USA faced off against Argentina in Kumagaya in a Pool C clash
Argentina came into the match having lost their previous game against England and USA meanwhile lost their prior encounter against France. Neither team had a chance of making the quarterfinals given that England and France had already made it out. Additionally, in 8 previous attempts, the USA have never managed to beat Argentina and today would serve to be no different.
Argentina 47- 17 USA: Watch highlights below
The game kicked off and 19 minutes into the encounter and Juan Cruz Mallia tossed the ball to Nicolas Sanchez who got on the scoresheet as Argentina opened their account for the game.
24 minutes in and Argentina doubled their lead with another converted try; Sanchez chipped into the USA 22 from where Juan Tuculet capitalised to score the second try of the game. Sanchez converted for a score of 14-0 to Argentina.
Then, with five minutes left in the first half, Los Pumas added to their total as they shuffled the ball right where Tuculet took advantage to score. Sanchez missed the resulting conversion.
40 minutes in and the USA got a hand in the game with a try after AJ MacGinty popped a slick grubber which Blaine Scully scooped up to score. The halftime score read 19-5 to Los Pumas.
The second half kicked on, and it was Argentina who touched down in the 45th minute –following a line out, the ball was worked left to Mallia who scored and Sanchez grabbed the conversion.
Four minutes later and they kept at it; Mallia burst through a gap following a line out to score and the conversion was missed. 33-5 to Los Pumas, it stood.
56 minutes in and Jeronimo De La Fuente was found with a slick inside pass from Carreras before scoring Argentina’s third try of the half. Sanchez scooped up the conversion.
60 minutes in and the USA grabbed their second try of the game courtesy of Paul Lasike who scrambled over the line to score and MacGinty slotted the conversion for a score of 40-12.
71 minutes in and Los Pumas would garner another try after Mallia did brilliantly to eventually find Gonzalo Bertranou who scored. Benjamin Urdapilleta added the conversion.
Seconds before fulltime arrived, the USA planted another try after Scully was found in the corner to score.
And so it finished at Kumagaya with a final scoreline of 47-17 to the Argentines. Los Pumas finish the tournament in third place with 11 points as veteran Juan Manuel Leguizamón bowed out having played his last game for the South Americans after four World Cups.
USA meanwhile have a final clash against Tonga coming up before their tournament concludes.
