Uruguay comes away with big win over Ecuador with multiple goals by six different players; Venezuela falls to Chile by two goals; and Paraguay with first tournament win after Santiago Chamorro’s sudden death penalty shoot out goal after being tied 2-2 in regulation against host Peru
All matches are being live-streamed; and a reminder that each match is being played in two 35 minute halves and cannot end in a tie. Please continue to also check the Pan American Hockey Federation’s website for the Men’s competition for photos and post-match interviews and more: http://www.panamhockey.org/en/competitions-53-2016-south-american-championships-men-
On the third day of the Men’s Competition, matches were between Ecuador and Uruguay; Venezuela and Chile; and Paraguay and host Peru
Paraguay-Peru (2-2; SO: 3-2)
Both Paraguay and host Peru faced off in the final match on day 3 as each time was looking for its first tournament win. The crowd was full of school children cheering for host Peru. The match started with Peru immediately on the attack and earning a penalty corner in the first minute. Peru’s Miguel Rivera put in the drag flick to give his team the early lead. Paraguay then had some possession down in their attacking circle, but Peru’s Captain and Keeper Felix Mafferetti made a couple diving saves to keep Paraguay from tying the match. Paraguay kept up their attacking intensity and earned their first penalty corner in the 11th minute. Mafferetti stopped the hard penalty corner shot by Julio Russo; and then Paraguay was awarded another penalty corner that was blocked by Peru’s defense.
In the 20th minute, Paraguay earned another penalty corner and this time was able to compete the play as Ricardo Samudio’s shot found the back of the cage to tie the match Paraguay 1, Peru, 1. For the next ten minutes both teams traded possession in the midfield with either team unable to be in position to take a good shot on goal. Paraguay then earned a penalty corner in the 29th minute and again Mafferetti made the save on the initial shot and Peru’s defense was able to clear the ball away. With one minute remaining in the first half, Peru earned a penalty corner, but Paraguay’s Captain and Keeper Hugo Lopez was there for the save to keep the match tied Paraguay 1, Peru, 1 at halftime.
Paraguay and Peru traded possession in the midfield to start the second half. In the fifth minute, Paraguay earned two penalty corners. With Russo’s shot going well wide of the goal cage on the second penalty corner, Peru tried to run back on attack. Paraguay then had more possession near their attacking circle, but Peru did not let up and earned a penalty corner in the 48th minute. The penalty corner shot led to a penalty stroke that Fabrizio Corno converted to give Peru back the lead. Paraguay fought back on attack and almost tied the match in the 52nd minute, but turned the ball over to Peru right near their attacking goal. Paraguay persisted on attack and earned another penalty corner in the 55th minute. Paraguay was unable to complete the play and the score remained Paraguay 1, Peru 2.
Similar to Peru, Paraguay then had a penalty corner play in the 59th minute result in a penalty stroke. Russo converted the stroke to tie the match Paraguay 2, Peru 2 and the crowd went wild. A couple minutes later, Paraguay had a penalty corner shot go wide and again Peru tried to run back onto attack. And then Paraguay was back with possession in their attacking circle. As time wound down in the match, the intensity rose and Paraguay’s Santiago Chamorro was given a yellow card. Yet it was Paraguay who kept play in their attacking circle, but Mafferetti blocked shots by Russo and Paraguay’s Mauricio Del Valle to keep the match tied at the end of regulation.
As a result, the match went into a penalty shoot out round. Paraguay went first and Aram Monges converted the shot. Then Fabrizio Corno got past Lopez for Peru. Mafferetti then blocked the shot by Paraguay’s Guillermo Benitez. Peru’s Vincenzo De Martis and Paraguay’s Chamarro then dribbled the ball wide of the cage. The shot by Peru’s Ricardo Cruz also went wide of the cage. Paraguay’s Federico Ruetalo shot past Mafferetti to put the ball in the cage. And then Peru’s Sebastian Dennison got past Lopez. Mafferetti came up with a big stick save to stop Sasha Dolinsky’s shot, but the shot by Peru’s Miguel Rivera went wide. With the penalty shoot out tied, the match then went into sudden death shoot outs.
Peru’s Fabrizio Corno went first in the sudden death shoot out, but his shot was saved by Lopez. Then Santiago Chamorro went for Paraguay and eventually was able to lift the ball over Mafferetti for the thrilling victory over host Peru to give Paraguay its first win of the tournament.
Venezuela-Chile (0-2)
The match between Venezuela and Chile started with both teams trading possession, but Venezuela earned the first penalty corner of the match in the fourth minute. Captain Andy Adrian’s penalty flick went high. Chile ran fast onto attack and Chile’s Ricardo Achondo gave his team the early lead in the 7th minute of the match. For the next ten minutes, play was mostly contained in the midfield. Venezuela had their first good shot opportunity of the match in the 15th minute when Cristian Vargas crossed the ball right in front the goal cage to Adrian waiting on the far post. Adrian narrowly missed the pass and the score remained Venezuela 0, Chile, 1.
Chile earned their first penalty corner in the match in the 17th minute, but Venezuela’s keeper Junior Benitez quickly came up with the save. Three minutes later Chile earned another penalty corner, yet Venezuela’s defense had good positioning to break up the play. The intensity of the match was evident in the 27th minute as Venezuela’s Robert Escobar and Chile’s Martin Rodriguez were each given a green card. Chile dominated the possession late in the first half, but Venezuela played extremely strong defense to keep the play in their attacking half. In the 32nd minute, Chile’s Carlos Lagos was awarded a green card. Venezuela could not get a shot off during the green card to Lagos, even though play remained in their attacking half of the pitch. Thus, the score at halftime remained Venezuela 0, Chile 1.
The second half of the match continued with Chile dominating possession. Chile soon earned the first penalty corner of the second half in the fourth minute. Chile’s Axel Richter sent a beautiful fast drag flick into goal to give Chile a two goal lead over Venezuela. Venezuela’s Dixon Abreu and Jose Oropeza played strong defense with midfielder Rendy Ochoa to keep Chile from having many scoring opportunities. Chile earned another penalty corner in the 48th minute. Venezuela’s best scoring opportunity came in the 53rd minute when Javier Ramos flicked a shot high towards goal that went wide.
Venezuela kept looking for attacking opportunities and earned their first penalty corner of the second half I the 56th minute. The push out on the penalty corner went far outside the circle for Venezuela and the Chile’s Juan Amoroso earned a yellow card. Venezuela was able to keep play in their attacking half. And another shot by Venezuela went wide of the goal cage, keeping the score Venezuela 0, Chile 2 with ten minutes remaining in the match. Late in the half, Chile’s Jan Berczely was then awarded a yellow card; and then two minutes later Axel Richter was given a yellow card. Venezuela kept pressuring on attack and kept play in their attacking half, but could not score despite multiple yellow cards to Chile. With both teams playing strong defense in the midfield, the final score remained Venezuela 0, Chile 2.
Ecuador-Uruguay (0-16)
The first match on day 3 was between Ecuador and Uruguay. Against a developing Ecuador team, Uruguay wasted no time going on attack earning a penalty corner in the first minute. Ecuador’s Jimmy Cedeño made a defensive save to keep the match scoreless. Ecuador continued to play strong defense to hold Uruguay without another penalty corner until the 10th minute of the match. Ecuador’s keeper Lincoln Palacios came out to make the save; and then saved another penalty shot by Uruguay. Ecuador did an impressive job at keeping Uruguay from scoring until the 16th minute when Uruguay’s Gabriel Lopez was able to score off a penalty corner. Ecuador then rushed onto attack after the restart and Sebastian Cadenasso came out to make a save for Uruguay. Two minutes later, Uruguay’s Maximiliano Tixe lifted the ball past Palacios to give his team a two goal lead.
In the 20th minute, it was Uruguay’s Gonzalo Martinoni blasting in a penalty corner shot past Palacios to make the score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 3. Uruguay kept up their strong attacking pressure and five minutes later, Lopez scored again off a penalty corner to put his team ahead by four goals over Ecuador. Cedeño had another big penalty corner defensive save to keep Uruguay from scoring off another penalty corner; but then it was Uruguay’s Lucas Cantaro who put in the quick field goal in the 28th minute. Behind multiple saves from Palacios, Ecuador had an incredible team effort on defense to keep Uruguay from scoring further and thus, the halftime score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 5. In Ecuador’s previous matches against Chile and Venezuela respectively Ecuador had been down by 15 and 10 goals at halftime.
Uruguay’s reserve keeper Rodrigo Castro who had replaced starting keeper Sebastian Cadenasso with about ten minutes remaining in the first half, started the second half. To start the second half, Uruguay wasted no time to score as Alexis Lopez put in a penalty corner flick in the 37th minute. Palacios made more big saves to prevent Uruguay from scorning off multiple penalty corner opportunities early in the second half. Uruguay’s Luis Salmini finally found the back of the net off a penalty corner in the 44th minute to make the score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 7. Three minutes later, Tixe scored again this time by converting a penalty corner.
In the 48th minute, Ecuador substituted Palacios with reserve keeper Bryan Ormaza. Uruguay’s Agustin Rivero, however, scored on Ormaza a few minutes later to give his team a nine goal lead; and then Alexis Lopez scored again to make the score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 10. And then Rivero made it an eleven goal lead in the 54th minute. Then Alexis Lopez scored off a penalty corner drag flick to make the score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 12.
And then Martinoni had his second goal of the match with a hard shot into the center of the cage; and two minutes later Rivero scored a third time for Uruguay to make the score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 14. Late in the second half, Cedeño and Ormaza made more saves to keep Uruguay from scoring off more penalty corners. Uruguay earned the ball back and Uruguay’s Gabriel Maz and Lucas Cantaro put in back-to-back goals with about five minutes remaining in the match. Behind multiple saves by Ormaza, Ecuador’s defense held Uruguay scoreless for the remaining minutes of the match, including a penalty corner opportunity as time expired to keep the final score Ecuador 0, Uruguay 16.
The Men’s Competition will continue on the 7th of October. Please continue to also check the Pan American Hockey Federation’s website for the Men’s competition for photos and post-match interviews and more: http://www.panamhockey.org/en/competitions-53-2016-south-american-championships-men-
