Hockey World Cup 2018, Argentina v Spain: 3 reasons why Argentina won

Gonzalo Peillat scored a brace to lead his team to a win
Gonzalo Peillat scored a brace to lead his team to a win

#2 The man who made a difference - Gonzalo Piellat

Peillat scored two goals - both through drag flicks
Peillat scored two goals - both through drag flicks

Ahead of the game, Argentina's drag flick specialist Gonzalo Peillat was the cynosure of all eyes. He was expected to make a mark in both offense and defense, and he did exactly that.

The 26-year-old gave the South Americans an advantage into the second quarter with a thunderous drag flick. He converted the penalty corner to give Argentina a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.

With the scores level and a little more than 10 minutes left on the clock, Piellat was the star yet again as he drilled the ball toward the roof of the woodwork. It took a deflection and landed into the net to give his team the much-needed 4-3 lead in the game.

Apart from the two goals, Piellat was a force to reckon with in the backline too. He was instrumental in keeping out some dangerous runs from Enrique Gonzalez, and ensured that Spain did not gather too many scoring chances.

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