Luciana AYMAR scored a brilliant treble to guide Argentina to an impressive win over South Africa in front of wild and vociferous home crowd. Las Leonas surged to a 5-2 victory against the Rainbow Nation, with AYMAR’s showing that she is in fine form as her team aim to win the BDO FIH Hockey World Cup on home soil.
Argentina’s Noel Barrionuevo – who top scored at the recent Champions Trophy tournament in Nottingham, England – netted the first goal of the game, sending a penalty corner effort into the goal in the 16th minute. However, Pietee Coetzee marked her return to World Level events with a penalty corner of her own in the 22nd minute.
The second half of the match exploaded into life early when Luciana AYMAR scored the first of her three goals, firing in from open play in the 37th minute to spark jubilant celebrations from the fans. Two minutes later, AYMAR scored again from open play before completing her hat-trick in the 63rd minute with a blistering penalty corner strike. South Africa’s Vida RYAN pulled a goal back for her team with a fierce strike into the roof of the net from the top of the circle, but the result was put beyond all doubt when Marine RUSSO netted from open play with just over a minute remaining.
The result was good enough to put Argentina at the top of Pool B, ahead of England and Korea – also winners on day 1 – on goal difference.
Match Review 3 – Argentina v South Africa 5-2
> Las Leonas started their 2010 World Cup campaign with a win over South Africa. This victory marked their first win over SA in World Cup, Champions Trophy and Olympic competition.
> Luciana Aymar scored a hat-trick today to become the first player since Maria de la Paz Hernández in the 2006 Bronze medal match to score three goals in a World Cup match.
> Argentina go top in Pool B after day 1, leading England and Korea on goal difference.
> Seven goals were scored in this match. At the 2006 World Cup only two matches saw 7 goals being scored: CHN-NED 1-6 and KOR-AUS 3-4.
> Noel Barrionuevo scored her 13th goal in all FIH tournaments since the 2008 Olympics.
> Barrionuevo is the first ARG player to score against South Africa since Rosario Luchetti at the 2006 World Cup (2-2).
> Pietie Coetzee scored her 17th goal in 17 World Cup matches. She is the competition top scorer among players present at the 2010 World Cup.
Source: www.worldhockey.org
