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[nahia]

NEW DELHI: The final hurdle is here - it’s a familiar roadblock which has seen India stumble often in the past. The Blue Sticks take on Latin American champions Argentina for the seventh spot on Friday and the contest between these two teams promises to be a bruising affair.

Argentina have always raised their game against India - be it the World Cup or anywhere. The World Cup head-to-head figures say this story well: Argentina have won four of the seven contests, with India winning two and one ending in a draw.

Argentina are known for their compact, physical game; they are not a flair team like their football superstars. They are tenacious in defence and rely on counter-attacks to trouble their rivals. They have raised their game here and the possibility of going higher up the rankings ladder will be a huge motivating factor for them.

In fact, in a country which is now passionately following every move being made by Diego Maradona’s men, on and off the field, the achievements of the stick masters would have not got the attention it deserves. Coach Pablo Lombi understands this but said that he’s happy with what his boys have achieved here. "Top eight finish opens up possibilities. The government will give us more money for playing tournaments," he told a news agency.

As for India, finishing on a winning note will leave the fans with some happy memories from a tournament which has come home after years. They have won just won one game so far and came close to winning the second against South Africa. Friday gives them the opportunity to set a few things right. Seventh-place finish does not sound big but it would surely be an achievement for this team. It would be their best finish in 16 years.

They have made errors, conceded early goals, often failed to make inroads in the midfield and also missed opportunities upfront. But the positive bit is that India have played like a team; a team which fights when chips are down. They need to get that spirit going against the men in blue and white stripes.

India’s coach Jose Brasa would be hoping they would. "Hopefully we can win against Argentina. That wouldn’t be too bad."