Dutch men face Argentina in World Cup hockey, women win again

On Tuesday, the Dutch men's hockey team will face Argentina in the second World Cup group match. A win for either side could propel them closer to the knockout rounds. The two teams had both won their opening matches. The Netherlands defeated New Zealand 5-1 in Amstelveen, while Argentina overcame Japan 3-0 at the same venue.

Holland and Belgium are jointly hosting the tournament, twelve years after the previous World Cup took place in The Hague. The Dutch women's team triumphed in that edition while the men's team lost in the final to Australia. The women's team is poised to advance to the quarter-finals after overcoming a challenging match against Australia, winning 4-2.

Goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal faced numerous challenges, defending seven penalty corners before scoring a goal herself. Joosje Burg added a second, but Australia responded swiftly with a goal from Stephanie Kershaw. After a goalless period, Abigail Wilson equalized the score with a penalty corner, but Burg restored the lead for the second time just before the end. Marijn Veen completed the victory with a well-executed move.

An intriguing aspect of this matchup is that Argentina's men's team features Nicolas Keenan, who is engaged to Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. Jetten supported Argentina in the previous match, wearing an Argentina replica shirt and cheering from the sidelines. However, he remained ambiguous when asked by RTL which team he would support on Tuesday, jokingly stating that he hoped for a draw to avoid any conflict at home.