India men’s national field hockey team signed off from its home leg of the FIH Pro League with a fourth consecutive loss, going down 2-4 to Argentina men’s national field hockey team on Sunday.
Despite the backing of a roaring 19,000-strong crowd, India failed to register a single win at what had long been considered an unconquered fortress. The defeat capped a disappointing run in which the hosts struggled for consistency and cutting edge.
There were faint positives. For the first time in four matches, India managed to avoid conceding in the opening quarter. The forwards also made repeated entries into the Argentine circle, showing attacking intent. But the promise rarely translated into end product. India failed to register a shot on target during key phases and did not earn a single penalty corner, underlining its lack of penetration.
Argentina, by contrast, looked sharper and more composed throughout. The deadlock was finally broken in the 18th minute when Tomas Domene converted a penalty corner. It was a deserved breakthrough after a dominant opening spell in which the visitors had already struck the post twice and been denied by alert goalkeeping.
The first quarter also featured a controversial moment. Domene had found the net from Argentina’s second penalty corner in the 13th minute, only for the goal to be disallowed. A second ball was on the field of play — an error missed by the on-field umpires and flagged only by the reserve umpire at the technical table — forcing a retake and raising further questions about officiating that had been under scrutiny throughout the week.
Argentina maintained control for most of the contest, creating more attempts on goal and dictating the tempo. Tadeo Marcucci struck twice, while Lucio Mendez added another to stretch the advantage and effectively put the game beyond India’s reach.
For the hosts, Hardik Singh stood out as the lone bright spark. Tireless in midfield, he was central to both of India’s goals and seemed determined to lift a side short on confidence. He covered ground relentlessly, linking defense and attack, but lacked sufficient support as Argentina kept the pressure on.
In the end, the scoreline reflected a match where Argentina did enough, and perhaps no more than necessary, to secure victory, while India was left searching for answers after a difficult home campaign.
