Chile's U21 field hockey teams have officially qualified for the semifinals of the Santiago 2026 Junior Pan American Cup after defeating Venezuela and Mexico at the Claudia Schüler Center.
Both national squads achieved their goal of advancing in the tournament, which offers three qualifying spots for the 2027 World Cup. The victories took place during the second week of competition at the Parque Estadio Nacional.
The men's 'Diablos' squad kicked off the day with a dominant 12-0 shutout against Venezuela. Defender Gaspar Fosalba, of Universidad Católica, led the scoring with four goals.
Other scorers for the Maximiliano Días-led team included Tomás Hasson (2), Rafael de Witt (2), Sebastián Loehnert, Vicente Wilhelmy, Ignacio Fariña, and Tomás Rodríguez.
“It was a tough match where it was hard to break through. In the end, we were able to find our rhythm as a team, moved the ball well, and found the back of the net,” Fosalba said after the match.
The player is already looking ahead to the team's next challenge, a matchup against Canada this Wednesday, April 15, at 7:00 PM.
Junior 'Diablas' move forward with confidence
In the women's division, the Junior 'Diablas' also secured their place in the next phase after defeating Mexico in a closely contested match.
Goals from Javiera Sáenz, Trinidad Escobar, and Isidra Caravia helped Mariano Moras's side tally seven goals across four matches.
Isidora Caravia, named player of the match, emphasized the importance of staying focused following the win.
“We’ve worked hard for this, so we are going to celebrate this victory while keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal of qualifying. We can't lose focus,” Caravia stated.
The player noted that the next challenge for the Chilean side will be against Argentina's 'Leoncitas' this Tuesday, April 14, at 7:00 PM.