On Sunday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Spain grabbed the last spot in the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2025 final by defeating Argentina 2‑1, making them the first team to earn a place in the championship match.
Spain’s strategy of maintaining early possession forced the Argentine side into a defensive posture that suited Spain’s skillful attackers. The backs of Argentina were confused by the frequent repositioning of Spain’s front three and midfield, giving the Spanish players an edge.
Just seven minutes in, the first penalty corner of the game swung the advantage to Spain. Pere Amat created space with a quick turn close to the 23‑meter line, fed Nicolas Mutaros into the circle, and after the Argentine goalkeeper stopped Bruno Aliva’s initial drag‑flick, Mario Mena capitalised on the rebound to find the net.
The packed arena erupted for every tackle, pass, save, and burst of action once the opening goal lifted the tension between the teams. Argentina pushed hard right after the restart, earning a penalty corner of their own and knocking the upright over with the ensuing short‑corner routine.
In the 20th minute, Juan Fernandez managed to deflect captain Tomas Ruiz’s goal‑bound drag‑flick past Spain’s diving keeper, levelising the score for the Little Lions. Argentina’s offensive threat only began to materialise later in the first half after a rough start.
The third quarter ran without much fireworks as both sides approached the second half cautiously. However, the final quarter saw plenty of drama.
With just over four minutes left, Spanish defender Avila recovered the ball near midfield and fired a hopeful shot. The ball nudged Albert Serrahima’s stick before slipping into the Argentine goal. After a lengthy video review, the goal stood despite vigorous protests from the Argentinian side.
In a last‑gasp move, coach Juan Gilardi replaced an outfield player with a goal‑keeper to try and level the game. Argentina earned a penalty corner in the dying seconds, but a subsequent video decision ruled against them, sealing Spain’s place in the grand finale and confirming the match outcome.
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