ISLAMABAD: Argentina edged Pakistan 3–2 in a lively contest, surviving a spirited fightback to claim full points at home in the FIH Pro League Hockey.
Pakistan had an excellent start, playing at a high tempo that generated early chances. Waheed Ashraf Rana was the first to truly test the Argentine back line, but Tomas Santiago produced a strong close-range save. Rana came close again moments later, flashing a shot past the far post. Argentina struggled to convert their own penalty corner opportunities. Tomas Domene backhand rippled only the outside of the goal. Argentina finally broke through in the second quarter when Domene finished from close range after a sharp baseline sequence from Thomas Habif to Ignacio Nardolillo, who squared the ball perfectly for the finish. The lone goal held through to halftime.
The third quarter exploded with action. Pakistan equalised through Muhammad Ammad, who got a clever touch on a Zikriya Hayat pass to make it 1–1. Argentina responded immediately with a superb pair of penalty-corner conversions just one minute apart, Nicolás della Torre firing low into the corner before Maico Casella launched a flick high into the net after a series of re-awards. Pakistan earned their own trio of re-awards before Waleed Rana finally tucked home a rebound to pull them back within one before the buzzer. The 3–2 scoreline held through the final quarter. Argentina’s Thomas Habif was named Player of the Match.
