FIH Pro League Scouting Report: USWNT vs. Argentina
In anticipation of the U.S. Women's National Team's upcoming FIH Pro League match, here is a scouting report you’ll want to review before the starting whistle.
Game Day: Sunday May 12, 2019
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
Location: Spooky Nook Sports, Lancaster, Pa.
Live Stream: Don't miss a second of the FIH Pro League action and watch the USWNT takes on Argentina this Sunday. The FIH has signed a four-year media rights agreement with Bleacher Report Live for the territories of Canada and the United States. Bleacher Report Live is operated by Turner Sports, a division of WarnerMedia. The platform, which is Turner’s live sports streaming service, will be the primary destination for all fans to watch FIH Pro League matches.
FIH Pro League single games are available paid per view for $2.99 per match or $19.99 for the FIH Pro League 2019 Season Pass (all matches). Click here for the FIH Pro League live stream landing page.
Opponent: Argentina
FIH World Ranking: 4
Head to Head: These two teams last met in the USA's first FIH Pro League game on February 2 in Córdoba, Argentina. It was USA who capitalized on their counter attacks in the first half, producing two field goals, but Las Leonas tallied two of their own in the fourth quarter to finish regulation 2-2 and force a shootout. Tied 1-1 after the first round with goals from Argentina’s Delfina Merino and USA’s Kathleen Sharkey, Las Leonas converted again as USA’s Linnea Gonzales’ was called back for using the back of the stick. Neither team found the back of the goal in the third round but Argentina’s Lucina von der Heyde scored in the fourth and USA’s Nicole Woods missed, giving Argentina the additional FIH Pro League point.
Prior to that USA played Argentina in a five-game test series in Tucuman in June 2018. In the opening match, the score line did not reflect that of the performance of USA as Argentina finished well and was fueled by a hat trick to earn a 5-1 win. Match two saw a scoreless first half before Las Leonas tallied three unanswered goals as the USA fell 3-1. The third match saw Argentina use a late first quarter goal and dominant ball control to shut down USA throughout the match en route to a 4-0 victory. Despite an early USA lead in the fourth game, a late first half goal gave the lead back to Las Leonas as they prevailed 2-1. Having not won a game the whole series, USA kept the final game scoreless after the first quarter. Argentina persisted to score two in the second and one in the third, but not before USSA showed grit and a straight shot by Sharkey was tucked in by Erin Matson to add one back. Misconnections and unforced turnovers were exposed for USA as they fell 3-1.
What You Need to Know: Argentina has long been considered one of the world's most fearsome attacking teams and are undisputedly a true powerhouse of the game. Since the 2014 retirement of eight-time FIH Player of the Year, Luciana Aymar, Las Leonas have been in a somewhat rebuilding process. However, this has not stopped them from claiming some notable titles, including the 2016 Champions Trophy in London and 2017 Pan American Cup in the United States.