Hosts make debut with 6 - 0 victory

Cuba made an excellent début at the eighth Men's Junior Pan-American Championship by defeating Jamaica 6-0 in the first match of the third day on Friday at the Antonio Maceo stadium in Santiago de Las Vegas, 25 kilometres south of La Habana.

This tournament will qualify the top three for the World Championship, to take place from June 29 to July 10 in Rotterdam, Holland.

The hosts kept the pace of the first half, producing several penetrations in Jamaica's circle, and if they did not score more was thanks to a sparkling performance by Jamaica's goalie Donovan Shakespeare and their own imprecision as from nine penalty corners they only capitalized on one.

In spite of Jamaica's lack of ideas in front of Cuba's goal, the losers never resigned to offensive play, getting some corners but without harming the home side back row.

The local team went to half-time leading 2-0 with goals by Lázaro Aguilera, in the 16th minute, from a corner rebound, and Iván Makenci, from a reverse shot, in the 30th.

Cuba increased pressure after half-time to net, in the 43rd minute, through Orlando Quirola from a direct short corner shot.

Meanwhile, Makenci showed his accurate and powerful reverse hit is his best weapon as he put his team 5-0 ahead, in the 52nd and 60th minutes.

Javier González sealed the victory, netting Cuba's sixth, from a penalty corner shot, a minute before the final.

Cuba will play Argentina on Saturday at 2pm local time, while Jamaica will clash against Barbados the same day at 11am.

Jamaica: Shakespeare; Wheatley, Levy, K. Smith, Richards; R. Smith, East, Gardiner, Jones; Beach and Kelly. Also played: Beckford, Fisher, Marshall, Burke and Duncan. Coach: Michael Broadber.

Cuba: Hernández; Y. González, Gutiérrez, Caballero, Barzaga; Olivares, Aguilera, Risquet; Diequez, Makenci and Quirola. Also played: R. Díaz, Castillo, J. González, Alberto Díaz and Arley Díaz. Coach: Yumai Oliva.

Umpires: Sukh Bajwa (Canada) and Thomas Gantz (Chile).

Booking - Green cards: 11m, Quirola (C); 40m, Caballero (C).

Trinidad & Tobago takes solid win : 10 - 0

Trinidad & Tobago obtained a solid 10-0 victory over Puerto Rico in the second match of the day.

The winners demolished Puerto Rico throughout the match, netting seven goals to go to half-time with an unbeatable lead.

The T&T squad showed a 100% of effectivity in the penalty corners as they scored four from the four corners obtained in the first half.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico had serious problems in defence to stop their rivals attacks and though they reach T&T's circle in many occasions (they got five corners) the Trinidad back row and their own failures prevented them to score.

Kiel Murray, in the third and 16th minutes; Alan Henderson, in the 20th, and Wayne Legerton, in the 28th, converted for T&T, from penalty corners. Mickell Pierre (24th), Jean Paul Rambaran, two minutes later, and Henderson again, two minutes before half-time netted the others.

Things did not change in the second half. In spite of, Puerto Rico fought hard to close the gap - they got nine penalty corners - they never put in danger T&T's defence.

The winners netted three more after half-time through Murray, in the 39th minute; Akim Toussaint, in the 49th, and Legerton, eight minutes from the final whistle.

T&T will face Canada on Sunday at 2pm and Puerto Rico will play Chile at 11am.

Trinidad & Tobago: McKellar; Cupid, Graham, Rambaran, Hume; Henderson, Cowie, Luces; Murray, Legerton and Pierre. Also played: Thompson, Baptiste, Toussaint, Bodkin and Craig. Coach: Richard Quan Chan.

Puerto Rico: González; Figueras, Márquez, Rivera, C. Feliciano; Colón, Basora, Rodríguez; O. Feliciano, León and Cruz. Also played: Ortiz, Machado and F. Maldonado. Coach: Carlos Ríos.

Umpires: Daniel Gonzáles (Peru) and Daniel López (Uruguay).

Booking - Yellow cards: 59m, Rambaran (T&T); 69m, Baptiste (T&T). Green cards: 20m, Márquez (PR); 47m, O. Feliciano (PR); 52m, Figueras (PR).

Scoring record for Canada : 23 - 0

Canada obtained a record 23-0 victory over Venezuela in the third match of the day.

The biggest result had been scored by Argentina, who defeated Jamaica 17-1 in the opener.

Canada kept the pace against a Venezuela who showed too many technical and tactical mistakes.

Nevertheless, the beaten team did their best in an attempt of reaching their rivals circle, which got it at the end of the match, but without harming the North American defence.

Canadian captain David Jameson netted six - in the 11th, 19th, 29th, 30th, 44th and 67th minutes, while defender Jonathan Roberts scored five from penalty corners, in the third, 33rd, 41st, 58th and 65th minutes.

The other goals were scored by: Philip Wright (in the 49th, 55th and 68th); Richard Hildreth (in the fifth and 63rd minutes); Jesse Virdi (in the 14th and 42nd); Michael Hobkirk (in the 60th and 64th); Scott Tupper (nine minutes from the start); Harpreet Virdi, in the 21st minute, and Mark Pearson, in the 28th.

The Northamerican will face Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday, at 2pm local time, while Venezuela will confront México, at 11am.

Venezuela: Rico; Galavis, Gutiérrez, S. Kaiser, Jones; Guilarte, Lizardi, Gamboa, Serrano; Tovar and R. Kaiser. Also played: Tuset, Quiñones, Alvizu and Rodríguez. Coach: Lucas Piccioli.

Canada: Robertson; Hancock, A. Wright, Tupper, Roberts; Joseph, Ford, Hildreth; Pearson, Jameson and J. Virdi. Also played: Hobkirk, Smythe, H. Virdi and P. Wright. Coach: Gene Müller.

Umpires: Roger Broomes (Barbados) and Albert Marcano (Trinidad & Tobago).

Chile beat Mexico 5 - 0, lead group B

Chile defeated Mexico 5-0 to climb to the top of the Group B with full points after two matches.

After Mexico's 3-2 victory over Canada, the last match of the day was expected with great expectation.

It seemed it would be a fighting spirit and even game, and this happened during the first 15 minutes of the first half.

However, Chile started to control play - step by step - to open the score (in the 17th minute), through Thomas Kannegiesser, who hit a powerful crossed shot for the 1-0 lead.

Chile, definitively, gained control of play after half-time netting three goals in three minutes. Then, Raimundo Valenzuela and Kannegiesser, again, increased the lead, scoring in the 39th and 40th minute, respectively. Two minutes later, Jaime Zarhi put the South Americans 5-0 ahead.

In spite of Mexico's efforts and attacks, Chile defended their circle very well to take a deserved win.

Chile will face Puerto Rico on Sunday at 11am Cuban time, while Mexico will meet Venezuela two hours earlier.

Mexico: Vargas; Galván, Zuleta, Barrera, Ríos Benítez; Reyes, R. García, E. García; Martínez; Gómez and Aguayo. Also played: C. García, Gallegos, Correa, Chavira and Borquez. .Coach: Jaime Chávez.

Chile: Hanríquez; Labra, Thiermann, Almarza, Yuraszeck; Villaseca, Gajardo, Valenzuela; Kapsch, Kannegiesser and Zarhi. Also played: Fernández, Garcés and J. Zarhi. Coach: Diego Amoroso.

Umpires: Michiel Brunning (Holland) and Kim Hong Lae (Korea).

Booking - Green cards: 18m, Barrera (M).