SANTIAGO, Chile — Argentina continued its dominance in women’s field hockey at the Pan American games, winning its eighth gold medal with a 2-1 win over the United States in Santiago, Chile.
The team known as Las Leonas has played in 10 consecutive gold medal games since the sport was introduced to the games, and with the win qualified for next year’s Paris Olympics.
Chile defeated Canada 2-0 to take the bronze, AP reported.
Agustina Gorzelany gave Las Leonas the lead with a goal in the first quarter, but the US equalised at the end of the second quarter on a penalty stroke taken by Ashley Sessa.
Argentina dominated the fourth quarter and Eugenia Trinchinetti scored the game winner, holding on in the final five minutes with only 10 players after María Granatto received a yellow card and had to leave the field.
Argentina scored 39 goals in the tournament and conceded only two.
Las Leonas were silver medallists at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, losing to the Netherlands in the final.
The US is the only team to ever break Argentina´s dominance at the Pan American Games, taking the gold in 2011 in Mexico and in 2015 in Canada.
The Americans reached the final after beating host Chile 3-1 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
Argentina’s men’s field hockey team also won its Pan American Games final and qualified for the Olympics in France.
Los Leones beat Chile 3-1 in front of a packed arena cheering for the hosts. Lucas Martinez, Tomas Domene and Agustin Bugallo scored for the winners.
Trinidad and Tobago’s women’s field hockey team earned a seventh-place finish in Santiago, Chile after getting a slender 1-0 win over Mexico in their playoff match.
In the men’s competition, Argentina and Canada went unbeaten in the pool stages securing 3 wins from their 3 contests.
In Pool A, Argentina was particularly ruthless, scoring 35 goals and conceding just twice from 3 games.
Canada faced a much tougher challenge in Pool B, with the game against USA going down to the wire, but Canada came out 2-1 winners to seal their place at the top of Pool B.
Chile and USA finished second in Pool A & B respectively with 2 wins apiece, to secure their spot in the semi-finals.
