SANTIAGO, DEC 12 /DNA/: Pakistan produced a spirited performance in their second outing at the FIH Pro League but fell just short as Argentina held on for a 3-2 victory in a brisk, high-tempo encounter in Santiago on Friday.
The visitors were the sharper side in the opening exchanges, unsettling the hosts with sustained pressure and quick ball movement.
Waheed Ashraf Rana twice came close to handing Pakistan an early lead — first drawing a sharp close-range save from goalkeeper Tomas Santiago, and then flashing another attempt narrowly wide.
Argentina, meanwhile, were wasteful with their early penalty corners, Tomas Domene’s fierce backhand only finding the side netting.
Argentina broke the deadlock in the second quarter after a well-constructed move.
Thomas Habif drove strongly along the baseline, feeding Ignacio Nardolillo, whose square ball was expertly turned in by Domene for the opener. The hosts carried their 1-0 advantage into the break.
The match roared to life in the third quarter. Pakistan levelled when Mohammad Ammad delicately diverted a Zikriya Hayat pass to make it 1-1.
But Argentina replied almost instantly, restoring their lead through Nicolás della Torre’s low penalty-corner strike. Moments later, Maico Casella extended the advantage with a blistering high flick following a series of re-awards, putting the home side 3-1 up.
Pakistan forced their own flurry of re-awards late in the quarter, and their persistence paid off when Waleed Rana pounced on a rebound to reduce the deficit to 3-2 just before the hooter, setting up an intense final period.
The last quarter saw Pakistan push relentlessly for an equaliser, but Argentina’s experience and discipline at the back denied them a breakthrough as the hosts closed out the match.
Thomas Habif received the Player-of-the-Match award. “It was good to get the win today. Yesterday was a good match and today was better for us,” he said afterward.
