After a very even and scoreless opening half England was able to capitalize and take down the United States, 3-1, in North Carolina. Holly Pearne-Webb and Grace Balsdon capitalized from penalty corners while Elena Rayer, also named Player of the match, tallied on a brilliant deflection for England. Despite the score line both teams had quality opportunities. It was a bright moment for USA captain Amanda Magadan celebrating her 100th international at home, while both teams were able to give some youngsters an opportunity to get some experience including several just returned from the FIH Junior World Cup. To see the current women’s FIH Pro League Standings, click here.
Argentina had their feet held to the fire today as despite going ahead 2-0 and 3-1 at points in the game, South Africa showed their precision on penalty corners to close the gap. It was a taste of what could come as South Africa ultimately lost 4-3 to Los Leones at the Cenard in Buenos Aires. Federico Monja’s brilliant penalty corner deflection in the third minute earned him Player of the Match, while Matthew Guise-Brown provided the late heroics for South Africa with two penalty corner goals. To see the current men’s FIH Pro League Standings, click here.
United States v England (women) – Karen Shelton Stadium Chapel Hill, North Carolina (USA)
It was a scoreless and even opening half. Both teams traded penalty corner options while youth on both sides gave way for several counter-attack plays. England set the pace early on with a series of penalty corners earned. Hollie Pearne-Webb put a deceptive sweep wide of the right post and her second attempt was cleared by USA defender Julianna Tornetta. USA found their strides and had chances of their own. Ashley Sessa was the first to force a save out of England keeper Sabbie Heesh.
Periods of brilliance did emerge in the scrappy affair including a fantastic off-ball lead from Hope Rose. Rose looked to find Erin Matson in front of the goal but Heesh calmly denied the cross. Late in the second quarter, Matson poached a ball and went in solo into the England circle but good defensive work by Grace Baldson and Pearne-Webb sparked a quick counter-attack. Holly Hunt fed Darcy Bourne who took to her back-hand to send a rocket cross. Elena Rayer came sliding in at the far post just missing at the far post.
USA came out of the break with a strong attack. Captain Amanda Magadan, playing in her 100th international, did all the hard work on the right baseline but her cross trickled through traffic inches away from but parallel to the goal line and out the other side. Matson and Ashley Sessa had a nice combination play after a quick aerial from Tornetta but the ball was shot wide of the England goal. Against the rush and down a player, England turned the tides. Bourne and Rayer battled through traffic to earn a penalty corner. Pearne-Webb finished brilliantly in the bottom corner to lift England 1-0.
USA’s Paityn Wirth nearly drew the game level on an open net but the ball was painfully touched wide. Kealsie Robles was then kept busy in the USA circle battling a few England attacks including another set of penalty corners. Following a long video review, England got to work and Bourne took to the baseline and fed Rayer who effortless one-touched the ball past Robles to double England’s lead.
Grace Balsdon then converted on her fourth penalty corner attempt. A flick high, glove side beat Robles to make it 3-0 for England. Matson was able to bury a consolation goal in the final minute of the game to break the shutout and the 3-1 loss will give the USA something to improve on in the teams’ match up tomorrow.
Player of the match Rayer said after the match: “I think we rode the wave. It was a game with ups and downs but we came through and held on. We want to put this game to bed and get ready to go again tomorrow. We need to tidy things up. The Americans are obviously really fast and physical so we want to stick to our intent and intensity. We need to go out there, control the play and do the job tomorrow.”
Goal scorer Erin Matson commented: “I think it was important for us heading into tomorrow to know that that the score didn’t reflect our team or the game. We are growing a lot and we are a younger team and it is exciting. It could have been 3-0 (for USA) at one point so we just need to keep playing like the US and we will go from there.”
Argentina v South Africa (men) – Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG)
Argentina came out of the gate with two goals in the first five minutes of play. Federico Monja deflected a penalty corner with extreme precision after a perfect delivery from Lauraro Ferrero to give the home side the 1-0 lead. Nicolas Acosta was able to find Federico Fernandez unmarked for the tap in to make it 2-0 in the fifth minute. Before the end of the quarter, hard work from Keenan Horne gave Nqobile Ntuli a chance to get on the board. Ntuli dug the ball out of Emiliano Bosso’s pads and calmly rolled the ball in to the net for South Africa to now trail 2-1.
After half time the game seemed to sit heavily in favour of the home side, but things started to heat up after Argentina took a 3-1 lead. In the 38th minute, Ferrero scored Argentina’s third goal off a powerful flick through the legs of keeper Estiaan Kriek. It also marked Ferrero’s first international goal. With nothing to lose, South Africa’s press started to creep higher and it paid dividends. The Argentine back line uncharacteristically saw themselves panicking in their outlet allowing South Africa to show their precision on attack. In the 43rd minute Matthew Guise-Brown stepped up to the penalty corner battery and without hesitation flicked a low shot past Bosso to cut Argentina’s lead to one. But as they do, Argentina wasted no time in responding. A Juan Catan and Acosta combo set up Facundo Sarto at the stroke mark, for the tap in and Argentina’s fourth goal.
South Africa never let up and were back in the game on another penalty corner flick from Guise-Brown to bring South Africa trailing again by one, down 4-3. Ntuli thought he might draw the game level after a high press earned them a circle entry but the reverse stick shot was denied by a sliding Emiliano Bosso. Guise-Brown was then denied on back-to-back penalty corner flicks with outstanding goalkeeping from Bosso to protect Argentina’s 4-3 victory.
Following the match, Monja Federico was named Player of the Match and commented: “I think it was a very good game for us and we played really well with the ball. It was really important to win and perhaps we were disconnected in some moments of the game and they scored so it was difficult at the end. I think thought it was a good match up.”
South Africa’s Nqobile Ntulie said after the game: “It was a really difficult game for us. Firstly, it was an honour for us to play in this incredible stadium with a vibrant crowd but that made it even tougher for us. Coming from the first eight games of Pro League where we struggled a bit though, this was a massive improvement for us. We are hoping to compete again tomorrow and hopefully get a result.”
FIH Pro League – 23 April 2022
Karen Shelton Stadium Chapel Hill, North Carolina (USA)
Result: Women’s Match 29
USA 1, England 3
Player of the Match: Elena Rayer (ENG)
Umpires: Suzi Sutton (USA), Tyler Klenk (USA), Maggie Giddens (USA-video)
Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG)
Result: Men’s Match 37
Argentina 4, South Africa 3
Player of the Match: Federico Monja (ARG)
Umpires: Diego Barbas (ARG), Irene Presenqui (ARG), German Montes de Oca (ARG-video)
To see the complete FIH Hockey Pro League match schedule, please click here.
To see the FIH Hockey Pro League standings, please click here.
To see the complete FIH Hockey Pro League match schedule, please click here.
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