The FIH Hockey Pro League continues on Friday 28 February and Sunday 1 March with New Zealand’s Black Sticks welcoming Argentina’s national teams to the Nga Puna Wai Hockey Stadium in Christchurch. More information about the double-headers can be found below, with the complete match schedule available by clicking here.
New Zealand v Argentina (Men & Women)
Where: Nga Puna Wai Hockey Stadium, Christchurch (NZL)
Dates: Friday 28 February & Sunday 1 March 2020
Men’s matches
Times: 28 Feb – 1730 | 1 Mar – 1500 (local time - UTC/GMT +13)
Match pages: Match 1 | Match 2
Summary: Despite coming into this match sitting bottom of the League table, New Zealand’s men will feel optimistic about their chances of success against reigning Olympic and Pan American champions Argentina. The Black Sticks recently recorded their first ever outright victory in the FIH Hockey Pro League, with goals from Kane Russell (2) and Steve Edwards earning a 3-2 win over Spain on 16 February, avenging a 4-1 loss against the Red Sticks a day earlier. However, with just eight goals scored and 19 conceded in their six matches played so far, there is plenty of room for improvement coming into this double-header against Los Leones, who are level with New Zealand on five points but sit two places above them in the standings due to a vastly superior goal-difference.
Argentina have scored 12 and conceded nine in their four Pro League appearances this season and arrive in Christchurch having suffered only one outright defeat, a 4-3 loss against Spain in Buenos Aires in their first fixture of the 2020 campaign. The Olympic champions recovered with a crushing 5-1 triumph in the second match against the Red Sticks before enduring a frustrating double-header against the Netherlands, drawing both matches 2-2 but twice failing to pick up the bonus point by losing the shoot-outs. Despite this, higher-ranked Argentina – captained by defensive rock Pedro Ibarra, who could make his 300th appearance this weekend – will be seen by many as favourites.
Interestingly, New Zealand’s last win against Argentina came at a 6-Nations event in Valencia (ESP) in July 2016, just one month before the South Americans stormed to Olympic gold at Rio 2016. Could the Black Sticks repeat the trick as Argentina build towards defending their Olympic crown in Tokyo?
The essentials…
Current FIH World Ranking: New Zealand: 9 | Argentina: 5
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: New Zealand: 9 | Argentina: 7
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: New Zealand: 8 | Argentina: 5
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 6 matches)
Wins: New Zealand: 2 | Argentina: 4 | Draws: 0
Goals scored: New Zealand: 10 | Argentina: 14
Team pages (squads & statistics): New Zealand | Argentina
Women’s matches
Times: 28 Feb – 2000 | 1 Mar – 1730 (local time - UTC/GMT +13)
Match pages: Match 1 | Match 2
Summary: While New Zealand and Argentina men have only met six times since 2013, it is a completely different story for the women’s sides, who have face each other on 42 occasions over the same time-frame and scored over 160 goals in the process. Higher-ranked Argentina have a clear advantage over the hosts in the head-to-head, especially in recent years where they have triumphed in each of their last six encounters, including both the home and away matches in the 2019 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League. However, with three wins from their opening six matches and currently sitting second in the table with ten points, the Black Sticks have reason to believe that a change to their fortunes could be on the horizon. After picking up just one point in their two home matches against Great Britain, back-to-back wins against USA have put New Zealand’s Pro League campaign on the correct course. Ace striker Olivia Merry, who top scored in last year’s Pro League with 15 goals, has already netted six times in the 2020 campaign and will be hungry for more against Las Leonas, while midfield dynamo Stacey Michelsen, resurgent attacker Gemma McCaw and 18-year-old Oliva Shannon – who has three goals in her last three appearances – will all be determined to make a big impression against the giants of South American hockey.
While New Zealand will rightly feel a sense of optimism, they will be acutely aware of the size of the challenge that awaits them. Pan American champions Argentina have won three of their opening four Pro League matches this season, twice crushing USA before claiming a magnificent 2-0 victory against the Netherlands, the reigning World and European champions. While the top-ranked Dutch claimed revenge by winning the second match 3-1, Argentina’s victory in the first meeting was a hugely significant moment for the team coached by Carlos Retegui, one that will have sent confidence levels skyrocketing. Despite having played two fewer games than New Zealand, Argentina have already exhibited their attacking potency by scoring 15 goals in this year’s Pro League, two more than the hosts of this weekend's matches. Brilliant forward Delfina Merino and emerging penalty corner star Agustina Gorzelany have both scored four times so far in this campaign, while 35-year-old duo Carla Rebecchi and Noel Barrionuevo have two goals apiece.
In terms of the FIH World Rankings, if Argentina suffer a defeat this weekend they could drop from second to third in the standings, switching places with Australia.
The essentials…
Current FIH World Ranking: New Zealand: 7 | Argentina: 2
Current League position: New Zealand: 2 | Argentina: 4
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: New Zealand: 6 | Argentina: 4
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 42 matches)
Wins: New Zealand: 11 | Argentina: 25 | Draws: 6
Goals scored: New Zealand: 60 | Argentina: 101
Team pages (squads & statistics): New Zealand | Argentina
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