Argentina from going behind with a smart save, belying his 41 years of age, but sustained German pressure forced their sixth PC from which Ruhr hit the upright.

With four minutes left, the regulars came together to bring Germany three points. Player-of-the-match Mats Grambush and Marco Miltkau combined to set up Staib for match-winner with a delightful goal scored with his back towards the goal and a backhander between his own legs that foxed Vivaldi.

Argentina won the women’s game between the two countries later in the day on a shootout after regulation time failed to produce a goal.

Germany’s Nike Lorenz missed a penalty stroke late in the game to give Argentina a lifeline.

Argentina remain (19 points from nine matches) are at second spot behind the Dutch who have 29 from 10.

FIH Hockey Pro League
Saturday 3 April 2021 – Buenos Aires (ARG)

Men’s result: Argentina 2, Germany 3 (Match 1 of 2)
Player of the Match: Mats Grambusch (GER)
Umpires: Diego Barbas (ARG), German Montes de Oca (ARG) and Carolina de la Fuente (ARG – video)

Women’s result: Argentina 0, Germany 0 [3-2 After Shoot-Out] (Match 1 of 2)
Player of the Match: Julieta Jankunas (ARG)
Umpires: Irene Presenqui (ARG), Carolina de la Fuente (ARG) and German Montes de Oca (ARG – video)