Santiago - Argentina scored two goals in the final three minutes to down the  USA Field Hockey Under-21 team, 2-0, in the crossover round of the Junior World Cup.

The loss drops the USA into the tournament's 7th/8th place game against the loser of the Spain/South Africa match on Sunday.

"We struggled up front with our skills today," said USA coach Tracey Fuchs. "We just put our defense under an incredible amount of pressure and you can only hold off Argentina for so long before they're going to break through and grab one.

Argentina grabbed two quick goals in the closing minutes after the USA has fought off attack after attack throughout the second half. Maria Pallitto scored on a field goal from in front of the cage in the 67th minute and Gabriela Aguirre added the clinching score two minutes later to seal the win for Argentina.

Argentina controlled the early portion of the first half as the Pan America champions quickly secured three penalty corner attempts in the first 20 minutes of the match. The USA successfully defended the early threats and gradually created its own opportunities. But penalty corner efforts by Lauren Crandall (Doyelstown, Pa./Wake Forest) and Rachel Dawson (Berlin, N.J./North Carolina)  failed to produce a goal and the teams went into half time deadlocked at 0-0.

Continuing the long-running rivalry between the two teams, the USA entered the contest hoping to end Argentina's dominance in the series at both the junior and senior level.

"We really wanted to beat them," said U.S. forward Katie O'Donnell (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon HS) who is also a member of the U.S. senior squad. "This was are chance to go out there and get them when it counted and it just wasn't there for us today."

O'Donnell will get another shot at Argentina when the U.S. senior team travels to Rosario to play in an Argentina-hosted four nation tournament with Spain and South Africa in November.

"We'll get them then," said O'Donnell.

Already assured of its best-ever finish at the Junior World Cup, the USA will play for the 7th/8th position at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

"We'll play either South Africa or Spain and those are two really good teams," said Fuchs as the team prepares for its final match of the tournament. "It's always good to go home a winner. We want to finish the tournament strong and let these guys end on a good note"

Argentina 2, USA Under-21 0


ARG: Maria Belen Pallitto (FG, 67:00)
ARG: Gabriela Aguirre (FG 69:00)

USA Starters: Lori Hillman, Katie O'Donnell, Katie Grant, Mia Link, Katelyn Falgowski, Amy Stopford, Lauren Crandall, Rachel Dawson, Lauren Powley, Heather Schnepf, Katherine Blair (GK)

Subs: Lauren Ehrlichamn, Cara Lynn Lopresti, Michelle Kasold, Laree Beans

Coach: Tracey Fuchs

Argentina Starters: Maria Belen Succi (GK), Daniela Domiguez, Lucia Belen Pereyra, Nadia Carolina Silva, Augustina Bouza, Maria Belen Pallitto, Carla Rebecchi, Gabriela Aguirre, Giselle Kanevsky, Rosario Luchetti

Subs: Amalia Cerutti, Maria del Pilar Diez, Yania Garcia, Inez Garmendia

Coach: Ernesto Morlan

Umpires: Jean Duncan (ECO), Carol Metchette (IRL)