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The Indian women's hockey team lost to Argentina 2-1 in the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday.
Sjoerd Marijne's charges stunned the South Americans in the second minute as Gurjit Kaur struck home a penalty corner low and to the right of goalkeeper Maria Belen Succi.
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The Argentinians swung into action following the early reverse as they swarmed the attacking circle. But the Indian defence did well in the early exchanges, shadowing the Argentinian strikers with grounded sticks without indulging in unnecessary tackles.
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But they conceded far too many penalty corners early in the second quarter and Argentinian skipper Noel Barrionuevo finally converted one in the 18th minute to level proceedings.
India then began to sit back as Carlos Retegui's team stepped up a gear, particularly down the left flank.
The Indians had a great chance to take the lead one more time just a couple of minutes after the Los Leones women had equalized when Lalremsiami and Vandana Katariya combined well but the former failed to trap the ball at a crucial moment.
Indians allowed too much space in midfield
After keeping things tight in the first quarter, the Indians allowed Argentina far too much space in midfield as Barrionuevo and co. frequented the attacking circle.
To the credit of the Indian defenders, particularly Deep Grace, the Argentine strikers failed to score. Despite playing second fiddle on the pitch, the Indians were very much in the contest until the long breather with the score tied at 1-1.
Retegui's side came back onto the pitch with a sense of purpose and urgency. Delfina Merino powered her way into the striking zone but failed to earn a PC.
The Indians could only watch as their opponents then took control of the proceedings by forcing another PC and the skipper found the mark for the second time on the day.
The Indians had a definite strategy of scoring early, holding the fort and attempting a second goal if possible, but there seemed to be no contingency plan in place once the Argentinians took the lead.
The odd, inspired Indian foray did result from time to time but lacked potency in the face of some dogged defending from the Argentinians.
The South Americans double-teamed the Indian strikers with intensity and more often than not, the lone forwards found no one to pass to in the striking circle.
Lack of intensity in the tackles
The inability of the Indians to win one-on-one tackles on the field ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides, although with a bit of luck Marijne's team might have found an equalizer.
Argentina were the better team on the day without a semblance of doubt but the Indians can be proud of their effort on the field.
Keeping the scoreline down to 1-2 against a seasoned unit goes to show that Rani and co. have now matured as a team and will go far with time.
For now, though, the Indians will have Great Britain in their sights as a bronze medal is a distinct possibility on Friday.
The Netherlands and Argentina, the top two sides in women's hockey, will play each other for gold.
For the Indians, who are now ranked seventh, being within range of the podium speaks volumes about the capabilities of Sjoerd Marijne's transformed squad.
