VINA DEL MAR, CHILE – NOV03: El equipo de Mexico obtiene medalla de oro en futbol femenino de los XIX juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 realizado en el estadio Elias Figueroa Brander el 03 de Noviembre 2023 en Valparaiso, Chile./ Mexico team wins the gold medal in football match of the 2023 XIX Pan American Games at the Elias Figueroa Brander Stadium on November 03, 2023 in Valparaiso, Chile.
(Foto de Raul Zamora/Santiago 2023 via Photosport)
Four nations battled on Friday for three medals. On one of the corners was Mexico and the USWNT U-19 and in the other, Chile and Argentina. At the end of each 90 minutes, the North Americans were the victors.
USWNT U-19 vs Argentina
This was the second time these teams played each other in the tournament, with the U.S. beating the South Americans 4-0 in the group phase.
Photo: US Soccer
In this game, the Argentinians showed a better defensive game, but when it was time for them to thread an attack, they usually fell short. Despite the organization Argentina showed defensively, the U.S. broke them down after 30 minutes. A long ball that couldn’t be controlled by the Argentines granted possession to the U.S., and Amalia Villarreal ended up beating goalkeeper Vanina Correa.
After that and only seven minutes later, the U-19s doubled the lead when captain Claire Hutton shot from downtown and scored a screamer. Props to Gisele Thompson for creating some space for Hutton after dragging defenders after her.
The second half wasn’t pretty for any team, with them not being able to complete their passes and losing balls easily. Argentina was in a hurry to score at least one goal, and that hastiness didn’t do them any favors.
As a result, the score didn’t change, and the USWNT U-19 secured the bronze medal. There’s no doubt that U.S. Soccer has good material to work with. The youngest squad in the tournament lost only one game and looked solid against senior national teams.
Chile vs México
In the middle of much off-the-field controversy, Chile hosted El Tri Femenil in the game for the gold medal.
Due to poor management from the ANFP, neither star goalkeeper ‘Tiane’ Endler nor second goalkeeper Antonia Canales were available to play in the big final. That meant Chile had to put a field player on goal and hope for the best.
It was good to see that despite the shortage in the roster, the home team showed a lot of grit on the field; the sole goal of Rebeca Bernal for Mexico made the difference in the score. The designated Chilean goalkeeper for this game, María José Urrutia, did well.
Photo: Raul Zamora/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
Of course, she had some nervy moments at the beginning, but after hearing the fans cheering every time she touched the ball and with the support of her teammates, Urrutia grew in confidence and made some good saves during the 90 minutes of the game.
It was an uncomfortable match for both teams, and although Mexico had some advantage over the Chileans, it couldn’t be reflected in the score. If it hadn’t been for the brilliance of Bernal, who knows what would’ve happened in the end.
Photo: Martin Thomas/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
After the goal, Mexico created more opportunities. but despite their eight shots on goal, Urrutia did well stopping some shots with her feet. On the other hand, Esthefanny Barreras didn’t have much work to do, since Chile only had two shots and only one of them was on goal.
As a result, at the end of the 90 minutes, Mexico won the gold medal—their first.
After a round-robin stage, the semifinalists of the XIX Pan American Games Santiago 2023 are set.
Group A
After being absent from a Pan American stage since 2007, US Soccer decided it was time to participate again. Instead of a senior team, they put together a U-19 squad.
The test for the youngsters went more than well, with the team finishing at the top of the Group’s A table. They dominated their group through and through, accumulating 13 goals in favor and only one against. They started strong, beating Bolivia 6-0, continuing their quest against Costa Rica 3-1, and finishing with a 4-0 victory over Argentina. Ava McDonald and Amalia Villarreal are the top goal scorers of the USWNT U-19 with three each, while Emeri Adames has scored two goals so far in the competition.
Besides the North Americans, Argentina will be advancing out of Group A and into the semifinals. The South Americans qualified after Costa Rica couldn’t win against Bolivia. The Ticas had the chance to leapfrog Argentina in the table if they had won in their last game of the group, but despite their chances, they couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. So the South Americans went through after having accumulated a draw, a win and a loss. Interestingly enough, all their three goals in the group stage came from defenders.
Costa Rica and Bolivia finished third and fourth in the group with no wins. The Ticas are starting a new cycle under a new head coach, Beni Rubido, and went to this competition without key players such as Rocky Rodríguez and Priscilla Chinchilla. Bolivia was invited after Venezuela decided not to participate. They finished their group phase with two losses and a draw.
Group B
Photo: Martin Thomas/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
The second group was more competitive than Group A, having the host Chile in it, along with a national team that has gone all-in for this tournament in Mexico. Paraguay was a fierce contender as well.
El Tri Femenil dominated this group scoring 14 goals and only conceding two against. Head coach Pedro López played the best XI he had available for each game, and it paid off. Their most significant win was against the host nation in a tough game they started losing but reverted the score after 90 minutes. Houston Dash’s María Sánchez and Diana Ordóñez are among the top goalscorers of the competition, with Sánchez leading this category with four goals.
Chile is the other semifinalist in this group. They qualified after registering two wins and one loss. They opened by winning against Paraguay by a narrow margin, then lost against Mexico and before they finished strong, hammering Jamaica 6-0 to secure their ticket to the semis. Goalkeeper Tiane Endler hasn’t been the brightest in this tournament by her standards, but she has the opportunity to show why she’s an international superstar in their next game against the USWNT U-19 today.
Paraguay did well in this Pan American Games, but their frustration got the better of them. They have talent to work with, but they fell short of qualifying for the semifinals. Forward Jessica Martínez finished the group phase among the top goalscorers with three goals, and she had the golden opportunity against Chile to equalize the game in the final minutes of the game. That chance might have made a difference in the group spots.
Jamaica’s participation in this competition is one to forget. Due to the problems with their federation, the JFF sent a very inexperienced team that did what they could but finished with 23 goals against and none in favor.
Photo: Martin Thomas/Santiago 2023 via Photosport.
Wednesday brought more action in the Pan American Games. We had interesting results, with the North American teams dominating the competition so far.
USWNT U-19 vs Costa Rica (3-1)
Photo: US Soccer
After beating Bolivia 6-0, the youngest squad in the Games had a tougher task against the Ticas.
USA brought the energy from the very beginning, pressing high and stopping Costa Rica’s intentions to carry the ball further down the pitch.
Katie Collins was highly effective in stopping Gabriella Guillén’s runs down the right wing and in forcing turnovers in the middle. She was one of the best in the field in the first half, and she got her reward early on, when she scored the first goal of the match 10 minutes in.
Costa Rica’s plans got thwarted over and over again, and the USWNT continued generating chances, including a shot by Claire Hutton that hit the crossbar.
Half an hour into the match, the momentum shifted to the Ticas’ side, and they found the equalizer in minute 35′ after a corner. Goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica saved the first header, but the defense couldn’t clear it, and Tanisha Fonseca finished with a header that ended in the back of the net.
The first half ended 1-1, and it took some minutes for both squads to settle in in the second half. Nonetheless, USA took control of the ball once again, just like they did in the first half, and started to generate good looks through players like Amalia Villarreal. The skillful midfielder gave Costa Rica nightmares during the entire game.
The difference in the field was reflected in minute 70′, when Hutton put tipped the score in favor of the USWNT again. She scored a nice goal: dribbling through the Ticas and finishing with a low diagonal shot to beat goalkeeper Priscilla Tapia. Seven minutes later, Emery Adames proved to be an impact sub when she scored the third and final goal of the game.
Paraguay vs Jamaica (10-0)
Photo: Pablo Tomasello/Santiago 2023 via Photosport.
After falling to Chile in their opening match, the Albirroja trashed the Caribbeans in the biggest hammering we have seen in Santiago 2023 so far.
Only six minutes into the game, Lorena Alonso scored the first tally of a half that would finish 4-0, with additional goals by Jessica Martínez, Rebeca Fernández, and Celsa Sandoval. J. Martínez scored a hat trick in the second half, while Sandoval registered a brace. Players Dahiana Bogarin, Ramona Martínez, and Daisy Bareiro also scored, finishing the game 10-0 for Paraguay.
Argentina vs Bolivia (3-0)
Photo: Dedvi Missene/Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
A South American duel played out at Elías Figueroa Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. At the end of the 90 minutes, Argentina got its first win of the competition.
Centerback Aldana Cometti opened the counter, when she scored from a set piece near the box in minute 12′. Argentina’s defenders were on fire against Bolivia, with fullback Eliana Stábile scoring the second at the beginning of the second half, right after head coach Germán Portanova made a triple substitution. The score changed once again, when at the end of the game, center-back Julieta Cruz scored the final goal of the match.
Chile vs Mexico (1-3)
Photo: Martin Thomas/Santiago 2023 via Photosport.
The biggest duel of the day didn’t leave us disappointed. Home team Chile welcomed Mexico at Sausalito Stadium. Fans showed up in the stands to cheer for their national team and made the Mexicans feel the heat.
Both squads came into this match with a win, and both wanted to claim the top spot in the table.
Mexico did a good job in the first half to contain Chile. Scarlett Camberos, who joined the team that week, started and had the difficult task of containing one of the most dangerous players in the Chilean squad in Fernanda Pinilla. The fullback is known for her speed and control of the ball while running and adding herself to the attack on the left flank. The Angel City forward did well, preventing Pinilla from carrying the ball further down the pitch. Any other ball the Chileans sent forward was controlled by Anika Rodríguez, who was also very active in the first half.
Despite the good defensive work, Pinilla was able to break free near minute 40′. That was all Chile needed. María José Urrutia dragged three Mexican defenders along with her, leaving Pinilla unmarked. Goalkeeper Esthefanny Barreras was one or two steps ahead of her goal line. Pinilla saw her opportunity and shot from outside the box. Barreras moved back, but it was too late, and the ball got in.
Chile finished the first half on a high, and Mexico needed to reshape. Due to her defensive duties in this game, Nikki Hernández couldn’t join María Sánchez in the attack. Forward Charlyn Corral wasn’t making much of a difference in the final third and Camberos was also too worried with defensive duties to do much going forward. Kiana Palacios was doing what she could, but she needed someone to provide her balls to be a real threat.
Head coach Pedro López decided to bring Karla Nieto into the fold, and that was exactly what Mexico needed. The Pachuca midfielder brought balance to the midfield and helped Rebeca Bernal and Alexia Delgado.
Twelve minutes into the second half, the visitors found the equalizer thanks to a set piece. Houston Dash’s Sánchez served a curled ball to the far post that Bernal put in the back of the net. Some minutes after that, the coach turned to the bench once again and put Jacquline Ovalle and Diana Ordóñez in. ‘La Maga’ made a huge difference on the field and inclined the balance to the Mexican side. She was winning balls and fouls everywhere, and her skills made it hard for the Chileans to get the ball.
As a consequence, the rest of the game was dominated by the visitors. That momentum was reflected in the score, when Sánchez tallied Mexico’s second goal in the 75th minute and Ordóñez sealed the victory in minute 88’.
Sunday Oct. 22nd marked the start of the women’s soccer action at the XIX Pan American Games Santiago 2023. This tournament means different things for each national team, and the first day of competitions showed it.
Mexico vs Jamaica (7-0)
The Tri Femenil smashed the Reggae Girlz in their 2023 Pan American debut. The Caribbean team’s situation could be better, with their main players going on strike due to the poor treatment by their federation. Ergo, the JFF decided to send a B-team to represent the country.
On the other hand, Mexico is maybe the only national team that has sent their A-team to this competition. They are rebuilding their national team from the ashes after not qualifying for the two last World Cups—despite the quality of their roster. For Mexico, there are no small tournaments nowadays; they’re trying to use every opportunity they have to prepare for what’s coming next.
Among the squad are the Houston Dash players María Sánchez and Diana Ordóñez. Angel City’s Scarlett Camberos was called up as well but wasn’t available for the first match.
As it was expected, the game was heavily inclined toward the Mexican side. The Dash connection worked pretty well when at minute 12′, Ordóñez assisted Sánchez, who scored with a header. Both kept knocking on Jamaica’s door, and they teamed up with Jacqueline Ovalle to terrorize Chris-Ann Chambers’ goal.
In the 35th minute, the Reggae Girlz’s defense made a terrible mistake when preventing Pachuca’s Karla Nieto shooting. Both the defender and goalie thought the ball was going out, but Nieto didn’t give up and tapped the ball near the post to make it past Chambers.
Photo: Manuel Lema/Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
The first half finished with one more goal from the Mexicans. This time, Kiana Palacios was the goal scorer when she connected with a low cross sent to the middle of the box.
Head coach Pedro López moved the bench a little at halftime and then some more after that, putting Karina Rodríguez, Charlyn Corral, Greta Espinoza, and Licha Cervantes on the field.
It didn’t take much more time for Ordóñez to score. She had some good chances in the first half but couldn’t put the ball against the back of the net. In the 58th minute, she did it. Cervantes tallied next, after an assist by Corral. Corral registered another assist in minute 75’, this time for Sánchez’s second goal of the day. The beating finished with Corral scoring from the penalty spot in the 85th minute.
El Tri Femenil could’ve bagged more goals, for sure. Jamaica didn’t play well at all, and the score was a reflection of how the game went. For Jamaica, the match was characterized by poor first touches, unclear ideas in the attack, and inexperience when defending. Of course, this isn’t on the players. That the JFF released the roster for the Pan American games one day before the competition began says as much. They didn’t have time to prepare properly to face one of the few national teams that went all in for this competition.
Chile vs Paraguay (1-0)
Photo: Manuel Lema/Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
The fans at Elías Figueroa Stadium brought all the noise they could to support the debut of their national team against the always-tough Albirroja.
Although Chile was on the front foot in the first half and created many chances, they were missing those one or two final touches. Fernanda Pinilla had a great match; the left-back contributed a lot to the attack and also had a good defensive game, winning balls and making tackles.
Despite the Chileans’ domination, Paraguay had fast and skillful players who created many problems for them. Two of them were Jessica Martínez and Romana Martínez. The duo won many free kicks in dangerous areas, but poor executions left them empty-handed at the end of the 90 minutes.
Daniela Zamora opened the score for Chile in the 24th minute. Although the home team created more chances, that was the only one they could put away.
The second half got physical, and the game was stopped many times. The home crowd clearly didn’t like the referee’s decisions, and their national team had to be focused in the final 45 minutes when the emotions were running high. None of the teams could keep hold of the ball in the second half, and Paraguay’s intentions got diluted in the hecticness of the match.
Frustration led the Paraguayans to try solo efforts that ended up in nothing. Chile played smart defending but of course, the visitors were going to have at least one chance to put the ball away. And it was J. Martínez who ended up in a one-v-one with goalkeeper Tiane Endler. J. Martínez beat Endler and fired. When everybody thought she was going the score the equalizer and be the heroine for her team, the ball went out, kissing the post.
USWNT U-19 vs Bolivia (6-0)
Photo: U. S. Soccer
After Venezuela decided to decline participation in the tournament, Bolivia took its place against a USA team that is back in a Pan American competition after 16 years.
Their opening match was strong, beating the South American side with half a dozen goals. Forward Ava McDonald was on fire and scored a hat trick, Amalia Villarreal netted a brace, and Emery Adames also scored.
Despite the North Americans’ lack of experience against senior teams, they started this tournament with flying colors. Bolivia is the weakest team in CONMEBOL and in this competition, but we have to take into account that this was a senior team facing a U-19 team.
Argentina vs Costa Rica (0-0)
In the last game of the day, neither team could make any difference in the score and finished the match nil-nil.
It’s important to say that this tournament marks a new era for both of these national teams. Argentina doesn’t have Estefanía Banini or Florencia Bonsegundo in the squad, after both announced their international retirement following the 2023 World Cup. The South Americans will have to learn to play without the two main playmakers of the team.
On the other hand, Costa Rica let former head coach Amelia Valverde go and designated the Spaniard and former Dominican Republic head coach Beni Rubido as the new team manager. The match against Argentina marked his debut in such a position.
This Costa Rican roster is also without Rocky Rodríguez and Priscilla Chinchilla among them, so key players are missing for the Ticas in this tournament.
