4th Men’s Pan American Cup hockey tourney: Argentina, Canada start as favourites

Argentina national field hockey team. (Getty Images)

The Canadian city of Brampton, near Toronto, will host the fourth edition of the men’s Pan American Cup hockey tournament from August 8-18.

The tournament assumes significance for all the teams as the winner earns a berth for the 2014 World Cup to be held in The Hague, Netherlands from May 31 to June 15.

Eight teams – 10th ranked Argentina, 14^th ranked Canada, 25^th ranked Chile, 27^th ranked USA, 30th ranked Trinidad & Tobago, 32nd ranked Brazil, 34^th ranked Mexico and 47^th ranked Uruguay, will be competing in the 11-day tournament.

Top-ranked Argentina are placed in Pool A alongside USA, Uruguay and USA.

Canada – the second highest ranked team are clubbed in Pool B alongside Chile, Brazil and Trinidad & Tobago.

The competition will in all likelihood boil down to four teams – Argentina, Canada, Chile and USA – one among the four more likely to seal the 2014 World Cup berth.

The tournament will start with Argentina taking on Mexico and Uruguay meeting USA in Pool A. Chile will clash with Trinidad & Tobago, while hosts Canada meet Brazil in Pool B on the opening day.

Canada had got the better of USA 2-1 in extra time in the last edition held in Santiago, Chile in 2009.

Argentina had humbled Chile 4-0 to take the fourth spot.

The inaugural men’s Pan American Cup was held in the year2000 in Havana, Cuba, where the host country cornered glory beating Canada 2-1.

Argentina had hammered Chile 8-0 to finish third.

The event is held after a period of four or five years.

The second edition of the men’s Pan American Cup was held in Ontario, Canada, where Argentina emerged champions putting it across Canada 2-1. Chile grabbed the third spot slugging out Trinidad & Tobago 2-1.

Interestingly, all the three men’s Pan American Cup final matches have ended with identical 2-1 victory margins.

Canada has been involved in every Pan American Cup men’s final, finishing runners-up twice.

Chile has also been involved in the third-fourth place play-off games of all the three Pan American Cup tournaments.

Argentina have taken the third spot twice.