Mariano Ryan
08/04/2021 10:37
Clarín.com
sports
sports Center
Updated 08/04/2021 10:37
It was one of the medals that were awaiting. One of the few for the Argentine mission in the previous analysis. And, as (almost) always, they will provide it.
The most important women's team in the history of national sport
did it again and the Lionesses will play
a new Olympic final
.
It will be the third in the last six Olympics
. It will be against the Netherlands again. Visualizing some of that long-awaited definition remains for below ...
December 7, 2014 was not another date for Las Leonas. And neither, it must be sustained, for world hockey. That day, lifting the Champions Trophy in Mendoza,
Luciana Paula Aymar
played her last match with the national team. Thus began the legend. But an era was also ending in the selected one.
If there had been a time that was beautiful
,
at that moment years of uncertainty began
, to find some way to make forget an unrepeatable. It was impossible, of course. Because geniuses do not appear by contagion. Then, the team used to always being the protagonist, stumbled. Once and Again. First at the 2016 Olympics; then in the 2018 World Cup. In both tournaments, the most important in hockey, the quarterfinals were the barrier against the Netherlands and Australia (on penalties), respectively. They were years of changes, of doubts. And of shadows.
But the whole process takes years
. Nothing is overnight. And that of the Lionesses - that of these Lionesses - began to be forged when
the base of the selected team who was junior world champion in 2016
, in Santiago de Chile,
began to rise to the squad
. And there came the renewal of which María José Granatto, Eugenia Trinchinetti, Sofía Toccalino, Agustina Gorzelany, Julieta Jankunas and Agostina Alonso are the references in Tokyo 2020. They refreshed the selected team. Not to take on the legacy of Aymar and his two-time world champion generation, but to make his own way. And with success.
Of course, for this they
had a group of historical women waiting for them. Belen Succi, Noel Barrionuevo, Delfina Merino and Rocío Sánchez Moccia
are those who at the Tokyo event were waiting for them to show them where to go towards an Olympic final. And it was precisely two of them - the archer and the captain - who led to victory against the Indies.
India was a great adversary
. The surprise of the tournament presented in Tokyo 2020 a team "Europeanized" by the contribution of their Dutch coaches Sjoerd Marline and Janneke Schopman (he was a huge center-back of their selection), who instilled in their players the very good handling of the pass and reception and of permanent income to the circle, But
the Lionesses repeated defensively what they had already shown against Germany and were solid in that regard
.
Later, the group settled down again in the performance of their double 5: Sauze and Alonso, each in their role (the Tucuman is more defensive and her partner has more freedom to detach herself and join the attack), they were always well located and they cut a lot of long and diagonal passes.
And ahead, the one who shone was Albertarrio, always very aggressive and fast to be at times unstoppable by the left sector.
Argentina played with the "Retegui manual", in addition.
He always went forwards and in the last quarter he wore out his adversary and did not have any shocks except in the last play starring Succi in which the video ref avoided the Indian short.
Now the Netherlands is coming, the best team in the world
. It is for a long distance and in the final he will have the only goal of gold, the one that escaped him incredibly in Rio de Janeiro 2016 against Great Britain. The one they lost after their two consecutive titles in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. For the Dutch (also current two-time world champions) it will also be their fifth final in the last five Games. In short, since the achievements are not bought at the "kiosk on the corner" and they earned them, they will be the favorites. The Lionesses, against this fearsome rival, will play for the elusive gold. If they are convinced that they are facing a possibility that could be unique in their lives, they will have their chance. So, the psychological work of the staff and the most experienced of the squad will be vital in the next few hours. Because gold is only 60 minutes away. The best of all timethat he never made it, he also deserves to go for him.
Look also
The Lionesses took their badge against India and will go for the coveted gold in Tokyo
Noel Barrionuevo: "The Netherlands is our eternal rival and we want to win"
Vanina Oneto: "Unlike us in Sydney 2000, these girls are not happy with this, they want to go for more"