Tokyo 2020: Lions tied with Spain on their Olympic Games debut

07/24/2021 2:51 AM

• Clarín.com

• sports

Updated 07/24/2021 2:51 AM

The Argentine men's field hockey team drew 1-1 against Spain, in their first group A match at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where the Lions began

their defense of the title

achieved in Rio de Janeiro 2016.

In the South field of the Oi Hockey Stadium complex in Tokyo, the Argentines and the Spanish did not take advantage of each other.

At 23 minutes, Argentina had the first cry with a goal from

Agustín Mazzilli

: he broke away from the defender and after a great assist from

Matías Rey

passing three-quarters of the court he scored with a deflection from above that dislodged Spanish goalkeeper Francisco Cortés.

Spain looked for the tie all the party, with 25 entrances to the area

against only ten of Los Leones, and he finally found it.

Pau Quemada

took advantage of a short corner

(Argentina had none)

and achieved equality for the Europeans in the last quarter, at 52 minutes.

The Olympic debut for # LosLeones🦁🇦🇷 has passed!

So united, ready for the next step! # Tokio2020 #TeamARG @Olympics @PrensaCOA

📷 @FIH_Hockey pic.twitter.com/EdyznLvxFB

- ARG Field Hockey (@ArgFieldHockey) July 24, 2021

The Spanish team, located in ninth place in the FIH (International Federation) world ranking, was able to take advantage but did not capitalize on

a very clear chance with the empty goal.

The Lions,

sixth

in the international ranks, formed with Juan Manuel Vivaldi, Leandro Tolini, Pedro Ibarra, Nahuel Salis, Ignacio Ortiz, Matías Rey, Lucas Rossi, Juan Martín López, Nicolás Keenan, Maico Casella and Lucas Vila.

As alternates were Lucas Martinez, Nicolás Cicileo, Agustín Mazzilli, Agustín Bugallo and Thomas Habif.

The team led by DT

Mariano Ronconi

has seven champion players in Rio de Janeiro (Vivaldi, Ibarra, Rey, Lucas Vila, Juan Martín López, Ortiz and Mazzilli) and with the accompaniment of Carlos

Chapa 

Retegui, Olympic champion coach five years ago and that he is now head coach of both selected and DT of Las Leonas.

Discussion between the players from Spain and Argentina.

Photo EFE / Lavandeira Jr

In other matches of the day, for the Los Leones group, Australia beat local Japan 5-3 and India beat

New Zealand

3-2

.

What comes

The next game for the Argentines will be

on Monday 25, at 7 in the morning, against the Japanese.

On the third date, Tuesday, July 26, the Lions will face Australia, at 9:30 p.m., while the last two dates for the group stage will be against India (7/28, 9:30 p.m.) and New Zealand (30 / 7, 7 hours).

The

B group

of the men 's

hockey Tokyo 2020 is composed of Belgium, the

Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Canada and South Africa.

Look also

Tokyo 2020: Paula Pareto was eliminated in the quarterfinals and must bet on bronze in the playoffs

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Fernanda Russo finished 40th and failed to qualify for the shooting final