Originally published by L.S.Media. ugust 8th 2012.

The sound of the two national anthems rang out over the Riverbank Arena on a sultry evening in East London. The 27th meeting between Argentina and Great Britain was the much anticipated match of the day as the two sides vied for a place in the final of the women’s Olympic Hockey final.

Great Britain’s women’s team has never made an Olympic final; their best placing was third at the Barcelona Games of 1992. Argentina for their part has made an Olympic final but came undone against a very good Australian side in 2000. The game had all the early indications of being a classic game between the two sides.

An early penalty corner to Argentina was easily converted due to nervous defending by Britain. Barrionuevo who scored has only scored one other goal in this Olympics which is a poor run of form for the fine Argentinian player.

The game became feisty, grudge like as neither side wanted to give any quarter to the opposition. The atmosphere coming from the stadium was palpable, the sense of sporting history playing on the minds of both the players and fans alike inside the stadium. What was gratifying was the sight of Kate Walsh making her comeback to the Great Britain side after the horrific injury she suffered in the opening game of the tournament. To say that hockey players are tough is an understatement; in the shape of Kate Walsh they don’t come much tougher.

Great Britain huffed and puffed throughout the first half and finally Great Britain made a chance almost from nothing as Alex Danson with her back to goal saw her shot trouble the Argentinian goal. Although it went narrowly wide, it gave the British women some new found confidence. It didn’t last as Argentina went suddenly 2-0 up thanks to some supreme skill by Carla Rebecchi. In a nigh on impossible piece of talent, the Argentinian woman somehow kept the ball in play on the baseline as she glided past Smith and was bought down by Storry, rotating the stick and turning the ball implausibly into the goal. The British side could be accused of switching off after the increase in momentum, certainly there was no need for the team to descend into blaming the umpire in not blowing the whistle early on in the move.

Half time came with the British team two down and in need of some vital enthusiasm and major team building by Coach Craig Parnham and Manager Hilary Rose.

Whatever was said, how harshly it was delivered, there was no mistaking the joy on the faces of the British team as they finally got a penalty corner right at the start of the second half. Although the move that followed was quickly broken up, it at least signalled that the British women might be determined to go out of the competition fighting.

However it was not to be a sustained period of British aggression and brilliant play, instead it seemed that after the initial good passage of play that opened the second half, it was back to a sense of foreboding that Britain were going to settle for playing off for the bronze medal.

Like the men’s team the day before, the women left it late to really enter the game, as possibly Great Britain’s best player on the night Alex Danson got the goal she deserved to give the home side some hope and the crowd something to urge their team on in the last few minutes of the game.

In the end though it was a step too far for the British team, a group that looked shattered and bloodied at the final hooter.

This belies the fact that to a woman they looked pained by the experience, the taste of defeat sitting badly. They may not have performed as cohesively as they could have, the attacking options looking anticipated but they at least played to the last drop of sweat left their tired bodies. Nothing should be taken away from the display by Argentina who functioned as a unit and will be a force to reckon with in the final.

Great Britain. Storry, Maguire, Unsworth, Cullen, MacLeod,Panter, Richardson, Walsh, Rogers, Bartlett, Danson, Twigg, Ball, Walton, White, Thomas.

Manager: Hilary Rose.

Argentina. Del Colle, Luchetti, Rodriguez Perez, Cavallero, Aymar, Rebecchi, Merino, Habib, Sanchez Moccia, Sruoga, Maccari, Scarone, D’Elia, Rebecchi Barrionuevo, Sruoga, Mutio.

Manager: Alejandro Doherty.

Final Score: Great Britain 1-2 Argentina

Goal scorers:  Barrionuevo, Rebecchi (Argentina).  Danson (Great Britain)

Ian D. Hall