Bhubaneswar: A hat-trick by Facundo Zarate and a brace of goals each by Lautaro Domene, and Bautista Capurro helped former champions Argentina hand Egypt a 14-0 thrashing in their opening match of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup here on Thursday.
This is the biggest margin of victory in the Junior World Cup. The previous best was India’s 13-0 win against Singapore in 1982.
Argentina, who won the title in 2005, set the ball rolling with Zarate scoring their first goal in the third minute off a penalty corner. He added two more goals to his tally in the 47th and 58th minutes by converting two penalty strokes to complete a treble against the African minnows.
Domene scored his first goal in the 12th minute, the team’s third, and then added his second in the 58th minute off penalty corner while Capurro was successful in the 12th minute and then 44th minute.
The remaining seven goals were shared between them by Francisco Ruiz (10th min), Franco Agostini (25the min), Ignacio Nardolillo (39th min), Mendez Lucio (46th min), Joaquin Kruger (47th min), Stellato Bruno (48th min) and Joaquin Toscani (51st min) — scoring a goal each.
Of the 14 goals scored by Argentina, six came off penalty corners, while two were off penalty strokes. They scored three goals in the first quarter and seven in the fourth.
With Germany and Pakistan the other teams in Group D, the big win will not only give Argentina confidence going into the tougher matches but also help them maintain a healthy goal difference.
(IANS)