First Day of the Men’s Tournament at the South American Games, Santa Fe 2026. Chile, Brazil, and Argentina all won their matches and moved up in the standings.
The Invencible Stadium was packed with school groups in the morning, and in the late afternoon and evening, the stands were filled with spectators cheering on the teams.
Summary of the First Matchday
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” Here’s How the Standings Looked
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Chile vs. Peru
Chile won 40-21 in the opening match of the men’s competition. The team coached by Aitor Echaburu capitalized on their opponents’ defensive mistakes and closed out the first half with a 20-10 lead.
In the second half, the Chileans rotated their players and extended their lead. Peru improved its play but it wasn’t enough.
The top scorer of the match was Danilo Salgado with 11 goals for Chile, while Giancarlo Trelles of Peru scored 9 goals.
Uruguay vs. Brazil
Brazil defeated Uruguay 29-20 in the second game of the day. The team coached by Héctor Sintas played a strong first half, taking a 12-11 lead.
In overtime, Brazil tightened up its defense and put together a flawless offensive performance to secure its first victory.
Joel Santos and Vinicius Texeira each scored 4 goals for Brazil, while Giovanni Cardozo, Sebastián Vecino, and Cristhian Rostagno each scored 3 goals for Uruguay.
Argentina vs. Paraguay
To close out the day, Argentina defeated Paraguay 27-17. In the first half, the Argentines managed to close out a 16-9 run with some very strong stretches of play.
In the second half, Rodolfo Jung’s team capitalized on their opponent’s turnovers with quick counterattacks to score. The Paraguayans created a few scoring opportunities, but it wasn’t enough.
The Gladiators earned their first victory. The game’s top scorer was Enzo Acosta of Paraguay with 7 goals. For Argentina, Pedro Martínez and Pablo Minguez each scored 4 goals.
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If you liked it Day One of the Men’s Tournament at the South American Games, you might also like to read: Argentina Wins the Women’s Competition at the South American Games!
Photos: COSCABAL / Federico Pancaldi
By Loly Coria
