Chile vs. Canada: 0-1 (ht: 0-0)
In the pool B night match on day two of the men’s competition, Chile and Canada played. Canada had the first shot of the match in the opening minutes, but Chile’s keeper Adrian Henriquez made the save. Canada continued to attack from their right side of the pitch. Each time Chile’s defenders Fernando Binder and Nicolas Renz would regain possession, Canada kept forcing the ball down into their attacking end. In the 11th minute, Chile’s Sebastian Kapsch ran fast on attack to find Jaime Zarhi whose shot went wide of the goal. Late in the first quarter, Chile did a lot of passing around Canada, but with either team unable to take another shot the match remained scoreless after the first fifteen minutes of play.
Both teams came out fired up in the second quarter. Ignacio Gajardo and Nicolas Renz played tough defense to hold off attack by Sukhi Panesar and Devohn Noronha Teixeiera. For the first half of the second quarter both teams kept battling for possession. Despite Canada’s Matthew Sarmento, Matt Guest and Mark Pearson each having received a green card with the last ten minutes of the second quarter Canada kept pressuring in their attacking circle. With Canada unable to execute a penalty corner play in the final minute of the quarter, the match remained scoreless at the halftime break.
The third quarter started with Canada back on attack and Ben Martin and Guest nearly connected for a goal. Chile then had few runs on attack, but Canada’s Adam Froese, Gordon Johnston and Panesar played strong defense to prevent Chile from taking the lead in the match. With Canada unable to break through Chile’s defense the match was still scoreless going into the fourth quarter.
Chile and Canada continued to play an intense match in the fourth quarter. Chile’s Andres Fuenzalida broke up a Canadian attacking play in the 48th minute. Canada continued to pressure on attack. In the 53rd minute Canada earned a penalty corner and Scott Tupper sent in his classic drag flick to put Canada ahead. Three minutes later, Canada’s Sarmento nearly increased his teams lead, but just missed a ball right in front of the while diving to touch it. Fuenzalida again came up big on defense to hold off more Canada attack. Chile kept Canada contained in the midfield in the final minutes and as a result the final score was Chile 0, Canada 1.
Brazil vs. Mexico: 0-1 (ht: 0-0)
In the first pool B match on day two, Brazil and Mexico were each looking for their first tournament win. The first quarter took place mostly on Brazil’s attacking half. Throughout the first quarter there was hardly any play in either attacking circle. In the 15th minute, Mexico was in their attacking circle for the first time and earned a penalty corner. Brazil well defended the corner so that Mexico could not execute the play and the first quarter ended scoreless. In the opening minute of the second quarter Pol Moreno looked to go on attack for Mexico. Andre Patrocino and Stephane Smith, however, played good defense for Brazil. Similar to the first quarter, a lot of the play took place in the midfield. In the 26th minute, Patrocino and Moreno each received a green card. For the next three minutes play was near Mexico’s attacking circle. In the 29th minute, in position right near the penalty stoke spot, Alexis Campillo seemed to have Mexico’s best opportunity thus far for a good shot on goal, but lost the ball in the process of taking the shot. Thus, the score was still Brazil 0, Mexico 0 at halftime.
The action in the third quarter took place late in the third quarter. In the 43rd minute, after Mexico’s Francisco Aguilar lost the ball near his attacking circle, Brazil ran back on attack and Brazil’s Stephane Smith had a fast shot on goal blocked by Mexico’s keeper Moises Vargas. Immediately, Lucas Paixao collected the ball and pushed it hard past Vargas. Paixao’s goal gave Brazil the lead over Mexico in the 44th minute that Brazil would keep going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter featured lots of intense attacking pressure by Mexico right near their attacking goal. Keeper Rodrigo Faustino saved a number of Mexico shots and prevented a penalty corner play. Aguilar and Moreno continued to run attack for Mexico, but the Brazilian defense continued to break up the play. Brazil had its best scoring opportunity in the final minute when Bruno Paes and Matheus Borges looked to have a two-on-one play with Vargas, but the shot went wide. Therefore, with the final result Brazil 1, Mexico, 0, Brazil earned its first Pan American Games win.
United States vs. Argentina: 0-6 (ht: 0-2)
In the other Pool A match on day two, United States and Argentina played. For the first half of the first quarter, Argentina and United States kept trading possession. Play was mostly in United States’ attacking half, but the United States had a hard time getting past Gonzalo Peillat and the rest of Argentina’s defense. In the 11th minute, Argentina earned the first penalty corner of the match, but the United States’ defense blocked Peillat’s hard drag flick. Play continued in Argentina’s attacking end and in the 15th minute, Agustin Mazilli flick in a beautiful shot to the opposite side of the goal cage to give his team the lead at the quarter break.
To start the second quarter, Argentina had two hard shots blocked by United States keeper Chris Rea. Argentina continued to dominate possession and look for holes for scoring opportunities. Matias Paredes was able to find a way to the back of the goal cage to put Argentina ahead by two goals in the 19th minute. Argentina’s Carlos Ibarra then had a chance to score, but again Rea came up with the save. The United States did not let up and earned a penalty corner in the 23rd minute, but keeper Juan Vivaldi stopped the shot to keep the United States off the scoreboard. Three minutes later, the United States earned another penalty corner. Aki Kaeppeler’s penalty corner shot went wide. Facundo Callioni recovered the ball for Argentina and ran the ball down the entire pitch, yet could not get a shot off. Thus, the score remained United States 0, Argentina 2.
The third quarter started with both teams trading possession. Mattias Rey deflected a penalty corner shot to put Argentina ahead by three goals in the 38th minute. From there until the end of the quarter Argentina appeared to be controlling the match and kept play in their attacking half. Three minutes later, Callioni scored to make the score United States 0, Argentina 4 that remained the score going into the fourth quarter. Argentina continued their attacking pressure in the fourth quarter. At the start of the fourth quarter, Peillat scored off another penalty corner drag flick. Ajai Dhadwal and Kaeppeler played strong defense to force Argentina to do a lot of passing and limit their scoring opportunities. Nicolas Della Torre was able to capitalize off a penalty corner in the 54th minute to put Argentina ahead by six goals. For the first time in the third and fourth quarters, respectively the United States had possession for a couple minutes in their attacking half, but could not get a shot off before time expired. Thus, the final score remained United States 0, Argentina 6.
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Cuba: 2-2 (ht: 0-1)
Day two of the men’s competition started with Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba looking for their first tournament win. The first couple minutes of the match started with Cuba’s Yoandy Blanco and Maikel Tritzant pressuring on attack very close to goal. Trinidad and Tobago regained possession and earned the first penalty corner of the match, but Cuba’s keeper Leordan Hernandez was there for the save. Christopher Scipio had a long run on attack for Trinidad and Tobago, but the shot went just wide of the cage. Blanco countered with a shot that was directly into Trinidad and Tobago keeper Andrey Rocke. Ten minutes into the first quarter the match was still scoreless. Trinidad and Tobago’s defense prevented Cuba from scoring off few more runs on attack to keep the match scoreless at the end of the first quarter.
In the 17th minute, Yoel Veitia nearly scored, but his shot bounced off the goal post. Trinidad and Tobago then rushed back into their attacking half and had a couple shots again go wide of the goal cage. Both teams continued to fight passionately for possession. Cuba’s Veitia had another attacking run down the field that resulted in Cuba’s first penalty corner. Blanco took advantage as his fast flick sailed past Rocke to give Cuba the lead in the 22nd minute. Cuba continued to keep play in their attacking circle that quickly led to another penalty corner, but with the play not fully executed Cuba did not increase their lead. Soon after, Cuba’s Captain Roger Aguilera blasted a very high shot that looked destined to go in, but Rocke jumped and made the high glove save. In the 29th minute, Aguilera had another shot miss the goal. With Trinidad and Tobago unable to capitalize off attack in the last minute, the score at halftime was still Trinidad and Tobago 0, Cuba 1.
The third quarter started with Trinidad and Tobago really pressuring on attack. Kiel Murray had two good shots on goal, but Hernandez protected his team’s lead. For the following five minutes, both teams traded possession in the midfield. In the 36th minute, Cuba earned another penalty corner. Blanco flicked, but Captain Darren Cowie was there for the defensive stick save. Three minutes later, Cuba had another penalty corner, but Trinidad and Tobago’s defense stifled the play. Cuba quickly earned another penalty corner and again Cowie was there to stop the Blanco shot. Blanco then had a penalty corner shot go wide to close out the third quarter.
The fourth quarter started with both teams earning penalty corners, but neither team could find the back of the goal cage. In the 51st minute, however, Akim Toussaint hit a very hard short past Hernandez to tie the match. In an exciting series of events, Cuba’s Blanco got another penalty corner shot to go that quickly regained the lead for Cuba in the 53rd minute. Trinidad and Tobago appeared to play with even more intensity and earned a penalty corner in the 58th minute, but Hernandez saved Solomon Eccles’s shot. A minute later, Eccles was able to convert the penalty corner to tie the match 2-2. Then Cuba earned a penalty corner, but Rocke made the big save. Trinidad and Tobago well defended another penalty corner by Cuba and ran back on attack. As Shaquille Daniel’s shot in the last seconds went wide, the match ended in a draw, Trinidad and Tobago 2, Cuba 2.
With Canada’s exciting win over Chile, Canada took the top spot in Pool B. With Argentina’s six goal win over the United States, Argentina is at the top of Pool A and the team with the most goals in the tournament thus far (17), behind four penalty corner goals from Gonzalo Peillat; and three goals each from Facundo Callioni and Lucas Vila, respectively. Day two also featured Brazil’s first win of the tournament, while Cuba, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, United States are still looking for their first tournament win.
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