From bronze in Paris to victory against the Netherlands: 2024 for Las Leonas
He 2024 It will undoubtedly be a year that will remain in the memory for The Lionesses. After the tumultuous close with the double defeat suffered against the Netherlands at the beginning of the 2023/2024 Pro League in December of last year, the Argentine women’s team turned the page and headed towards a positive year that had as its greatest milestones: the bronze at the Paris Olympic Games and the debut of 10 new players at the close of the calendar year that culminated with a historic victory against the Dutch at the start of the Pro League 2024/2025. Furthermore, he took into account Zoe Diaz to the best player in the youth world now Cristina Cosentino as one of the most outstanding archers of the season, which earned her the Olympia Award.
Fernando Ferrara had the difficult mission of starting the preseason with the urgent need to lift the spirits of a team that ended 2023 with two painful blows at home. The revenge was coming quickly. Same scenario, in Santiago del Estero, only two months after what happened, but this time against Belgium and Germany. Las Leoncitas, who had been runners-up in the junior world months before, were added to the list of 24 called: Juana Castellaro, Valentina Raposo, Lara Casas, Catalina Andrade and Sofía Cairó. The five joined a group that included some female players references that were part of all the lists of the year: Cristina Cosentino, Agustina Gorzelany, Victoria Miranda, Agostina Alonso, Eugenia Trinchinetti, María José Granatto, Clara Barberi, Victoria Sauze, Agustina Albertario, Pilar Campoy (these last four were no longer after the Olympic Games) and Rocío Sánchez Moccia (he retired later from Paris).
The balance of that first official window was positive. With victories by 5 to 0 and 2 to 0 against Belgium, and one victory per side against Germany (3 to 1 up and 2 to 0 down). Some levels stood out more than others and, some time later, on a pre-trip tour to Europe to close the 2023/2024 Pro League in the United States, a before and after was seen in the formation of the squad. Zoe Díaz appeared on a payroll for the first time, Delfina Thome return, Victoria Manuele, Celina Di Santo and Stefanía Antoniazzi They continued, it was also the first time Carolina Carrizo and Julieta Jankunas were not cited for the first time since 2018. With last-minute absences (Barberi due to injury and Albertario due to COVID, Cairó and Ana Dodorico were replaced), Ferrara took matters into his own hands for the last official window prior to the Paris Olympic Games.
In May, the Las Leonas coach confirmed to the 24 Leonas that they would fight for a place in the Olympic Games in the last Pro League series 2023/2024. Without Barbara Dichiara due to ligament injury in one of his knees, with the confirmed absence of Valentina Costa Biondi due to the same injury and with him return of Valentina Marcucci to the payroll, the Argentine team began its trip to the Old Continent to face India, the United States, China and Australia. He balance of the tour was really positive with six wins, one draw (subsequent victory on Australian penalties against China) and a defeat -only fell with Australia-. It was the debut for Zoe Díaz with the albiceleste shirt and also in the net for Lara Casas, her teammate in Italiano.
After finishing in third place in the 2023/2024 Pro League and not reaching the goal of directly qualifying for the 2026 World Cup (Germany entered for being runner-up while the Netherlands entered for being the host), the most anticipated moment of the year arrived: the Paris Olympic Games. It was Fernando Ferrara’s turn to designate the 16 names and 3 reserves that would remain, some time later, in the history of Argentine sports after winning a new podium and the bronze medal. It was the time of the ratification of Cristina Cosentino As the starting goalkeeper, Barberi was a reserve and the bet on the youngest players who had been the basis of the 2023 youth runner-up: Castellaro, Raposo, Cairó, Casas and Díaz. Their youth came to complement the references such as Rocío Sánchez Mocciawhich was the flag bearer at the opening ceremony, Agostina Alonso, Victoria Sauze and Majo Granatto. Along with those already experienced Eugenia Trinchinetti, Agustina Gorzelany, Sofía Toccalino, Julieta Jankunas, Agustina Albertario and Pilar Campoy. Miranda and Marcucci were the other reserves, while Antoniazzi, Andrade, Di Santo, Manuele and Thome were those who were relegated.
The road to bronze had everything. Two wins to boot to fight for first place in the group, the first objective of the competition, against the United States and South Africa. Then the long-suffering victory against Spain came for the slightest difference. The crucial match against Australia escaped in the final shot and was tied 3-3. The goal difference against the oceanic teams was key to determining who would take the lead in the area. The great 3-0 against Great Britain was not enough and Las Leonas finished second. In the quarterfinals, under tremendous suffering, they tied against Germany 1-1 and, with an outstanding performance by Cosentino, they beat the Germans 2-0 on Australian penalties. Securing the semi-final and the last day of competition was done.
However, the big cuckoo arrived. The Netherlands once again defeated the Argentines with a resounding 3-0 and left them without the dream of fighting for a gold medal against China. The pain led those led by Ferrara to quickly dry their tears to fight for a new medal. And so it came, in a dramatic match against Belgium, the third bronze medal and the sixth in total (the other three were silver) in the history of Argentine women’s hockey. It was a 2 to 2 not suitable for the faint of heart and 3 to 1 in the shoot-outs with a great Cosentino again and Cairó giving him the podium goal. An unforgettable moment.
After the hubbub of the reception from family members and fans at the Ezeiza Airport, a new cycle began for Las Leonas. A large part of the established players emigrated to Europe and, with the ratification of Fernando Ferrara as head of his new coaching staff (he incorporated, among others, Ignacio Bergner as field assistant and Martín Elli as team leader), training for the 2024 season/ 2025 began with players summoned from the local environment.
On the near horizon, the Argentine team will have two official competitions to compete in: the Pro League 2024/2025 and the Copa América which will be held in Montevideo during July and August 2025. Both tournaments give a direct place to the 2026 World Cup. After the European break, Ferrara made a new call for the start of the Pro League in Santiago del Estero. The list included 10 debutant players and the absence of some historical players such as Clara Barberi, Agustina Albertario, Victoria Sauze and Pilar Campoy. A symptom of the renewal that is coming.
After the two draws against Germany (after equality they were a victory for each side in the Australian penalties) and the 3-2 defeat against the Netherlands, the ideal end of the year would come: The Lionesses defeated the Dutch for the same result that they had fallen and ended a four-year streak without beating them. An ideal breath of air to close a positive year that promises to have an even better 2025.
“It is clear that we wanted more in Paris, we already know that. But finishing the Olympic Games with a medal and being able to beat the Netherlands in the Pro League, I think the balance of the year was positive.”Ferrara told AM850 Hockey.
Some numbers from the year of Las Leonas
The Argentine women’s hockey team finished the year in second place in the world ranking of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). It added 3203 points, 465 less than the first (Netherlands) and 295 more than the third (Belgium).
They played 24 games during 2024 with a balance of 14 wins, 6 draws (they won four of the five Australian penalty shootouts) and 4 losses. He scored 63 goals and conceded 30, with an average of 2.63 goals scored per game. The scorer of the year was Agustina Gorzelany who scored 16 goals and participated in all the games, followed by Julieta Jankunas who scored 9 in 22 games and Eugenia Trinchinetti who scored 7, also in 24 games.
Finally, 35 players donned the albiceleste shirt this year, 12 of them had their first official match, two (Lara Casas and Zoe Díaz) won their first Olympic medal and Brisa Bruggesser and María Emilia Larsen also debuted with goals.
