The Argentine indoor hockey team suffered a harsh defeat against Iran by 5 to 3 in their first Group B match at the Indoor Hockey World Cup in Porec, Croatia. Despite showing good moments and generating danger, they could not stop the powerful game of the Asian team, which is ranked second in the world.
The match started with an intense pace, both teams seeking dominance. Argentina had its first clear opportunity with Ayala, but Iran's defense responded well. With a quick counterattack, Iran opened the scoring, although Argentina quickly equalized with a goal from Navarro.
The parity was brief, as Hamid Nooranian put Iran ahead again. Argentina pressed in the second quarter and earned their first short corner, but they couldn’t convert it. A penalty in favor of Argentina was not utilized, and Eleicegui's shot hit the post.
In the third quarter, the match focused on a constant battle for possession and control of the game. At 28 minutes, Sajjad Mamizadeh extended Iran's lead to 4-2. However, Rodríguez managed to equalize again with a powerful shot following another short corner. But minutes later, Ayala generated another short corner that resulted in a penalty for Argentina, converted by Joaquín González to narrow the score to 4-3.
In the final minutes, the Argentine coach decided to pull the goalkeeper to have an extra field player and try to equalize the match. Despite Argentina's efforts, the Iranian defense remained solid. In the last play, Iran took advantage of a short corner to seal the victory 5-3.
After this result, Argentina will seek to recover in their next match against Malaysia on Tuesday, February 4. The Indoor Hockey World Cup is a high-intensity tournament where speed and precision are key. Twelve teams participate in both the men's and women's divisions, with teams like Austria and Germany being favorites in this 2025 edition.
