SANTIAGO, Chile — Team USA’s Shea Hammond put the game away in the 45th minute, capitalizing on a miscommunication amid Chile’s backline. 

A U.S. clearance had pitted Hammond against Cristian Del Pino, who got to the ball first. But as Del Pino attempted to head a pass back to goalkeeper Hector García, the pair had differing intentions. 

Already well off of his goal line, García could only watch as Del Pino’s delivery trickled away from him and into Hammond’s path for an easy tap-in — extending the U.S. lead. 

Hammond’s finish put Team USA ahead by three goals in a contest that was likely decided by halftime. Throughout both halves, the U.S. commanded possession, pelted the Chilean goal with shots and snuffed out opposition attacks with ease in its dominant 4-2 win to open its Cerebral Palsy Football account at the 2023 Parapan American Games. 

“We came in and we had our objectives,” U.S. defender Adam Ballou said. “We would’ve liked to put a couple more in but we have our eyes on Argentina tomorrow.”

Five minutes into the game, the U.S.’s Cameron Delillo latched onto a through ball. Firing goalward with his left foot, Delillo’s shot was stopped by the outstretched foot of García, generating cheers from the home crowd. 

In the early going, Team USA controlled the tempo. It found success driving into Chile’s final third by building up play through Benjamin Lindau and Josh Brunais, a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant, and took the lead less than 20 minutes in. 

After Chile put the ball out of bounds, Ballou acted quickly and rolled a pass to Lindau along the right sideline, who beat his man before delivering a cross. 

Lindau’s ball snuck through the box and reached Delillo at the back post, who took a touch and powered a left-footed strike past García. 

“That’s going to be the key here in 7-a-side, we’ve got to control the tempo,” Ballou said. “We did well connecting passes and we’d like to do more.”

Then, at the 22 minute mark, the U.S. doubled its lead. Brunais won back possession from Chile’s Darwin Diaz near the right corner flag and converged on goal. His progress prompted García to leave his post and Brunais poked a pass forward. 

The ball reached Jacob Kaplan, now gifted with an open net. And though Chile’s Alexis Pavez sprayed out on the goal line to block Kaplan’s first attempt with his chest, Kaplan made no mistake on the second to make things 2-0. 

Despite giving up a couple shots on goal to Chile, Team USA never looked out of sync. It played calmly, quickly and efficiently— audibly communicating to provide reinforcement on the wings or to drop back when necessary. 

With one minute of added time before the half, Ballou found an unmarked Delillo on the left flank. Shifting the ball onto his dominant left foot, Delillo scored his second by slotting a cross-body attempt under García and into the right corner of the net. 

“Keeping possession, finding the open man, moving the ball, we’ve got the players to do it,” Ballou said. 

The celebrations were minimal — a simple rejoice between goalscorer and provider. The U.S. had put together a near-perfect display of soccer in the opening 30 minutes and opened up a comfortable 3-0 cushion. 

To start the second half, García made two dazzling stops to keep Chile’s slim hopes alive. He first palmed away a point-blank Brunais effort near the penalty spot before using his legs to deny U.S. substitute Shea Hammond. 

García’s heroics paid off when Chile pulled one back off of a Patricio Saavedra strike. Beginning the attack at midfield, he distributed cross-field to Diaz on the right wing and relocated to the center of the box. Practically unmarked when Diaz’s driven cross found him, Saavedra netted past Sean Boyle 

However the U.S. answered through Hammond and more of the same ensued. Team USA continued to snuff out any Chilean move forward and, barring a couple of corner opportunities, the ball was kept in Chile’s half of the field. 

Surrounded by a sea of jeers draped in red, the U.S. was never bothered. And even when Diaz converted a penalty in the final minute of the game to help Chile draw within two, Team USA did well in fending off any further consolation goals. 

ON SUNDAY: Team USA returns to action against Argentina on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.