England 0
England left the 2022 FIH Hockey World Cup after a 1-0 loss to Argentina.
Victoria Granatto’s goal in the last quarter was enough to get Argentina out by way of a game that sank and flowed back into a suffocating Terrassa.
England pushed the equaliser and Argentine goalkeeper Belén Succi denied Sophie Hamilton a glorious save in the last minute to send her team into the semi-finals.
But England ultimately failed to place the lead and withdrew from the tournament at the quarter-final stage.
Argentina started the match in the most productive way and ruled the title in the early stages, without disturbing Maddie Hinch in goal.
An early goal on purpose after seven minutes after Sofia Toccalino missed Argentina’s closest shots in the perfect 15 minutes, but Hinch controlled to get the ball away.
England struggled at times to keep the ball at the start of the game, but Argentina failed to get them to pay, with Hollie Pearne-Webb leading a grumpy defence from David Ralph’s side.
England came out in the final quarter and showed a quick improvement, with Holly Hunt coming into the circle after an attack from the right, but her centre missed in a white blouse in front of goal.
England showed more aim in the long term as both teams searched for the first game, with Darcy Bourne almost catching up with the Argentine defence at the tip with a flight to the top of the pitch before a Las Leonas counter-attack extinguished through Pearne. -Webb.
Argentina continued to see the ball a lot despite England’s forward possession, but Hinch remained largely quiet in England’s goal as the teams found themselves aimless at the break.
The Barça team had the hand in the first exchanges of the moment, with a barrage of chances as soon as they arrived at the break.
Anna Toman was forced to perform an evasive action to prevent an attack from the left before Agustina Albertarrio launched a cross-shot on goal after passing through Maria Granatto.
However, England temporarily reached the third quarter and had their era of the game as opportunities multiplied rapidly.
Sophie Hamilton fired a shot past the post after a cutback from the right following a play by Tess Howard.
England saw the ball much more and were patient in their building game as they looked to stretch the Argentine defence. Argentina remained a risk at the break, with Pearne-Webb once back called to action to deny the lively Albertarrio.
The break would possibly have come at that point for England, and Argentina came out of the blocks faster in the final quarter, with the initial score coming almost without delay after the restart.
Rocío Sánchez fired a ball into the area and Granatto received the maximum skill in the touches to not give Hinch a chance.
Another possibility for Argentina followed in quick succession, with Grace Balsdon penalised through a short corner but with a weak track well defended by Pearne-Webb.
England pushed hard to equalise and with just 10 minutes on the clock, Toman fired a dangerous ball towards the goal but there was no one in white to convert.
Argentina were content to manage the game, sending the ball into the corner with five minutes to go, but England stood firm in their quest for the equaliser.
With emotion on the edge of the seat as the clock ticked down, England’s first chance came when a short corner from Giselle Ansley well-stored through Succi.
England attacked again with a mark through Lily Owsley on the right wing and on the goal line. Her pass through the goal found Sophie Hamilton, whose point-blank effort saw Succi back down doing a very good precaution to deny her the right to die.
It is the last act of an exciting and close encounter in Spain, with Argentina advancing to face Germany in the semi-finals.
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