The captains of both the teams are defenders. Which team will be able to defend better today when they meet at Group Stage? Both have won their first matches at World Cup 2018 by a margin of 1 Goal each. The winner today ensures Quaterfinal berth and avoids elimination, while a draw will make all four teams of Pool A eligible for qualification and elimination when they play final matches of Pool A on Dec 6. Both have never won the World Cup. Argentina has entered semifinal once. Check their World Cup Squads and records at various international events.
2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup: Fixture and Results
Head to Head Record
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In World Cup: 6 Matches, Arg 4:2 NZ
Last 3 Matches: NZ 2:1 Arg
Argentina, The Lions
2nd seed Argentina, known as The Lions, are the defending Olympic Champions. At World Cup 2014, they registered their best finish winning Bronze medal. They are the undisputed King of South America winning all 7 events and leader at Pan American Games too reaching all 12 finals and winning 8. While at Champions Trophy their best finish is 3rd in 2008, they have won Champions Challenge thrice (2005, 2007 and 2012) and won Sultan Azlan Shah in their first appearance at 2008.
New Zealand, the Blacksticks
8th seed New Zealand’s best finish in 9 previous World Cup appearance has been 7th on 4 occasions. At Commonwealth they have won Silver twice, at World League finished 2nd once, at all 11 Oceania Cups, they have finished second. Popular as Blacksticks, besides Olympic Gold medal in 1976 despite being a strong contender they have won Champions Challenge 2009 and Azland Shah Cup twice (2012 and 2015).
World Cup 2018 Squad
Argentina
- Head Coach: Germán Orozco
Captain: Pedro Ibarra
Goalkeeper: Juan Manuel Vivaldi, Tomás Santiago
Defenders: Pedro Ibarra, Gonzalo Peillat, Juan Ignacio Gilardi, Juan Martín López, Matías Rey, Nicolás Cicileo
Forwards: Maico Casella, Matías Paredes, Joaquín Menini, Lucas Vila, Tomás Bettaglio, Lucas Martínez
Midfielders: Ignacio Ortiz, Agustín Mazzilli, Lucas Rossi, Agustín Bugallo
New Zealand
- Head Coach: Darren Smith
Captain: Blair Tarrant
Goalkeeper: Richard Joyce, George Enersen
Defenders: Blair Tarrant, Cory Bennett, Dane Lett, Aidan Sarikaya, Kane Russell
Forwards: Marcus Child, Jared Panchia, Stephen Jenness, Dominic Newman, Hugo Inglis
Midfielders: Nick Ross, Nic Woods, Arun Panchia, Shea McAleese, George Muir, Hayden Philips
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