Penalty corner specialist Gonzalo Peillat’s three-goal burst kept Argentina on course for making the semifinals of the men’s hockey World Cup with a resounding 5-0 victory over Asian champion South Korea here on Sunday.
Logging nine points from four matches, Argentina stayed ahead of Olympic champion Germany, which is in danger of failing to make the semifinals only for the second time in World Cup history.
Peillat converted two early penalty corners to give Argentina a two-goal lead by the seventh minute. Lucas Vila then scored a field goal, before Peillat returned for his third goal in the 20th minute that gave Argentina a 4-0 lead at half time. Guillermo Schickendantz rounded off Argentina’s scoring midway in the second session with an open play strike.
In another match, two-time champion Germany defeated New Zealand 5-3 for its second win in four Group B outings, giving it six points in four games.
But the lone-goal losses to host The Netherlands and Argentina have pushed two-time champion to the brink.
Until now, it was only in the first World Cup in 1971 that Germany did not feature in the semifinals.
Martin Zwicker scored twice for Germany while Florian Fuchs, Christopher Zeller and Benedikt Furk contributed a goal each. Zeller could have added another goal, but missed a penalty stroke.
On the other hand, Andy Hayward’s hat-trick went in vain for New Zealand. Hayward found the target in the 34th, 67th and 70th minutes.
The results: Men: Germany 5 (Florian Fuchs 2, Martin Zwicker 31 & 40, Christopher Zeller 35, Benedikt Furk 57) bt New Zealand 3 (Andy Hayward 34, 67, 70).
Argentina 5 (Gonzalo Peillat 4, 7 & 20, Lucas Vila 12, Guillermo Schickendantz 54) bt South Korea 0.
Women: USA 4 (Kathleen Sharky 33 & 42, Caroline Nichols 39, Katie Reinprecht 42) bt Germany 1 (Kristina Hillmann 60).
England 1 (Alex Danson 7-PC) lost to Argentina 2 (Delfina Merino 27, Carla Rebecchi 70).
