AMSTERDAM, Aug 20: Two-times winners India suffered their third defeat of the men’s Champions Trophy tournament with a 4-2 loss to Argentina on Wednesday.

India have only one more match to play — against Pakistan on Friday — and are in danger of having to play Germany in the fifth and sixth playoff for the wooden spoon.

In the day’s earlier game, Australia, the 2002 World Cup finalists, defeated a weakened Germany 6-1 to go top of the pool standings. Australia lead Olympic champions Netherlands on goal difference, though the Dutch have played one less game.

Argentina, who had looked jet-lagged in their earlier encounters after playing in the final of the Pan-American games last week, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first 24 minutes against India with goals from Jorge Lombi and Matias Vila.

Deepak Thakur then pulled one back just on the half hour for India, before Argentina grabbed two more goals in the first seven minutes of the second half, through Mario Almada from close range and a Lombi flick.

Baljir Dhillon scored India’s second from the top circle but were unable to peg back the deficit further.

Australia’s win was their biggest ever over Germany, improving on a 4-0 victory in the 1993 Champions Trophy final.

Germany have chosen to send their development squad to the tournament because of the proximity to September’s European Nations Cup in Barcelona, the winner of which gains automatic qualification for next year’s Athens Olympics.

The speedy Australians put the game beyond doubt when they scored four unanswered goals in an 11-minute spell between the ninth and 20th minutes.

The young German side had trouble retaining the ball against the relentless pressure of the Australians, who had gone out to a 6-0 lead before Germany grabbed a consolation goal.

Standings P W D L F A Pts

Australia 4 2 1 1 17 11 7

Netherlands 3 2 1 0 11 8 7

Argentina 3 2 0 1 12 9 6

Pakistan 3 1 2 0 12 11 5

India 4 1 0 3 9 14 3

Germany 3 0 0 3 4 12 0

—Reuters