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Carla Rebecchi scored goals in both halves and Noel Barrionuevo scored from a penalty corner to delighted a sellout home crowd of 12,000. Argentina won all of its seven games at the tournament and handed the Netherlands — the defending Olympic champion — its first loss of the World Cup.
It was Argentina's second World Cup title following a triumph in 2002.
Rebecchi scored after only three minutes and Barrionuevo added the penalty corner just minutes later to put Argentina in control.
Maartje Paumen gave the Dutch a chance in the 44th with a penalty corner, but Rebecchi sealed the win in the 54th with her second goal.
“This is incredible,” Barrionuevo said, calling it an “unforgettable victory.”
Added Argentina captian Luciana Aymar “From the beginning, I dreamed that this would happen. I don't know what will happen next, but right now I am enjoying this moment with my team and with my people.”
Falling behind early was too much for the Dutch to overcome.
“We had a lot of confidence and preparation before the match,” Netherlands coach Herman Kruis said. “When you make lots of faults in the first six minutes and are down two goals, it is disappointing. But we are proud we came back in the match.”
In group play, Argentina defeated South Africa (5-2), South Korea (1-0), Spain (4-0), China (2-0) and England (2-0) and then defeated Germany 2-0 in the semifinals.
England earned its first medal at a women's field hockey World Cup, defeating Germany 2-0 for the bronze earlier Saturday. Alex Danson scored in the 28th minute and Helen Richardson converted three minutes later. It was England's best result in a major tournament and matched third place at this year's Women's Champions Trophy, where Germany was also the loser.
Germany was also fourth in the Beijing Olympics, which was won by the Netherlands. Argentina won bronze.
Germany hasn't beaten England at the World Cup since 1994.
“I am delighted,” England coach Danny Kerry said. “It is the first time we have won a World Cup medal and the other thing I am delighted about is that we only lost one game in the entire World Cup and that was to Argentina. I am very proud of the staff and the girls. So I am absolutely over the moon.”
Germany captain Fanny Rinne explained the deep hurt of the loss.
“I did not ask everybody, but I can see it in their eyes,” Rinne said of her teammates. “It is hard, especially for those that went to the Olympics in Beijing — to come away there and here with fourth place is really hard. Everyone has to think on their own and has to change, but first this is very frustrating.”
In other playoffs Thursday and Friday Australia finished fifth, beating South Korea 2-1; New Zealand defeated China 3-0 for seventh place; India finished ninth, beating South Africa 4-3; and Japan edged Spain 2-1 for 11th place. -AP
