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

#1 Spain's inability to convert chances in the second half

Spain's celebrations were short lived
Spain's celebrations were short lived

The Red Sticks put up a strong show in the opening quarter with two goals, but looked slightly disorganized in their style of play in the second half. Barring Vincenc Ruiz's deflection in the 35th minute, none of the other Spanish players could find a scoring opportunity.

Such was the tight line of defense from Argentina that Spain had only two chances to score in the final quarter. The first one, a penalty corner, saw Pau Quemada drive the ball at pace but away from goal. And in the final few seconds, an unmarked Enrique Gonzalez - who had a great game until that moment - failed to get stick on ball as coach Fred Soyez had his hands on his head, ruing the missed opportunity which could well have tied the game.

In the end, Argentina's proficiency at the back paid off as they celebrated a thrilling win.

Head to Sportskeeda to check out the schedule for the upcoming matches.

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