Argentina defeated the United States 2-1 for third place in the women’s hockey World Cup on Saturday.
The reigning world champions lost their semi-final 4-0 to The Netherlands, while the United States were defeated by Australia 3-1 in a penalty shootout.
Team-captain Luciana Aymar put her Leonas ahead on eight minutes after tipping in a pass from Carla Rebecchi. Three minutes later, the United States struck back with a penalty corner goal, when Lauren Crandall deflected a shot from Caroline Nichols into the net.
Aymar, the most capped player in the Argentine team with more than 360 international appearances, added another goal from open play on 21 minutes to seal victory.
The second half was goalless. The United States worked hard to get on the scoreboard but the Argentine defence stood strong. A fourth place finish is the best result for the United States at the World Cup.
