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The French had to manufacture something exceptional in order to make it to the knockouts, and did so, in style as their supporters danced in the stands at the Kalinga Stadium.
While upsets do occur in competitions, it is not often that a lowest-ranked team manages to upstage the current Olympic champions in a stunningly comprehensive fashion - and, in a contest that matters.
It was a match that will be remembered by the hockey world for a long while to come but is also the latest in a series of intense and enthralling clashes that have helped make the Odisha edition, one of the most exciting World Cups of recent times.
In spite of the fact that Gonzalo Peillat seems to be struggling a bit with his PC conversions, the master drag-flicker found the back of the net twice ahead of the quarterfinals, and the manner in which he did so would be sufficient for all the World Cup aspirants to sit up and take note.
Francois Goyet's diving effort in the 56th minute which got the French their fifth goal just when the Argentinians had begun to threaten after scoring thrice will go down as one of the most decisive goals of the tournament - although the efforts of Gaspard Baumgarten and Aristide Coisne to find the mark were no less significant.
We take a look at the performance of three individuals whose contribution was immense and consistent throughout the entire duration of the match.
#3 Victor Charlet
Victor Charlet came into the Odisha World Cup with a reputation of being the most formidable drag-flicker for Les Blues but three matches on, the 25-year-old has displayed his skills in every corner of the pitch.
The stocky defender has doubled up as an extremely effective playmaker and link-man who is often seen advancing menacingly into the opposition half and beyond.
Charlet did score off a PC against the Olympic champions to record the second goal for his team but also tested Vivaldi with a powerful tomahawk and made numerous forays into Argentine territory.
One of the most effective and visible players on the field, Charlet spent just under 50 minutes on the pitch and strung together over 30 passes against the Argentinians, while also managing to make some vital interceptions near the back line.
#2 Juan Vivaldi
Argentina's goalkeeper who was part of the gold-medal winning squad at Rio has had a great tournament so far and the match against the French was no different.
It was Vivaldi's heroics in front of goal that prevented the French from inflicting a far heavier defeat than what the scoreline finally displayed. The 39-year-old veteran made some crucial goalline saves to deny Hugo Genestet and Victor Charlet at a time when the French were looking to assert their dominance by launching a barrage of attacks.
Hugo Genestet's tomahawk taken from an almost point-blank range seemed to be headed into the back of the net but Vivaldi's split-second reflexes delayed France's opening goal.
The champion goalkeeper also left his post to clear the dangerous balls away and narrow the angles down when his defenders had been hopelessly beaten.
Vivaldi had to advance forward and use his glove to deflect the ball to safety after Peillat in defence had been beaten by a French long ball, and his contribution in the knockouts will be crucial if German Orozco's team are to make it all the way to the top.
#1 Hugo Genestet
Hugo, along with elder brother Tom has been the mainstay for the French team for quite a while now and the two have made their mark at the Odisha World Cup too.
Tireless, as ever, Hugo provided the spark which got his side moving in the second quarter.
Undaunted by his failure to beat Vivaldi with a reverse the first time around, Hugo was back in the striking circle in a flash and outran three Argentine defenders before sending the ball into the back of the net from a near-impossible angle.
The first goal opened up the match for the French who proceeded to fire in three more in quick succession which altered the course of the match.
Hugo spent three-quarters of the match on the field of play, manufacturing almost 30 passes and was just as effective in his own circle as he managed to effect a couple of good saves. The Genestet brothers will have to continue the good work in the crossovers, and maybe beyond as the French seem to have hit a purple patch at Bhubaneswar.
Head to Sportskeeda to check out the Hockey World Cup schedule for the upcoming matches
