Pakistan push Argentina to limit

Pakistan produced a spirited performance but still came away empty-handed, slipping to a narrow 3–2 defeat against Argentina in their FIH Pro League fixture at the Santiago del Estero Hockey Club.

In a five-goal contest that swung with momentum throughout, the hosts backed up their shoot-out win over the Netherlands a day earlier by claiming full points against a resurgent Pakistan side.

Pakistan began with impressive intent, pressing aggressively and creating clearer early openings.

Waheed Ashraf Rana forced Tomas Santiago into a sharp save from close range, before narrowly missing the far post on his second attempt.

Argentina, meanwhile, struggled to make their penalty corners count, with Tomas Domene’s backhand only catching the side netting.

The breakthrough eventually came for the hosts in the second quarter.

Thomas Habif’s incisive baseline run opened the play for Ignacio Nardolillo, who squared for Domene to finish from point-blank range, the only goal separating the sides at halftime.

The match came alive after the break, as Pakistan drew level through Muhammad Ammad, who cleverly redirected a Zikriya Hayat pass to make it 1–1.

But Argentina responded instantly, showcasing their penalty-corner class.

Nicolas della Torre struck low to restore the lead, before Maico Casella added a second in quick succession with a powerful flick into the top of the net following a series of re-awards.

Pakistan replied with pressure of their own, earning three consecutive re-awards before Waleed Rana pounced on a rebound to trim the deficit to 3–2 just before the third-quarter whistle.

Both Pakistan and Argentina created half-chances in the final period, but the home team’s defensive discipline and earlier set-piece precision ensured the scoreline stayed intact.

Thomas Habif’s influential display earned him the Player of the Match award.

The result follows Pakistan’s 5–2 loss to defending champions Netherlands on their Pro League debut at the same venue.

The Green Shirts will meet the Dutch again on December 13, before concluding their opening Pro League stint against Argentina on December 15.