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Men – Mexico vs. Trinidad & Tobago : 4-2
Today's session began with Trinidad & Tobago vs. Mexico at 2:00 p.m. local time. It was a very enjoyable game for the stands, with many field goals.
From the beginning of the match, Mexico took control of the game and managed to open the scoring just 6 minutes from the start after a spectacular play that Jorge Gómez could capitalize on. Trinidad reacted quickly but could not score at Mexico goal.
Trinidad took control of the game in the second quarter and came out ready to tie the game. In the 16th minute Teague Marcano scored through a penalty corner and placed the partial 1-1. Mexico lost the course of the game and had its consequences, just 5 minutes from the end they had two penalized players, Guillermo Gonzalez with a green card and Jorge Aguilar with a yellow card.
The third quarter only brought a goal from Jorge Gómez in the 37th minute who, after an individual play, scored the partial 2-1. The fourth quarter was a master class of hockey: great passes, receptions and goals.
In the 56th minute Jorge Gómez extended the difference one more time and placed the partial 3-1, three minutes later Guillermo González sealed the match and scored the 4th goal for the Mexican team. Trinidad was not going to fall behind and with 1 minute to go until the end of the match, he shrinks the difference and scores the final 4-2.
Men – USA vs. Canada : 2-1
Despite 12 ranking spots between them, the United States came out on top, 2-1, over Canada in Pool B play. This is the USA’s first win over their northern rivals since a four-game series in 2009. Goals from Jack Heldens and Kai Kokolakis were the difference, while the return of Ajai Dhadwal and Mohan Gandhi, absent from USA’s earlier pool-play game, were a much-needed boost of experience and composure. Canada appeared to still be searching for their rhythm playing in their first major tournament without three-time Olympians Mark Pearson and Scott Tupper.
A scoreless opening quarter seemed to slightly favour Canada with a good scoring chance for each of Canada’s Keegan Pereira and USA’s Pat Harris but both keepers were up to the task.
In the 19th minute, an aerial from Canadian defender Gordie Johnston found the stick of Devon Noronha Texeira deep in USA territory. The baseline run was challenged well by Jonathan Klages but in the chaos, Canadian Matthew Sarmento was sent off for a dangerous slide into the crowd. That 10-minute penalty was momentum-changing, especially when coupled with a Brendan Guraliuk green card.
The Americans had a penalty corner flick from Aki Kaeppeler steered wide of the Canadian net and that set the stage for what was to come as Canada scrambled to defend with two less players. In the 27th minute, USA’s Vincent Heller found himself free to blast a shot from the top of the circle that was saved by the boot of Antoni Kindler. The Canadian defence look stunned and stationary as Alberto Montilla wasted no time pushing in the rebound to lift the Americans 1-0 heading in to half time.
In the 45th minute, Harris thought he doubled USA’s lead. The midfielder expertly took down an aerial and blasted a shot past the out-stretched foot of Kindler on his next touch. Video referral showed a sliding Paul Singh interfered with the play, the goal was disallowed, and Singh was penalized with a yellow card.
The USA kept hunting and were able to find their second goal just five minutes late. Kei Kaeppeler won the ball at the top of the Canadian circle and slipped a soft pass to a waiting Vincent Heller in the circle. Heller’s touch square past Kindler allowed Kai Kokolakis to tap the ball into the untended net for a 2-0 USA lead.
Canada was able to respond on a penalty corner less than a minute later. Johnston’s initial flick was saved by Klages’ left boot but the penalty corner ace was able to back-hand in the rebound to get the Canadians on the board in the 51st minute.
In the final minutes Canada was desperately searching for the equalizer. Sarmento missed a Pereira pass with two minutes to go, while Johnston received an aerial inside the circle and worked his way in tight. A last minute video referral went against Johnston and the Americans did well to fend off anymore rushes and hang on to their historic victory.
The victory proves critical as the top of Pool B can avoid a likely semifinal cross-over with the talented Argentina side.
Men – Chile vs. Argentina : 2-3
On Chileans debut at the 2022 Pan Am Cup, at the Prince of Wales Country Club, Argentina managed to snatch victory out of their hands in the fourth quarter.
Always candidates at this tournament, the Argentines got off on the wrong foot in the first part of the match, so Chile managed, with their first penalty corner, to quickly take the lead four minutes into the match (#31 Franco Becerra).
In the second quarter it would be the locals who would hit again, after a great team move, they made it 2-0 (#18 Ignacio Contardo). Despite obtaining two penalty corners, Argentina could not score and went to the half time two goals down.
Three minutes into the third quarter, Lucas Martínez (#23) scored the 2-1 after two consecutive penalty corners for Argentina.
Taking advantage of the tiredness in the Chilean team, the team led by Mariano Ronconi turned the result after an excellent goal by Martinez (#23) at 7th minute and Maico Casella (#9) at 13th minute. Thus sealing the final 3 - 2.
It was a tight and tough match, as evidenced by the number of penalized during the entire match, 2 green (#31 Lucas Toscani and #30 Agustín Bugallo) and 2 yellow cards (#14 Nicolas Della Torre and #22 Matías Rey) for Argentina and 2 green cards (#6 Vicente Goni and #4 Juan Purcell) for Chile.
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