Argentina celebrate win over Germany
Pool B – GER 2-4 ARG

Argentina are unbeaten for the sixth successive Champions Trophy match against Germany. On Sunday night “Las Leonas” compensated for their performance in the opening match where they drew 2-2 with New Zealand after being down 0-2.

Every time an Argentine player received the ball the crowd cheered. When Sofia Maccari (14’) scored her first Champions Trophy career goal it set the spectators alive and they continued to cheer enthusiastically throughout the match. Towards the end of the first half Argentina pressured Germany early and penetrated their circle many times. Flicker Noel Barrionuevo (29’) doubled the lead when her penalty corner shot defeated the unlucky German goalkeeper Kristina Reynolds. Two minutes Carla Rebecca extended the score to 3-0 giving Argentina the biggest half-time lead in Champions Trophy competition since China led Germany 4-1 at half-time in the 2011 classification match 7-8.

Argentina kept up their pace in the second half making it 4-0 after a penalty corner tip-in from Daniela Sruoga. German proved their mental strength and scored through Lisa Hahn (39’) who converted the rebound of another penalty corner scoring her second goal in her second Champions Trophy match. Hannah Krüger scored her first Champions Trophy goal in her seventh appearance making it 4-2. Argentina failed to extend their lead by missing several penalty corners. Germany really impressed with their determination to try to score more goals but the Argentine defence held firm.

Match Review 8. Germany - Argentina 2-4

> Argentina pick up their first CT match win since beating New Zealand 3-2 in the Champions Group C at Amstelveen 2011.
> Argentina are now unbeaten in 17 successive matches against Germany (11 wins – 6 draws) in all competitions.
> Argentina are now unbeaten in their last six CT encounters with Germany. Their last CT win against the Germans dated back to the 2008 CT final (8-2).
> Argentina go top in Pool B on 4 points from 2 matches. Germany are now second on 3 points leading New Zealand (2 points) and Korea (1 point).
> Sofia Maccari scored her first CT career goal, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead.
> Noel Barrionuevo scored her 21st (PC) goal in CT competition. She is now joint 2nd on the all-time top scorer list with Maartje Paumen. Only Nadine Ernsting-Krienke (GER) has scored more CT goals (22).
> Carla Rebecchi made it 3-0. She also scored against Germany in the 2008 CT final ARG - GER 6-2, when Kristina Reynolds was also defending the German goal.
> Rebecchi has now scored in 6 successive CT editions.
> Josefina Sruoga got a deflection on the penalty corner to score her 2nd CT career goal and her first against Germany.
> Germany’s Lisa Hahn scored her second goal of the tournament in only her second CT match.
> Argentina converted 2 of 7 penalty corners awarded in this match and are now on 3 for 11 in the tournament.
> Germany converted 1 of 8 penalty corners today and are now on 2 for 12 at Rosario 2012.

Match Preview 8. Germany - Argentina (January 29th, 8:00pm)

Head-to-Heads
> Argentina are unbeaten in their last five CT encounters with Germany, drawing the last two.
> Their last CT meeting came in 2010 and ended 2-2, goals scored by Natascha Keller, Tina Bachmann (PC), Mariana Rossi and Noel Barrionuevo (PC).
> Germany’s last CT victory over Argentina dates back to 2006 (3-1).
> Argentina are unbeaten in 16 successive matches against Germany (10 wins – 6 draws) in all competitions since losing 4-3 in a Four Nations tournament in Mendoza four years ago, on 24 January 2008.
> Natascha Keller, Soledad Garcia and Alejandra Gulla have all scored 3 goals in CT matches between Argentina and Germany.

Germany
> Germany won their opening match beating Korea 4-2.
> Tina Schütze scored the fastest CT goal for Germany ever, by scoring in the second minute of the match.
> Anke Brockmann and Lisa Hahn became the first German players to score on her CT debut since Anke Kühn in 2004.
> Celine Wilde also scored for Germany.
> Germany have not seen any penalty corners awarded against them so far at Rosario 2012.
> Germany are ranked 3rd on the FIH World Ranking.
> Germany had a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign in 2011, finishing at the bottom of the rankings for the first time in the history of the tournament.
> The team rebounded to finish second at the 2011 EuroHockey Nations Championships and secure its place in London for the Olympic Games.
> Germany finished third the last time the Champions Trophy was held in Argentina, in Quilmes in 2007.
> At an average age of 28 years, the German squad is the oldest team present at Rosario 2012.
> Goalkeeper Yvonne Frank, defender Julia Müller and forward Natascha Keller were all selected in the FIH 2011 Women’s All Star team.

Argentina
> Argentina are ranked 2nd on the Worlds ranking.
> In 2011 Las Leonas lost their status as World Number 1 to the Netherlands after losing the 2011 Champions Trophy final in a penalty shoot-out.
> Argentina have won only one of their last 5 Champions Trophy matches – 3-2 win over New Zealand in a Champions Group match at the 2011 CT.
> Argentina star Luciana Aymar is likely to become the first player to reach 80 CT matches. She is now on 79.
> At age 34, 7-time FIH World Player of the year, Aymar is the second oldest player to represent Argentina in the Champions Trophy and the oldest since Maria Magdalena Aicega (34) in 2008.
> Penalty corner specialist Noel Barrionuevo is on a career total of 20 CT goals all from penalty corners.
> Coming into this tournament, the all-time CT top scorer was Nadine Ernsting-Krienke (GER) on 22 CT goals. Maartje Paumen (NED) was on 21 goals at the start of Day 2.