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Santiago 2023: Pan-Am Games men’s hockey final will be a South American affair
the Pan-Am Games men’s hockey final will be a South American affair as none of the North Americans – Canada and the USA – could make the gold medal round.
Chile men's hockey team members / Jorge Díaz/FEHOCH
The men’s hockey final of the Santiago 2023 Pan-Am Games will be a South American affair. Defending champions Argentina will take on the hosts, Chile, in the gold medal match to decide which of the two teams gets direct entry to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
It is the first time that Chile has made it to the gold medal round for a maiden South American final. Argentina had been the winner of the men’s hockey title in 10 of the previous 14 editions. Canada was the winner in the rest of the four editions.
Incidentally, it is also the first time that the Pan-Am Games men’s hockey final will be a South American affair as none of the North Americans – Canada and the USA – could make the gold medal round.
Defending champions Argentina defeated the USA 2-0 while Canada squandered a 1-0 lead to lose the penalty shootout against the hosts Chile after a 1-1 draw in the regulation period.
Canada had defeated the USA in an earlier pool match. The two neighbours and arch-rivals will now face each other again for the bronze medal match.
The semi-finals played under overcast skies and intermittent showers spelt doom for the North Americans. As the USA struggled hard to stave off the continuous raids of the experienced Argentine team.
The US defence was successful in keeping the score line blank in the first quarter but could not hold the former Olympic champions from scoring for long. It was in the second quarter that the South American hockey powerhouse took the lead in the 23rd minute through a brilliant field goal by Lucas Martinez.
Santiago Tarazona made it 2-0. It was a superb deflection into the roof of the net leaving the US defenders clueless.
Though the Argentines found the net twice afterwards each time their goal attempts were turned down on referral to a video umpire.
The second semi-final played through intermittent showers saw four-times champions Canada hanging onto the second-quarter lead gained through a penalty corner conversion by skipper Gordon Johnston.
The Chileans, however, fought back gamely. They restored parity through a penalty corner rebound that saw France Becerra putting the ball home.
Since the two teams could not resolve the 1-1 deadlock, a penalty shootout rule was enforced that saw the home team getting ahead of its opponents 3-2 for its maiden entry to the gold medal round.
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