Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: 5 teams with the best defence

#4 Argentina

Argentina's

defence

has to hold firm if the South Americans are to go all the way

Pedro Ibarra is, without doubt, the pivot around whom the Argentine defence, and indeed the team operates. Argentina's defenders - the unsung heroes of the Los Leonos went about their business in a workmanlike manner at Rio.

Lucas Rossi has been clearing the lines, mopping up, and carrying the ball out of danger ever since the London Olympics of 2012, and has played a vital role for his side ever since. Juan Gilardi, who was Rossi's gold-medal winning teammate at Rio along with Gonzalo Peillat have been the mainstay of the defence for the South Americans.

At Bhubaneswar, last December, Argentina, who were winless in the pool stages, suddenly regained their form in the knockouts of the Hockey World League Finals.

A wet pitch and hostile weather conditions did little to dampen their spirits, and a lone goal from Peillat was enough to power his team to the final as their defence held firm to thwart repeated onslaughts from the Indian forward line.

For a team which relies heavily upon PCs earned through well-thought-out advances, the defence will need to stand up and deliver each time, unlike in the Champions Trophy where the Argentinians seemed rather porous at the back