Twelve years after that conquest in The Hague, the Lions secured a medal in a Hockey World Cup again. The team led by Lucas Rey defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in a dramatic finish and ended the tournament in third place.
The match had all the elements of a podium final. During the first 30 minutes, both teams engaged in a balanced duel with few differences. The Dutch had some approaches and a short corner, while Argentina also had an opportunity in that regard, but neither managed to break the deadlock.
The best offensive version of the Lions appeared in the third quarter. At 11 minutes, Facundo Zárate found Tomás Domene, who appeared to deflect the pass and establish the 1-0. The forward had another chance shortly after, but the Dutch goalkeeper responded to keep his team alive.
Argentina entered the last period with the lead and the hope of securing the bronze, but the Netherlands quickly reacted. Four minutes in, Floris Middendorp deflected a short corner and scored the 1-1. The European team even scored again shortly after, but the goal was disallowed for a play deemed dangerous.
With the match becoming increasingly tight and the tension rising, the Lions found the decisive blow with less than two minutes remaining. A new short corner led to a rebound and Matías Rey appeared to take the shot that made it 2-1.
Beyond this joy, the outcome still held a final dose of suffering. The Netherlands had the chance to equalize with just four seconds on the clock, through another short corner that could have taken the match to Australian penalties; however, the Argentine defense managed to hold firm and maintained the lead until the final whistle.
With this achievement, the Lions returned to the world podium for the second time in their history. The previous occasion was in The Hague 2014, when the team finished third after losing in the semifinals to Australia and then defeating England 2-0 in the bronze medal match.
