Fresh from their FIH Hockey Pro League double-headers against New Zealand in Christchurch, Argentina’s men and women continue their tour of Oceania this weekend when they head to Perth to face the national teams of Australia.
It promises to be a very special weekend of elite international hockey, one made even more significant by the planned celebration of the role Indigenous Australian players have made to the sport. The dedicated Indigenous themed weekend will encompass a host of cultural elements and events, highlighted by the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras wearing a specially designed Indigenous playing kit. More information on this story can be found by clicking here.
More information about the double-headers between Australia and Argentina can be found below, with the complete match schedule available by clicking here.
Australia v Argentina (Women & Men)
Where: Perth Hockey Stadium, Perth (AUS)
Dates: Friday 6 & Saturday 7 March 2020
Women’s matches
Times: 6 Mar – 1800 | 7 Mar – 1600 (local time - UTC/GMT +8)
Match pages: Match 1 | Match 2
Summary: Australia will start this match knowing they have a fantastic opportunity to make serious progress up the FIH Hockey Pro League standings. Currently sitting in fourth position with nine points from four matches, two victories over Argentina – who claimed two points from a possible six in their recent double-header against New Zealand – will see the Hockeyroos move on to 15 points, level with the Netherlands at the top of the league table having played a game more than the Dutch. However, all the evidence suggests that choosing a winner in this weekend's fixtures is not an easy task.
The two teams are just one position apart in the FIH World Rankings, with Australia currently sitting second and Argentina third. Of the 14 matches they have played since 2013, they have six wins apiece with two drawn matches. Argentina twice got the better of Australia in the 2019 Pro League season, winning 1-0 in Sydney thanks to a solitary strike from Delfina Merino before claiming two points from a possible three in Buenos Aires by winning a shoot-out after regular time finished with the scores locked at 1-1.
Their most recent meeting came in the semi-finals of the 2019 FIH Pro League Grand Final event in Amstelveen (NED), a match that also ended in a shoot-out. However, this time it was Australia who emerged triumphant, with 2019 FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Rachael Lynch saving three Argentina efforts in the one-on-ones as the Hockeyroos sealed a place in the title match against eventual champions the Netherlands.
Two Argentinean victories over Australia would see them move to the top of the table having played three games more than current leaders the Netherlands. However, they will need to do it without the likes of attacking stars Carla Rebecchi and Delfina Merino as well as goalkeeper Belen Succi, who have all been rested for this tour of Oceania.
The essentials…
Current FIH World Ranking: Australia: 2 | Argentina: 3
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Australia: 4 | Argentina: 3
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Australia: 2 | Argentina: 4
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 14 matches)
Wins: Australia: 6 | Argentina: 6 | Draws: 2
Goals scored: Australia: 12 | Argentina: 16
Team pages (squads & statistics): Australia | Argentina
Men’s matches
Times: 6 Mar – 2030 | 7 Mar – 1830 (local time - UTC/GMT +8)
Match pages: Match 1 | Match 2
Summary: Reigning FIH Hockey Pro League champions Australia come into their double-header against Argentina, the Olympic gold medallists from Rio 2016, as marginal favourites. The Kookaburras sit third in the FIH Hockey Pro League table on ten points earned thanks to two wins, three draws and a shoot-out bonus point, having suffered one outright defeat – at the hands of reigning World champions Belgium – in the six matches they have played to date, two places above Argentina in fifth position. Two wins for Australia would be enough for them to move to the top of the standings, while two Argentina victories would put them level on points with current league leaders Belgium.
The higher-ranked Australians have the clear advantage in terms of recent head-to-heads, having won eight of their 11 meetings since 2013 and triumphing in both matches in the 2019 edition of this competition. A Jeremy Hayward double helped the Kookaburras to a 3-2 victory in the home fixture at Sydney’s Olympic Park in March, while Blake Govers and Corey Weyer scored the goals in May’s away game as Australia won 2-1 in Buenos Aires.
Although it seems that the Australians have the edge, the visiting Argentineans know that they have a squad containing all of the attributes needed to hurt the home favourites. Los Leones have scored 18 times in their six Pro League matches this campaign, with ten goals coming from two players who are bang in form. Penalty corner expert Jose Tolini currently sits level at the top of the scorer’s chart with Spain’s Pau Quemada on six goals, while Maico Casella – who scored a breathtaking backhand strike to give his team victory against New Zealand in Christchurch on Sunday (1 March) – having netted four times from open play.
The essentials…
Current FIH World Ranking: Australia: 2 | Argentina: 5
Current League position: Australia: 3 | Argentina: 5
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Australia: 1 | Argentina: 5
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 11 matches)
Wins: Australia: 8 | Argentina: 3 | Draws: 0
Goals scored: Australia: 29 | Argentina: 16
Team pages (squads & statistics): Australia | Argentina
To find out how you can watch the action, please visit our broadcast page by clicking here. In territories where broadcast rights agreements are not in place, fans can watch live match action from the FIH Hockey Pro League via the FIH.live global broadcast platform. To visit FIH.live, click here.
Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Want to win tickets to an FIH Hockey Pro League match? Here’s what you have to do! Take a quick snap or record a video to capture your “best FIH Hockey Pro League moment” and post it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, using the hashtag #MyProLeagueMoment. For more info, click here.
* available 48 hours before each match
#FIHProLeague
