India Falls 1-2 to Argentina in a Nail-Biting Finish in Amstelveen
Etawah, June 10 (Etawah Today) — In a heart-wrenching end to yet another tightly contested match, the Indian men’s hockey team suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the European leg of the FIH Pro League 2025, losing 1-2 to Argentina on Thursday in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
The match ended in dramatic fashion as Jugraj Singh, standing in for injured captain Harmanpreet Singh, missed a crucial penalty stroke in the final two minutes — a miss that confirmed India’s winless run.
Match Summary: A Game of Inches and Missed Chances
India started the match strong, converting their first Penalty Corner in the 4th minute with Jugraj Singh flicking low to give India the early lead. However, Argentina responded quickly. Tomas Domene, the star of the match, equalized with a high drag flick past Krishan Pathak, who made several brilliant saves earlier in the game.
Despite moments of brilliance, including a superb reverse-hit attempt by Abhishek and standout defending, India’s defensive line struggled to contain Domene. He eventually netted Argentina’s second goal with a near-identical flick in the final quarter.
Final Minutes: Chaos, Reviews, and a Costly Miss
With just minutes left on the clock and India trailing, Jarmanpreet Singh delivered a pinpoint aerial ball to Abhishek, who forced a penalty stroke after a chaotic scuffle in the circle. Argentina used their referral and the officials disallowed the goal due to a technicality involving Jugraj’s footwork.
India then successfully challenged the Argentine keeper’s position during the stroke, earning a retake. But Jugraj’s second attempt was brilliantly saved by Tomas Santiago, sealing the win for Argentina and earning him the Player of the Match award.
Hardik Singh: “It Doesn’t Matter Whether We Play Well or Badly. We Need to Win.”
Interim captain Hardik Singh, who had delivered a motivational speech before the match, summarized the sentiment in the Indian camp: “It doesn’t matter whether we play well or badly, we need to win.”
Despite flashes of creativity and resilience, India leave Amstelveen empty-handed, desperately in need of a breakthrough in their upcoming fixtures.
