July 7, 2024 – Surrey, British Columbia (Canada)
The 2024 Junior Pan American men’s Championship continued on Day 4 with wins for Chile, 1-0 over Brazil, as well as USA, 6-0 over Mexico, and Argentina, 4-0 over Canada. USA midfielder Sekayi Charasika put on a clinic as the 17-year-old put up four penalty corner goals in the USA win.
Pool Play: Brazil (0) – Chile (1)
Day 4 fatigue started to set in as Brazil and Chile were scoreless through the opening 51 minutes of play. A calm finish from Felipe Richard in the fourth quarter was all that could split the two teams. For Chile, the margin of victory mattered little as the three points keeps them in good contention for a Top 4 finish in round-robin play. While coach Matías Amoroso’s squad entertained the lion’s share of possession, Brazil was not to be counted out. The spirited play of Lucas Varela and captain Arthur Giro kept Brazil’s work rate high and full of belief.
Forward Felipe Duisberg had a chance to give Chile an early lead with an uncontested look at goal but the ball blasted way wide of the net. Brazil keeper Leonardo Santos was dialled in to keep Chile penalty corner ace Sebastián Wolansky at bay, first in the 15th minute and then multiple times in the second half. Brazil had multiple set-piece opportunities including two in the second quarter and multiple in the final frame. Brazil flicker Frederico Sauerbronn struggled to get his delivery on target. Early in the third quarter, Chile thought they might get a freebie from the spot as Felipe Richard was interfered with by the quick stick of Giro but a video referral overturned the call for a penalty stroke, further antognizing the Chilean offence.
While the relief would not come through a series of penalty corners, Chile could breathe easy thanks to Richard’s goal in the 51st minute. The play sparked from Alexei De Witt’s run across the top of the circle. De Witt spun and fed Richard who calmly trapped the ball and put it in past the sprawling leg of Santos to secure the 1-0 victory for Chile.
Pool Play: USA (6) – Mexico (0)
Sekayi Charasika scored on four penalty corners to propel the USA men to a 6-0 win over Mexico. Despite Charasika’s finishes, the USA were not efficient on their set pieces. By the third quarter already, USA has amassed 19 penalty corners, not including re-award attempts, and Charasika’s finishes were all that could beat Mexican keeper Edgar Espinoza.
Espinoza did well to turn a way multiple chances for the USA, while Mexico’s Alexis Zavala and Angel Gonzalez ran miles to try to breathe added emergy in to their team. Mexico earned penalty corner chances but miss traps at the top of the circles left USA keeper Thomas Curtis untested.
Charasika’s clinical finishes came in the 25th, 30th and 32nd minute of play, while Mehtab Grewal added a fourth for USA from the spot. A baseline run by Willem Pouw drew Angel Gonzalez to over commit and his stick challenge was awarded as a penalty stroke and confirmed by video referral. Grewal made no mistake to add his third goal of the tournament and following his dying seconds game-winner over Brazil a day earlier. Grewal was called upon to finish from the spot yet again for USA’s sixth goal in the fourth quarter.
Pool Play: Canada (0) – Argentina (6)
Argentina dominated the game from start to finish and continued their undefeated streak with a 6-0 win over the Canadian Youngbucks. The Leoncitos came out of the gate with a penalty corner in the second minute of play. A low flick from Lorenzo Somaini was run down by Canada’s Kirin Robinson but the re-award ricocheted off the backboard for an opening Argentina goal. The onslaught continued with Bruno Correa deflecting in a pass through the circle to double Argentina’s lead. Matias Andreotti notched a third to silence Canada heading in to the first break.
A more structured and composed Canadian team started to show in the second quarter, as Argentina was held to just one goal. Lautaro Martinez buried a goalmouth scramble to make it 4-0. Canada did well to put numbers in their defensive circle but Argentina was just as equal to the challenge showcasing their superior three-dimensional skills and quick hands. Thiago Zalazar and Martinez added a goal each in the second half to allow Argentina to coast to the 6-0 win.
With the win Argentina nabs their fourth win of the tournament with one round of games left in pool play. Tomorrow, July 8, is a rest day so the final pool-play games will go on July 9 with Brazil vs Mexico (12:00), Argentina vs USA (16:00) and Chile vs Canada (20:00).
