Junior Hockey World Cup 2025: Argentina confirms quarterfinals presence; New Zealand remains in contention
The remnant of Cyclone Ditwah made its presence felt at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium on Monday, turning the final two Pool C clashes of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 into battles against the elements as much as against each other.
After New Zealand’s come-from-behind win over Japan in a waterlogged, stop-start drama that momentarily jeopardised Argentina’s quarterfinal hopes, Los Leoncitos edged past China 3-1 to confirm their presence in the last eight.
Neither an exact 90-minute delay nor the rain-soaked turf could deter the world number three, Argentina, from bouncing back after its shock 3-3 draw against New Zealand. Bruno Correa’s hat-trick ensured the Latin American side made light work of its Asian counterpart, China, which remain pointless in the pool stage.
Correa began his scoring moments before the first quarter ended, finishing off a penalty corner (PC) variation. He then doubled Argentina’s advantage in the first minute of the second phase, this time sounding the board with a fierce effort from the edge of the D. Juan Ignacio Gilardi’s team dominated possession, but the waterlogged turf made it difficult to translate that domination into goals on the scoresheet.
Trailing by two goals, China tried to mount a comeback after the break and reduced the deficit via Di Yanwei in the 37th minute. However, Correa completed his hat-trick ten minutes before the full-time whistle with a superb field goal, ending the misery for the Chinese players, who looked fatigued after two intense games in as many days.
Also read | Germany confirms quarterfinals place; South Africa secures second spot in Pool A
New Zealand overcomes Japan to remain in knockout contention
Earlier in the evening, the contest between New Zealand and Japan was split into three distinct phases by the weather, the first break occurring six minutes after halftime with Japan holding a surprising but deserved 2-1 lead. The intensity of the downpour and wind forced the officials to halt play, leading to an extensive delay of more than an hour.
The initial action had seen New Zealand claim an early advantage through Scott Illerbrun’s field goal. However, Japan delivered a powerful counterpunch before the first buzzer, with Kyoya Toya and Matsuki Mori finding the net to establish the 2-1 lead it carried into the forced interval.
When the skies relented enough for the game to resume, the long pause appeared to serve the Future Black Sticks perfectly. Within a mere 90 seconds of the restart, Owen Brown struck the crucial equaliser, injecting immediate momentum back into the Kiwi side. Just two minutes later, New Zealand’s primary offensive threat, Jonty Elmes, completed the stunning turnaround, executing a precise finish from an acute angle to seize the 3-2 lead.
The drama was far from over. With just 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the match was interrupted a second time, triggering an additional 18-minute pause. The final quarter tested New Zealand’s resilience to the limit. Skipper Gus Nelson received a green card in the 49th minute, and defender Finlay Neale was handed a 10-minute yellow card suspension, leaving New Zealand with just 10 men for a critical period. Despite the numerical advantage, the Japanese attack found no way past the heroic defence of the team from Oceania, which ground out the narrow result.
Defender Dean Clarkson was named the Player of the Match for his outstanding contribution in anchoring the New Zealand defence through the stormy final stages.
With this hard-fought 3-2 victory, New Zealand finished second on goal difference and now has to wait for the other results to see if it can become one of the two best second-place teams among six pools to make it to the knockout phase.
Published on Dec 01, 2025