Argentina champion of the South American Games

With one goal from Gonzalo Merino, the Leones took over Chile 1-0 and won the gold medal. Brazil won the 'shoot-outs' against Venezuela and finish 3rd.

6 June 2018

Macarena Ilabaca / Patrick Espejo - PAHF

Cochabamba. Argentina ratified its favoritism by beating Chile in the final game of Cochabamba’s XI South American Games 2018 and won the gold medal of the tournament. Gonzalo Merino scored the only goal of the game in the Félix Capriles stadium infront of 450 spectators.

It was a very tactical game, and Chile was playing the best match of the tournament, very organized in all its lines and forcing the Argentine team, the last Olympic champion, to try their best to beat them.

Since the beginning of the game Argentina tried to generate spaces, but the Chilean defense with Nicolás Renz , Pablo Purcell and Juan Amoroso took care of every situation with excellent results. Added to that Argentina did not know how to capitalize one of its main weapons, the penalty corners.

Argentina attacked. They did it on the right side, They did it on the left side but they always found a barrier that prevented them from doing so, and when they managed to overcome it, Adrián Henriquez (Chile’s Goalkeeper) was there and made some good saves.

The 0-0 was maintained for three quarters until the minute 40 'when Gonzalo Merino receives a rebound on the right and, without thinking, throws a cross shot that pass Henriquez and broked the parity.

Argentina celebrated the title. The two finalists classified to the Pan American Games Lima 2019 (July 26 to August 11 of next year).

BRASIL IN THE PODIUM AFTER THE ‘SHOOT OUT’

It was a tight game during the 60 minutes. This is the summary of the bronze medal match between Brazil and Venezuela, who had Brazil as a winner.

As soon as the game started, Matheus Borges (Brazil ) was able to score. The game stayed that way until the third quarter, when Lucas Paixão, gave the second goal to his team.

Without further delay and in the same minute of the Brazilian goal, Simón Rojas lit the lights and hopes of Venezuela and scored the 1-2.

The teams and the crowd took for granted the score when the game had five minutes left, this until the minute 54, when Yanier Velásquez made it and scored the 2-2 for Venezuela.

The shoot outs were as intense and dramatic as the whole game, and after five shots of each teams, Yuri Van Der Heijden scored and gave Brazil the bronze medal.

The shootout final score was 4-3 for Brazil, and was achieved by Yuri Van Der Heijden (the first and last), Bruno Bitencourt and Joaquín López., and for Venezuela, José Oropeza, Wilber Bracamonte and Nelson Álvarez.

PERU 5TH WITH A DRAMATIC FINAL

Peru had a dramatic victory over Uruguay. The two teams did not score during regulation despite their opportunities. Until the first 'shoot out' of the tournament arrived to Cochabamba. Everything was in the hands of the shooters and the goalkeepers, and it was # 1 in Peru, Felix Mafferetti, who had a very good performance. Peru ended up winning 3-2 and having thier first great joy in these games.

In the first match of the day, Paraguay beat Bolivia 4-1 and stayed with the seventh place of the championship. Ricardo Samudio (4 '), Elías Vera (6'), Elías Vera (43 ') and Jorge Ferreira (46') scored for Paraguay while Alejandro Torres (38 ') scored for Bolivia