Did India Women Face a Tough Battle Against Argentina in FIH Pro League?

London, June 18 (NationPress) Navneet and Deepika showcased remarkable skill to secure a challenging 2–2 draw, yet the Indian women’s hockey team fell short of clinching the bonus point, succumbing 0–2 to Argentina in the shootout during a match of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25 at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre on Wednesday.

Navneet struck in the 50th minute and Deepika found the net in the 60th minute, pulling India back from a two-goal deficit after Agustina Gorzelany’s brace (27', 37') had initially set Argentina in a commanding position.

Both teams struggled to challenge the goalkeepers in the first quarter. Argentina’s intense pressure stifled Indian efforts, but India created opportunities through swift stick handling and precise passing, often aiming to penetrate the circle.

Sharmila Devi made a promising advance into the circle early on, but was forced out by the Argentine defense, while Sunelita Toppo made a clever interception and surged forward, only for the ball to go out of play.

Despite Argentina’s well-organized defense, India concluded the first half with nearly double the circle entries. In the second quarter, Argentina’s Victoria Miranda launched a powerful injection into the final third from midfield, but a crucial intervention from Vaishnavi Vitthal Phalke neutralized the threat.

India earned their first penalty corner of the evening in the 25th minute. While Deepika’s initial attempts met resistance, she cleverly assisted Navneet on the third attempt, whose powerful tomahawk was expertly blocked by goalkeeper Cristina Cosentino.

Argentina capitalized on their first penalty corner when Agustina Gorzelany struck cleanly to give her team a 1–0 lead in the 27th minute.

The third quarter commenced with India facing relentless pressure in their own half. Argentina’s wide play stretched the Indian defense, yet India managed to earn their fourth penalty corner in the 35th minute. Manisha’s thunderous shot was blocked by Valentina Raposo, and Navneet Kaur followed up with another powerful attempt, only to be thwarted again by Cosentino.

Argentina continued to capitalize on set-pieces, with Gorzelany converting another penalty corner in the 37th minute, doubling their advantage. Victoria Granatto nearly extended the lead to 3–0 from close range, but Indian goalkeeper Savita delivered a brave save to keep India in contention.

Deepika nearly equalized with a sharp shot from outside the circle, but Cosentino reacted swiftly to deflect the ball away. India’s persistence paid off in the final quarter. In the 50th minute, Navneet Kaur made a skillful run after receiving the ball at the circle's edge. She outmaneuvered a defender and fired it into the net, bringing India back to 1–2.

As India pressed for an equalizer in the closing moments, they earned a penalty corner with less than five minutes remaining. Deepika scored once again from the set-piece, leveling the score and completing India's comeback.

After a 2-2 deadlock at full time, both teams faced off in a shootout for the bonus point. India failed to score, while Brisa Bruggesser and Sophia Cairo found the net against Savita.