Las Leonas Retain Pan American Cup, Los Pumas Wins IRB 7 Series

Felicidades to the Las Leonas and Los Pumas!!!

Argentina retained the Pan American Cup title after defeating the USA 7-6 in a penalty stroke shoot out.
Carla REBECCHI scored first to give Las Leonas the lead in the 9th minute. As the first half wound down, USA got the equalizer through a deflected shot from captain Carrie LINGO in the 29th minute.

In the second half, Leonas were back in front as they got the ball across the USA goal line but the umpire called an infringement against the Argentines, who protested. The umpire consulted with her fellow umpire and reversed the decision. Captain Rosario LUCHETTI was credited for the goal in the 39th minute. Argentina then took control of the game but in the 64th minute LINGO got the equalizer from a beautifully deflected field goal.

The final had to be decided by penalty strokes as both team fail to score after extra time. In the eighth shot, Rachel DAWSON missed her stroke, giving Argentina the win after a game that could have gone either way.

Argentina beat England 19-14 to win the USA Sevens in San Diego and claim only their second ever IRB Sevens World Series title. The Pumas' only previous Cup success also came in California, in Los Angeles in 2004, and this most recent victory blasts wide open the race for the 2008/09 World Series.
Tom BIGGS and Ben GOLLINGS both scored first half tries for England either side of one by Argentina captain Santiago Gomez CORA. Trailing 14-5 at the break, the Pumas quickly asserted pressure on the Englishmen after the restart and scored tries through Martin RODRIGUES and Lucas AMOROSINO, before their famous defense kicked in to hold England at bay for five minutes.