The U.S. women’s field hockey team made up for lost time on Sunday in Beijing by earning a 2-2 tie against Argentina in the Americans’ first Olympic game in a dozen years.
The U.S. trailed 2-0 in the first 11 minutes against the world’s second-ranked team, which defeated the Americans in the championship game of the Pan American Games last year.
“We knew coming in we were going to have to be on our game from the beginning,” USA team captain and forward Kate Barber told reporters after the game. “I think we were a little on the back foot to start, and Argentina made us pay for that.”
But the U.S., ranked 11th, responded when forward Keli Smith — a former standout at the University of Maryland — deflected a shot from midfielder Rachel Dawson on a penalty corner in the 18th minute. The U.S. pulled even in the second half, when forward Angie Loy scored in the 68th minute.
That’s all goalie Amy Tran needed to make sure her team secured a point in pool play, as she made several great saves in the second half.
The U.S. seeks its first Olympic victory since the 1996 Atlanta Games on Tuesday, when it faces Japan, which defeated New Zealand, 2-1, on Sunday. Japan is ranked sixth in the world.
“To play the world number two in the world in your first game in the Olympics and come away with a 2-2 draw, we are, to a degree, satisfied,” USA coach Lee Bodimeade told reporters after the game. “We knew that we had to bring our best game and we thought after defending so well on the penalty corners that Argentina were getting, maybe we could’ve caused an upset. Yes, I will take the point, but we have some work to do.”
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.
