Lausanne, Switzerland, June 29: Pool C is likely to provide an intriguing mixture of teams that play with passion and flair pitted against teams where pragmatism is the watchword. Argentina and Spain are capable of fiery moments of brilliance, Korea and Canada will counter with structure and discipline.
Argentina arrive in Terrassa on
the back of a rich vein of form after winning the FIH Hockey Pro League in some
style. Where other teams have been tinkering with their line-ups and trying a
range of squad members, Fernando Ferrara, the Head Coach, has been playing much
the same squad for the past three months.
Las Leonas has an embarrassment
of riches within its ranks. Agustina Gorzelany is brilliant at drag flicks but
equally classy in a defender’s role. Maria and Victoria Granatto are pure
brilliance as they create scoring opportunities with skill and clever movement.
Agustina Albertarrio is imperious as she goes on the attack. The less
flamboyant but equally effective athletes such as Eugenia Trinchinetti, Jimena
Cedres and Rocio Sanchez are crucial to the team’s success. But make no mistake;
this is a team that has golden ambitions.
Canada’s best moments in FIH
Women’s World Cup history came back in the 1980s when they finished second in
1983 and third in 1986. Since 1994 they haven’t been seen at a World Cup and so
will be hoping to make a renewed impact.
The team has made a lot of
friends in recent seasons with its hard-working ethos and talented squad.
Brienne Stairs is a top class striker and, along with Karli Johansen, Hannah
Haughn and Amanda Woodcroft can cause any team problems on their day. Captain
Natalie Sourisseau and Sara McManus are two more highly experienced players who
will add stability to the squad.
Rob Short has recently taken over
as Head Coach and will bring his own vast international experience to bear with
the squad.
Korea qualified by virtue of a
second place finish in the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022. The best finish by
Korea was in 1990 where they finished third. A 12th place finish in London 2018
reflected a poor performance and the team has been rebuilding since. The team’s
form in Oman for the Asia Cup signals a new intent and purpose.
There will also be a sense of the
unknown for their opponents. Only captain Eunbi Cheon and Kim Hyunji have over
100 caps and five players are making their debuts at the World Cup. Han Jin Soo
is an experienced coach who knows how to get the most strategically from a
match.
Spain qualified as host nation
and recent performances in the FIH Hockey Pro League indicate this is a team
that is confident in its growth and direction of travel. The Red Sticks
finished in bronze medal position in 2018 and many of that squad will be
attempting to repeat that feat this time around.
Head Coach Adrian Lock has been
with the squad since 2013 and has been building a real sense of legacy with his
team. Players such as Georgina Oliva, Maria Lopez, Beatriz Perez and Begona
Garcia are the bedrock of the team but throw in the scoring ability of Xantal
Gine, the audacious skills of Lucia Jimenez and the attacking hunger of Marta
Segu and you see a really well-rounded team.
The opening match of the FIH Hockey
Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 takes place at the Estadi Olímpic
de Terrassa on Friday 1 July at 21:30 (local time). Expect the Spanish fans to
welcome the home side’s opponent’s Canada in true Spanish festival style.
FIH press release
No comments:
Post a Comment