Hockeyroos Edge World Number Two Argentina
Hockey: Australia v Argentina
Athlete: Kathryn Slattery
Venue: Olympic Hockey Centre
The Australian women’s hockey team snatched a 1-0 victory over world number two side Argentina thanks to Emily Smith’s superb volley early in the third quarter.
Smith’s heroics were matched at the other end of the field by goalkeeper Rachael Lynch, who pulled off a superb save to deny Maria Barrionuevo from the penalty spot.
Lynch later admitted she was additionally fired up for the match after discovering just minutes before the start of the match that her goalkeeping jerseys had been stolen.
Australia dominated large portions of the match and bossed the London 2012 Olympic silver medallists in front of a boisterous crowd packed with Argentinian support.
“It was really important we had a good performance tonight,” said Lynch.
“We’ve been building since game one and what the girls put out there tonight was pretty special. There are still plenty of things to work on but a win’s a win. We’ll take the one-nil. I’m really proud of the girls.”
Admitting she had extra motivation to put in a first class performance, Lynch explained the missing uniform.
“Unfortunately, as I was getting dressed just before I walked out on to the field I noticed that both of my smocks had been stolen.
“Luckily, we had a reserve one in our manager’s bag, which I’m wearing, so I was pretty fired up before the game.”
Goal scorer Emily Smith was delighted with the outcome, which moves Australia into third place in the pool.
“Scoring goals for Australia is awesome but when it’s at the Olympics in such an important match it was even more exciting,” said Smith.
“It was really good. We didn’t really give them a sniff, which is what we planned to do. We wanted to press them hard and not give their playmakers time and space and I think we really executed that, which is good.”
Smith heaped praise on teammate Lynch’s save from the penalty stroke.
“Incredible -a she’s the best goalkeeper in the world and I’m glad she’s on my team, and not the other team.”
The South Americans began brightly. Carla Rebecchi blasted wide before Australian Eddie Bone successfully charged down the game’s first penalty corner.
Once Australia worked their way into the game, they were the better side for the majority.
Smith saw her penalty corner deflection saved by Belen Succi in goal for Las Leonas shortly before quarter time. Argentina then passed up two chances early in the second period before Australia took a firm grasp of the game.
Succi was again the villain as she cut out a pass at full stretch with Kathryn Slattery waiting to pounce, and the veteran stopper followed it up soon after with a save from the West Australian after good work by Gabi Nance and Brooke Peris. Peris herself was denied along the baseline on the stroke of half time.
Three minutes into the third period and Australia broke the deadlock.
As Jodie Kenny’s bouncing pass from the right-hand side bobbled up off the stick of a defender, Smith controlled the ball beautifully at waist height at the top of the circle.
Her first touch took her beyond from the marking defender, her second was a volley that fizzed through Succi to give Australia the lead, 1-0.
Then it was Lynch’s turn to be her side’s heroine.
Australia unsuccessfully appealed to the video umpire to overturn a penalty stroke decision but Lynch stood firm, thrusting out a big left foot to deny Maria Barrionuevo from the spot.
Both sides traded penalty corners with defences on top, while Delfina Merino blazed over the top of Lynch’s goal five minutes from time.
Australia pushed hard for a second right to the death with Karri McMahon narrowly firing across the far post after a lung-bursting run from Slattery.
Australia’s fifth and final Pool B match is against Japan on Saturday night (6:30am Perth time, Sunday).
At the time of writing, with USA and India, and Great Britain and Japan, still playing, Australia await to see whether they need a result from their final fixture or whether the win over Argentina is enough to mathematically secure a quarter-final place.
Lawrence West
olympics.com.au