Picture Credit: Hockey India
Argentina on Friday beat France 3-1 in penalty shootout to enter the final of Junior Men's Hockey World Cup 2021. While France missed to make it to their second final at the event, Argentina will compete for the title for the third time.
Though France controlled the game since the beginning, Argentina got the first penalty corner that too only in the second minute. However, they failed to convert it. Meanwhile, the 2013 finalists kept dominating the game and Antonin Igau's strike inside the striking circle was obstructed in the 5th minute. Argentina got the second penalty corner in the 9th minute of the game but France's goalkeeper Guillaume de Vaucelles did an amazing job to deprive Argentina of any advantage. Despite all that, France dominated the first quarter, thanks to their amazing passes and positioning of the players.
In the 18th minute, Argentina got another penalty corner and once again France defended it successfully. In the 22nd minute, Raife Gonessa took a good strike from the left side inside the D, but Argentina goalkeeper Nehuen Hernando did well to stretch his right leg on the line of the ball and avoid the danger. Three minutes after that Argentina's Gasper Garrone got the green card and his offence saw France getting their first penalty corner in the game. Good work from Argentina's goalkeeper Nehuen once again saw France continue striving for a goal. The side then entered the striking circle of Argentina with an amazing attack in the 27th minute but no goal was scored. The first half ended with a goalless scoreline.
In order to do something different, France forward Jules Verrier went to the striking circle of Argentina and tried to block Nehuen's vision by moving in front of him in the direction the goalkeeper moved. However, the attempt didn't prove to be useful for France and Verrier had to focus back on the game rather than trying any other method to create a chance. Matteo Desgouillons produced a brilliant pass inside the playing circle of Argentina before the third quarter could end, but the opportunity went begging as none of the France players could convert it. The fourth quarter also failed to witness any goal and the match went to the penalty shootout where Argentina held on to their nerves much better than their opponents.