Pan American Cup: Argentina thrash Uruguay 29-0 to reach semi-finals

Argentina Hockey Team

Argentine Men’s hockey team created a record of sorts, clobbering 47th ranked Uruguay 29-0 to go into the semi-finals of the Pan American Cup tournament on a real high.

The 10th ranked Las Leonas decimated the hapless Uruguayans, peppering their defence with repeated sallies and struck thirteen times in the first half.

Facundo Callioni led the goal-fest slamming five goals to take goal count in the tournament to eleven.

Lucas Villas also rattled the Uruguyan defence five times, while Guillermo Schickendanz, Guido Barreiros and Agustin Mazilli scored four goals each.

The Argentines went amok and scored as many as 25 field goals as only four were scored from penalty corners.

Argentina’s 29-0 win is the biggest in international hockey after India’s famous 24-1 win over USA in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, though no official record is there of any such big win in men’s field hockey.

USA also made it to the semi-finals from Pool A alongside Argentina after they sneaked past 34th ranked Mexico 3-2.

Hosts and world number 14, Canada overcame Trinidad & Tobago 3-1 to enter the last-four stage from Pool B.

Trinidad & Tobago also made it to the semi-finals by virtue of being the second best team in Pool B.

The Pan American Cup is of vital significance as the winner earns a berth to the 2014 World Cup to be held in The Hague, Netherlands.

Argentina – the top-ranked side in the tournament – will face Trinidad & Tobago in the first semi-final, while Canada will lock horns with USA in the second semi-final.

Earlier, Argentina crushed USA 8-0 in their second game. They had smashed 34th ranked Mexico 13-2 in their tournament opener.

Hosts Canada were earlier held to a 2-2 draw by 25th ranked Chile in their second game.

The home side had earlier humbled 32nd ranked Brazil 3-1.

USA drubbed Uruguay 12-0 after suffering a big defeat against Argentina.