Saturday, November 18th, 2023.- In the opening match of the PC Football tournament at the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games, the United States showcased its status as a world power, defeating Chile 4-2 at the Bicentenario Stadium in La Florida, in front of around 2,500 spectators.

The Americans share the fourth spot in the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF) rankings with England, trailing behind Ukraine, Brazil, and Iran. Moreover, in the last World Cup held in 2022 in Spain, the United States secured a fourth-place finish.

These credentials were evident against the local team, ranked 21st in the IFCPF standings. In fact, only the impressive performance of goalkeeper Héctor García prevented a more extensive scoreline. Although he conceded four goals, he stood out with 11 saves.

The first half concluded with a score of 3-0, featuring two goals from Cameron Delillo (15' and 30') and another from Jacob Kaplan (21').

In the second half, Chile reacted and narrowed the gap through Patricio Saavedra (37'). However, the North Americans quickly extended their lead with a goal from Hammond (43'), effectively sealing the match.

In injury time, a penalty converted by Darwin Díaz allowed Chile a final consolation goal.

In PC football, matches are played in two halves of 30 minutes, with seven players on each team.

At Santiago 2023, six teams are participating, facing each other in a round-robin format in the initial phase. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals.

The first day concludes with the matches between Brazil-Argentina and Canada-Venezuela.

Written by Rodrigo Vargas; translated by Paulette Bertín / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport
Photo by Jonnathan Oyarzún / Santiago 2023 vía Photosport