Men's FIH World Hockey League Final Highlights: Gonzalo Peillat's Brace Helps Argentina Crush India

 

20:00 hrs IST: It's OVER!!! Gonzalo Peillat scores his second goal of the game as he whips one past Sreejesh to score his second goal. Argentina maintain their ascendancy over India with an emphatic 3-0 win in the opener.

19:55 hrs IST: Finally a penalty corner for India in the 50th minute but Rupinder Pal can't score for India as the score remains 2-0.

ARG 2-0 IND Rupinder Pal's dragflick is saved off the line #HWL2015 #Raipur https://t.co/73tM6Ngsvi

- FIH (@FIH_Hockey) November 27, 2015

19:50 hrs IST: Sreejesh has been a Great Wall for India as he has made more saves. The Argentinian goalkeeper has been rarely tested by Indian players. Honestly speaking, India should consider themselves lucky to have just conceded two goals. 

19:43 hrs IST: India have conceded as many as seven penalty corners, out of which two have been converted by Argentina.

19:38 hrs IST: Raghunath and Rupinder Pal are both on the ground after taking a hit on the leg.  Raghunath is leaving the pitch.

19:36 hrs IST: Controversy here as Argentinian players are not happy with a referee's decision to award the visitors a penalty corner and not a goal. 

19:25 hrs IST: India are building pressure in the second half but aren't converting their chances. Yet another chance squandered by Ramandeep in the 29th minute.

19:25 hrs IST: Half-Time!!!! Much-needed break for India and something to ponder for India as they have been outclassed by Argentina in the first two quarters. Ramandeep had a golden opportunity to pull one back in the closing stages of the second quarter.  

India's goalkeeper Sreejesh saved India from further embarrassment with couple of fine saves. (Image Credit: Hockey India)

 19:10 hrs IST: GOAL!!! Joaquin Menini makes it 2-0 for Argentina with an easy goal. The visitors who were given a third penalty corner in span of two minutes scored in the 24th minute as the visitors are making a mockery of Indian defence.

ARG 2-0 IND Menini gives Argentina a second from another penalty corner #HWL2015 #Raipur https://t.co/WKtCCgIvro

- FIH (@FIH_Hockey) November 27, 2015

 

19:05 hrs IST: Second Penalty Corner for Argentina!! Penalty Corner conceded after the ball hits Rupinder Pal. Sreejesh makes a heroic save to keep India in the game.

18:58 hrs IST: That's the end of the first quarter! Argentina 1 India 0. It's a quarter that has been dominated by the visitors with an early lead. India never threatened as they rarely managed to get the ball in the opponents half. 

18:54 hrs IST: Argentina are utilising the width on the field to good effect as Indian players have been all over the turf. Surprised perhaps with the early strike. Jasjit Kauler gets five minute suspension on his foul on Argentina's midfielder

18:46 hrs IST: Goal!!! Argentina 1 India 0. Gonzalo Peillat gives early lead with a fearsome strike in the third minute of the first quarter in Raipur. He was helped by the fact that there as a slight deflection, which caught Indian goalie on the wrongfoot.

ARG 1-0 IND Peillat puts Argentina ahead with a deflected dragflick #HWL2015 #Raipur https://t.co/FjVJIuZdkF

- FIH (@FIH_Hockey) November 27, 2015

  

18:27 hrs IST: Early minutes of the game and Argentina are already gone in for a referral. They reckon the ball had hit Jasjeet and replays confirm the same. Penalty corner for Argentina.

18:27 hrs IST: The national anthem is being played at the packed stadium in Raipur.

18:19 hrs IST: We are moments away from the opening game of the Hockey World League Final clash between India and Argentina. Stay tuned for all the live updates here.

The Indian team has shown significant progress in the recent past to jump two places to sixth in the world rankings.

© AP

 

Hosts India will have to put their recent series loss against Australia behind them as they lock horns with world No. 5 Argentina in the lung-opener of the Hockey World League (HWL) Final in Raipur.

The Sardar Singh-led side, however, will have an uphill battle as they are placed in a tough pool, which also has the Netherlands and Germany.

The last time India squared up against Argentina was in Bhubaneshwar in December 2014 at the FIH Champions Trophy, where they took the lead twice only to squander it and lose the match 4-2.

Argentina seem to have adjusted well in Indian conditions as they have beaten India twice in their last four meetings in India.

India's last win over Argentina came six years back at the 2009 Champions Challenge 1 Tourney held in Salta, Argentina in December 2009, when they won 3-2.

India, who are currently world No. 6 in the FIH rankings, has had a good run of late, as they toured New Zealand and defeated the Black Sticks 2-1 in a Test series.

However, India looked scrappy against Australia in the preparatory three-Test series, which they lost after a shootout.

Besides the trophy and a rise in world rankings, the HWL Final offers an added incentive to the competing teams as the winner will directly qualify for the 2016 men's Champions Trophy to be held in between June 4-12 in San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina.