Argentina suffered but managed to pass to play the gold, where they will face the Netherlands in an expected duel
After the 2-2 in regulation time, the ‘shoot-outs’ fell on the side of Las Leonas 2-4
A goal by captain Rocio Sánchez qualified Argentina to play against the Netherlands the World Cup final in Terrasa (Barcelona) in an exciting semi-final against Germany that was decided in the shoot-outs, after reaching 2-2 at the end of the match. In the shoot-outs, the Leonas with Belén Succi in her penultimate service to the national team was great under the sticks and her teammates scored 4 of 5 pitches with goals from Agustina Albertarrio, Delfina Thomé, Agostina Alonso and the definitive one from Rocio Sánchez.
The Terrasa Olympic team exploded with joy before the majority of Argentine fans in the stands. Argentina is the local team although it was their turn as a visitor in the statistics. The grand final, the expected one between the Netherlands, eight times world champion, and Argentina, who wants the third crown.
The second semi-final was exciting as the final result shows and with a first quarter with both squads launched on the attack. Germany gave a good example of this when at 28 seconds he scored 1-0 with a penalty-corner annotated by Hanna Granitzki. It was one of the three clear opportunities that the Germans had with a subsequent shot by Oruz that Belén Succi cleared and another by Fleschutz that went wide.
Argentina launched in search of the tie and the ball prowled Sonntag’s goal without finding the chosen destination for almost the entire first quarter. Las Leonas found their moment and their striker Agustina Gorzelany when he needed it most, just in the last minute of the period and with a penalty-corner. Gorzelany faithful to his appointment from the penalty-corner tied and incidentally with her seventh goal she became the tournament’s top solo scorer.
Germany started again strong at the beginning of the second quarter but this time they did not find the goal despite the danger they brought against Succi. The albiceleste team went from less to more and a sensational play by Sofía Toccalino on the wing found Agustina Albertarrio to touch just enough to place the advantage at intermediate (1-2).
Argentina started looser in the third quarter but Fernando Ferrara’s team didn’t know how to achieve it in a third goal, this time with Sonntag and the German defense as protagonists. Germany equalized the semifinal again in the last second of the third period with a double control and an accurate shot by Charlotte Stapenhorst to make it 2-2 in the electronics.
The Lionesses went all out in the fourth quarter and we counted half a dozen great chances. Delfina Thomé warned and Julia Sonntag responded with one of the three stops of this period. In addition to another four penalty-corner where they did not find the destination of the goal either while Germany defended itself holding the draw in search of the ‘shoot-outs’, which in the end did not smile at them.