ESP (1-0-1) 0 1 0 0 — 1
USA (0-1-1) 1 0 0 0 — 1
USA: Sophia Gladieux (Megan Valzonis), fg, 14th
ESP: Begona Garcia (Laura Barrios), fg, 18th
Shots — ESP 13; USA 3. Saves — ESP: Clara Perez 1, defensive 1; USA: Kelsey Bing 10, defensive 2.
FULL TIME That’s all for now; good day, good hockey
FULL TIME The Americans have held steady in defense and were much more clinical in the back than they were against Argentina. The attack has been enterprising, but it is notable how few penalty corner chances they have had thus far
FULL TIME This was a fairly even game between two teams which are exchanging places in the FIH apparatus, as the Red Sticks will take the United Eagles; place in the Pro League during the next cycle
FULL TIME The game ends in a 1-1 draw
59:59 The United States gets it over to the left doorstep to Tamer, but the horn sounds to end the match
59:35 Spain crushes a diagonal towards the spot; Bing with the stop and clear
58:01 Spain gets into the circle, but Sara Barrios backs over the goalie; that’s still an obstruction even with the rules changes in the last 30 years
56:15 Begona Garcia with a backhander from deep on the left endline with seemingly no angle and hits the side of the goal cage
55:00 Is there another goal in this? The teams are poking and prodding but have not generated chances in this quarter
52:30 The Eagles have a free hit in a promising position, but it goes off Zimmer over the end line; 16Y for Spain
51:15 A one-touch pass finds Sessa in space, but is cut out by the Spain defense
49:10 ESP GREEN Bianca Perez is being called for a hold on Yeager in the midfield. It’s a two-minute power play, which is tough to give up at this juncture
46:10 Jimenez, who has been a pest all game, pings a shot off Bing’s moonboots
45:00 The final quarter begins
END THIRD If the U.S. gets a result here, the defensive stand they made in the 37th minute against the Spanish penalty corner attack could live long in the memory
END THIRD Game remains tied 1-1 heading to the final term
43:10 Zimmer takes it to the second-goal area, but Julia Strappato is on the assignment and spirits the ball away
41:30 And back on the other end, Bianca Perez aims a speculative shot that Bing thwarts
41:00 Zimmer slices up the right wing, cuts in for a half-step, takes it to the endline but Spain deflects off the endline; 23M free-in for the U.S.
37:25 ESP PC Riera flips it wide! The States with a 16Y and the Red Sticks go empty on six tries
37:19 ESP PC Riera’s flick off a body and we’ll re-rack again!
37:15 ESP PC Riera’s flick off the flyer and another reset
37:13 ESP PC Riera, who is back in the game, hits a U.S. player with the ball; penalty corner is called
37:00 ESP PC Jimenez drives the ball into the U.S. defense and a foot is called; a third corner is called
36:47 ESP PC Driven ball this time for Spain, by Lucia Jimenez; will re-rack
36:00 Valzonis is on the right wing, cuts into the middle of the circle — backhand shot goes wide; that would have been spectacular had it gone into the goal
33:40 23M for Spain, but the Spanish are not able to execute and the States will clear
30:00 The second half is under way
END HALF Spain has also given entirely too much room on the defensive wings; Zimmer has had all day to work on the right wing
END HALF Spain has relied thus far on Riera on the scoring circle, but it looks like Bing, Hoffman, Sholder, and the rest of the U.S. penalty corner defense unit have well-scouted their Spanish counterparts
END HALF The horn sounds to end the half; the game is tied 1-1
29:49 ESP PC Another dragflick for Riera, and Bing says no; a follow-op is also stopped by Bing; a third shot hits the outside of the cage
28:30 Quickly, the U.S. is in the circle and a backhand shot by Valzonis is over the top of the cage. Valzonis has looked dangerous and engaged for this U.S. side
27:44 ESP PC Riera with the dragflick; Bing says no
26:40 Zimmer goes around the right edge again and throws a hopeful pass, but cannot find a teammate
24:33 Abby Tamer seemed to have scored for the States, but on an umpire review, the ball goes off Zimmer’s foot during the buildup; no goal
24:00 USA PC Yeager with the low flick; Clara Perez with a sprawling stop for Spain!
24:00 VAR CHECK The original call stands, and Spain also loses their referral
24:00 USA PC Yeager’s flick is about knee-high, and hits off Spain’s corner flyer
23:56 ESP GREEN Zimmer is body-checked to the turf, and a green card to Alejandra Torrez-Quevedo is a result, as well as a corner
19:32 VAR CHECK The question was whether Spain, on the 23-meter free-in, moved the ball five yards before Barrios’ drive to Garcia. The video umpire upholds the original call; the goal counts, and the States cannot use video replay the rest of the game
19:32 ESP GOAL a diagonal pass by Laura Barrios finds Begona Garcia, who pounds it into the cage; game tied 1-1, but a long whistle
19:17 ESP PC Riera with the dragflick; the left poster sticks it off the line! Wow!
18:30 Spain is not playing with the same crispness as they had in the first quarter; the Red Sticks just fumbled the ball out of bounds at midfield with nobody near the player
15:40 Maddie Zimmer, being left along on the right wing, is able to get the ball deep in the circle, but off Beth Yeager’s foot; has Spain not been watching the film of the FIH qualifiers?
15:00 The second quarter begins
END FIRST Wow, that goal by the Americans is one which might not have been expected, but the States were able to punish Spain for not tracking back
END FIRST And the horn sounds; the United Eagles lead 1-0 at quarter-time
13:30 USA GOAL And with Hoffman’s defensive save, the United States runs the snowbird! It’s a 3-on-1 break, and from the left wing, Megan Valzonis finds an open Sophia Gladieux, who scores to give the Americans the lead! USA 1, Spain 0
13:13 ESP PC A hi-lo back to the inserter beats Bing, but Hoffman with the defensive save and clears it out
13:10 A driven diagonal hits Kelee Lepage in the shin inside the defensive circle, and a corner the result
10:45 Spain with a low drive and Bing with a “get that out of here” clear out of the circle
10:26 ESP PC Riera takes it to the backhand; Sholder with the corner defense to block it out
9:58 Beth Yeager gets to the edge of the circle but Spain with the takeaway
8:10 Maddie Zimmer operates on the right wing and punches a ball to the goalmouth, but the U.S. cannot get off a goal shot
6:30 Hopeful ball by Leah Crouse into the offensive left wing corner is cut out by the Spanish defense
0;00 The game is on
PREGAME The U.S. is in their traditional red tops with red kilts, and Spain is wearing the all-white kit this game
PREGAME The teams are warming up on the blue turf with a much warmer temperature than a couple of days ago; it is 79 degrees now, but could spike up towards the latter part of the game. Both teams, of course, have trained for heat, which could play a factor later this week
PREGAME Spain has taken a “long game” approach and a number of members of this team were on the side which won the 2019 EuroHockey Junior Championship. This could be a new “golden generation” for Spanish field hockey
PREGAME Spain knows what it is like to win an Olympics, as they parlayed home-field advantage into gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Since then, they were in the headwaters of world competition, but did not win another major trophy until eight weeks ago, when they won the 2024 FIH Nations Cup over Ireland. Spain is the team which is going to take the relegated USA team in the next iteration of the FIH Pro League
PREGAME Spain is led by captain Maria Lopez, midfielder Beatriz Perez, and dragflick specialist Lola Riera. Watch also for forwards Sara Barrios and Begona Garcia in open play
PREGAME The U.S. is led by Amanda Golini and Ashley Hoffman, goalie Kelsey Bing, and defensive midfielders Meredith Sholder and Maddie Zimmer
PREGAME The U.S. is 0-1 in the pool, and Spain is 1-0 after a 2-1 upset of Team GB. This could be a crucial game in terms of determining the destinies of both these sides in terms of their chances of making the knockout round
PREGAME Welcome back to Stade Yves-du-Manoir in Paris for the second pool match of the Olympics for the United States and Spain
