Lauren Crandall and Lucas Vila are two players who knows what it is to win at the Pan American Games. For Argentina’s Vila, it was a second gold medal at the event, as he had also been part of the 2003 winning team, but for Lauren it was her first gold medal at the Pan Am Games and the start of something of a renaissance for Team USA.
“That win was definitely a step in the right direction when it came to putting USA Field Hockey back on the map” says Crandall. “It was a pivotal victory in our buildup to the London 2012 Olympics. Our team has experienced ups and downs since then but our focus is working hard every day to keep improving.”
Since then Team USA has been steadily working its way up the world rankings and, although London 2012 turned into a disappointing event for the aspirational USA squad, subsequent events have mostly been on the upward trajectory. Crandall and her colleagues will be hoping for a victory at this year’s Games will set them on a similar joinery to Rio 2016. But back to that game against pre-tournament favorites Argentina.
“I have to admit, it was one of the greatest wins of my career! That team was special. We had prepared for the Pan American Games and specifically that final game for a long time. We were committed to one another, to fighting for one another to the end. And then to get the victory and be able to celebrate with each other was a special moment that I will never forget.”
For Lucas Vila, it was a doubly special moment because it was both an Olympic qualifier and it was against their nemesis Canada, the team who had beaten them four years earlier. “It was great. We were very disappointed to lose the finals in the 2007 against Canada, so to meet them again in 2011 was important to us. And of course it meant we qualified for the 2012 Olympics, so it was also a relief.”
Canada didn’t make it easy for Argentina. Vila recalls: “We were losing 1-0 in the first half, and had missed many chances. At half time we were very disappointed, and knew that we had to work even harder. In the beginning of the second half, we came out of the dressing rooms and we knew that we had to go for it and give it 100 per cent in the last 35 minutes. And so it was, we scored three times and played a really aggressive game.”
While Argentina’s men’s team were igniting the crowd with their second half winning display, Team USA were on the verge of breaking the hearts of the passionate followers of Las Leonas. What on earth was going through the minds of the USA players as they were preparing to enter the pitch for that final game? Crandall recalls the moments before the game: “We had done all the preparation prior to the game, so come game time it was just a matter of performing. We were relaxed but excited. We all went through our typical pre-game rituals: some of us played some games; others listen to music together in the locker room. We treated it as any other game because we were confident in the work we put in training for the tournament”.
“As we got out on the pitch, I remember the crowd was loud and there were a lot of Argentinian fans; there was a section of fans with a drum that kept beating. But the best noise I heard all game was when that drum stopped, and the American fans began to roar.”
The USA got off to a dream start as they took a two goal lead and on the stroke of half-time they took a 3-1 lead, but with Las Leonas there is always the chance of a sublime piece of skill creating a goal. It wasn’t until Michelle Vittese made it 4-2 in the 66th minute of the game, did Crandall and her teammates dare to dream. “We went in with confidence, knowing that if we played our game and played together as a team, we could win. I felt the confidence growing as the game went on. Each goal we scored added more momentum to the game. But it wasn’t until Michelle Vittese put away our fourth goal that we knew we were taking that game”.
“After our team celebration I remember jumping the fence and grabbing an American flag from the crowd and running down the field holding the flag. My teammates and I sprinted over to our Men’s National Team who were there supporting us and thanked them for their support - they were loud and amazing.”
Coming into an important period of hockey, Crandall and her teammates have their focus firmly set on qualifying for the Olympics. They now have two chances to seal a spot at Rio 2016, firstly at the Hockey World League Semi-Finals, where USA will face Argentina, as well as top 12-ranked teams China, Great Britain and South Africa. Following the HWL Semi-Finals in Valencia, the team then returns to America for the Pan Am Games, where they have a second chance at Olympic qualification. Crandall refuses to be drawn on how she thinks the team will fare, saying simply: “Our goal is always to grow from each game so that we are playing our best hockey at the end of the tournament.”
Argentina also has the tricky Hockey World League Semi-Final to contend first. “We are really excited about the Hockey World League, we are already thinking and planning our first game against Austria,” says Vila. “Every team can qualify, it is really equal and tight for everybody. In the group stages our toughest opponent will be Germany.”
Like USA, Argentina’s path to the Olympics can also take two routes. A top three finish in Buenos Aires at the HWL Semi-Finals will guarantee a place at Rio 2016, a fourth place finish will leave Los Leones relying on other results from the other Semi-Final. A win in Toronto would guarantee a place in Brazil next year for the Rio Olympics.
“We want to repeat the win of 2011, of course,” says Vila. “We will take each match very seriously and play the tournament game by game. Once we qualify from the pool rounds, each match becomes a final, so we will play and then re-focus.”
