Las Leoncitas are crowned champions of the Americas

The Leoncitas once again closed a Junior Pan American Cup on top and they did so with a final that required patience until the last stretch. Argentina defeated the United States 3-1 in Santiago de Chile and defended the continental title in a match that was tied for much of the night before being resolved from the spot and with the skill of a team that knew how to hold on when the score had not yet been completely broken.

The final opened with Argentine pressure and found its first prize in the 13th minute, when Chiara Ambrosini put the team ahead. The United States responded just a minute later through Reese D'Ariano and held the score at 1-1 with a very resistant defense and an outstanding performance by their goalkeeper Juliana Boon. The game only turned definitively in the last quarter, when Ambrosini converted two penalty strokes and left without a reply an opponent who had managed to stay in the game until the final nine minutes.

The title fits with everything the team had been showing in the tournament. Argentina had completed a perfect group stage and had devastated Chile 7-0 in the semifinals to ensure, in the process, qualification for the 2027 Junior World Cup. The final confirmed that dominance and led Las Leoncitas to their ninth continental title. They were accompanied on the podium by the United States and Uruguay, the other two American teams that also sealed their World Cup berth.