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Women - Semi-final - Argentina vs. Canada: 3-0
It was a game of important milestones as Argentina beat Canada 3-0 in the first women’s semifinal of the Pan American Cup. The game qualified the Leonas for the 2022 World Cup, while Canada will have to win the bronze medal for their first World Cup appearance since 1994. It was also a celebrated game for Argentina’s Maria Granatto and Agostina Alonso who celebrated their 150th and 100th international caps, respectively.
The opening two quarters saw much of what would be expected between No. 3 and No. 15 world-ranked sides with Argentina dominating most of the possession and attack. A gritty Canadian team, on do-or-die for World Cup qualification, didn’t back down easily.
Canada weathered the storm of multiple penalty corners and creative rushes from the Leonas and Rowan Harris looked confident in her first major outdoor tournament as Canada’s primary netminder. In the 10th minute Alonso stole the ball from Canadian skipper Natalie Sourisseau and sprung Micaela Retegui for an open blast at goal but the ball rattled the outside of the net.
Granatto showed her world class 3D skills to help Argentina win their first penalty corner in the 18th minute. An Agustina Gorzelany flick seemed booked for goal but Harris’ stick was there to deny the option. Minutes later Argentina had a series of corners but they were nowhere near as tidy as they would have liked. Canadian defender Karli Johansen was blocked by an Argentina runner on one corner, while another corner was deemed dangerous.
The Canadian defence continued to do just enough to disrupt the continuous Argentina rushes and keep the game scoreless at half time.
Argentina came out of the gates firing earning back-to-back penalty corners in the 32nd minute. On the second, Gorzelany’s low flick was touched effortlessly by Eugenia Trinchinetti to finally put Argentina on the board.
Canada continued to struggle to push beyond their half and Argentina spent the remaining two quarters driving the circle and putting their penalty corner battery to work. Harris continued to keep Canada alive, while Gorzelany struggled to get her flicks on target.
In the 52nd minute Argentina were finally able to double their lead. Jimena Cedres’ shot on the left baseline was initially saved by Harris but the resulting scramble allowed Cedres to grab the rebound and squeeze it in at the near post.
Cedres notched another insurance marker from the same spot as her first when she exposed three Canadian defenders with her lifted skills. Cedres then batted the ball out of the air high into the Canadian goal to give Argentina the 3-0 lead.
Canada pushed until the final moments as late pressure by Sourisseau and Elise Wong gave Canada some offensive hope around the Argentina circle edge nothing would come of it. The game ended with Argentina totalling 30 circle entries, to Canada’s one, and the Leonas had 12 penalty corners in the game.
Canada will await their fate to play the loser of the USA versus Chile semifinal and their last hopes of World Cup qualification. Argentina will face off to defend their five-time title as Pan American Cup champions.
Women - Semi-final - USA vs. Chile: 1-1 (so: 0-2)
Claudia Schuler made four-straight shoot out saves against the USA to book Chile their first-ever FIH World Cup appearance. After a 1-1 draw in regular time Francisca Tala and Domenica Ananias scored to lead the Diablas to a 2-0 shootout victory. It was a historic moment for the Chileans who were roared on all game by their home crowd. The Americans, who tied the game in the final minute will have one last chance to qualify as they will now face off with Canada for the Pan American Cup bronze medal.
The first half was a scoreless gridlock as most of the play bounced between the two 23-meter lines. Both teams had penalty corner chances. Chile had back-to-back attempts in the 21st minute but Denise Losado and Camila Caram couldn’t combine to beat USA keeper Kelsey Bing.
Moments later USA’s Danielle Grega showed some classy skills on the baseline to earn her side their first penalty corner but the Matson strike was denied by Schuler. Schuler stood tall on another USA attack early in the second quarter as Madeleine Zimmer had her shot and rebound turned away.
The third quarter was flooded with Chilean penalty corners. Unable to execute, whether a miss trap at the top, a blocked shot or a wide pass, it was still foreshadowing for what was to come. In free play, Paula Valdivia smashed a ball across the American circle and a touch from Consuelo de las Heras was guided clear by the glove of Bing to keep the pressure mounting.
Chile thought they had their golden moment when Manuela Urroz’s quick turn in tight was headed for goal but a timely stick from USA defender Sofia Southam came to the rescue.
Corner after corner continued to come for Chile and in the 45th minute Chile’s World Cup dreams seemed more promising. Caram’s sweep hit was touched by Ananias and then took a fortunate bounce off defender Jacqueline Sumfest before bouncing just over a sliding Bing for the 1-0 go ahead.
USA came out with renewed energy in the fourth quarter, desperate to guarantee their ticket to the World Cup and Pan American final. They poured on the pressure and were nearly rewarded in the 55th minute. Matson smashed the ball to a wide-open Zimmer but the back-hand shot sailed high and wide of the Chilean goal.
With less than four minutes to go, Bing headed to the sideline and the USA wasted no time drawing even with the extra field player. Matson pulled left and blasted a low shot to draw the game 1-1 with a minute to go and ultimately forcing a shootout.
Schuler proved to be the difference maker as she stymied all four USA shooters - Matson, Elizabeth Yeager, Sessa and Zimmer - while Tala and Ananias buried their attempts to seal the victory. Schuler’s final saves on Zimmer sent the crowd and Chilean team in to a fit of cheers for this historic win.
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