Friday, November 3rd, 2023.- The presence of Argentina's Pumas in Group A of the rugby 7 competition at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games made Chile and Uruguay face off in a virtual final to secure a spot in the Pan American Games semifinals. The match was played in front of nearly four thousand spectators at the Estadio Municipal de La Pintana, located in the southern part of the Chilean capital.

In this encounter, Los Cóndores displayed their strength and defeated Uruguay 24-7 in a closely contested match that was decided by the home team's high possession and speed in reaching the in-goal at crucial moments.

The first half immediately highlighted the rivalry between the two teams. Manuel José Bustamante put the home team in the lead, but the pressure from the Teros increased, and just before halftime, Baltazar Amaya - a recent 15-a-side rugby World Cup participant in France - equalized the score.

The second half saw Gonzalo Lara as a significant figure for Los Cóndores. He not only contributed to distribution but also scored a try without a conversion for the team coached by Edmundo Olfos with almost three minutes left in the game. Chile played a short kickoff and regained the ball in a move that allowed them to secure the victory with a third try, this time by Benjamín Videla.

Diego Warnken Araya sealed the win with a final try, which led to a scuffle between opposing players and set the atmosphere of a final for the conclusion of the morning's rugby 7 action.

Written by Rodrigo Parragué and Nicolás Olea; translated by Vicente Valdivia / Photosport
Photo by Cristian Soto/Santiago 2023 / Photosport