post news network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 6: Tiki taka may have gone out of vogue in modern football, but not so in hockey as the Netherlands demonstrated that same fluid style of passing and keeping possession of the ball in their 3-0 demolition of Argentina in a Pool B match of the Champions Trophy at the Kalinga Stadium here Saturday. They scored in once each in the first two quarters and then added the third in the last quarter to emerge with an emphatic margin of victory.
The South American side who many considered as the dark horses of the tournament started with a defensive mindset and modern day hockey is anything but defensive. They were always back pedaling against the marauding Dutch forwards and only in the last quarter did they make some forward moves. But by then it was too late.
As the ground started filling up for the last game of the day – the India-Germany tie, the Oranjes started on an aggressive note earning four penalty corners in succession within the first five minutes. The Argentine defence, however weathered the storm. But they couldn’t prevent Mink van der Weerden from scoring off the fifth as Robert vaan der Horst sold a lovely dummy in the box to fool the opposition defenders. Argentina also had a great chance when Matias Pardes set up Lucas Vila with a speedy 50-metre run, but the latter, unmarked inside the ‘D’ and only Jack Stockmann to beat shot wide.
Deep into the second quarter, the Netherlands got their second goal, a brilliant reverse hit by Robbert Kemperman beating the Argentine custodian hands down. The spadework was however done by SanderBaart whose run down the middle completely scythed open the Argentine defence.
After a lacklustre third quarter, the match came to life in the fourth with Argentina going all out for goal. They had a couple of chances but Stockmann stood firm under the Dutch bar. And then came the beautiful third goal as Baart first found Kemperman on the right. The latter made a lovely run dribbling past three defenders and then passing the ball to an unmarked Diede Puffelen who made no mistake.