The United States junior national men’s and women’s field hockey teams have been competing in the Junior Pan American Cup a bit like a professional cycling race.
The U.S. teams are in a highly competitive peloton, one which has already shed the less favored teams, leaving four clear pack leaders, all gathering for a final sprint to decide the medals. The men are in the last four against Canada, Chile, and Argentina, while the women are in a pack with Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
So, the situation is this: the American teams both need at least one victory in their next two games in order to guarantee a berth in the FIH Junior World Cups next year. In the slightly obtuse regulations published by FIH, it is clear that the top three teams in each gender will make the Junior World Cup.
The one thing I have not been able to yet divine from the regulations is whether there will be an additional quota added to the Pan American Hockey Federation due to world rankings. The permutations for non-qualified teams across the continents are likely to be as complicated as figuring out an NCAA Ratings Percentage Index or an NFL quarterback rating.
But the principle is clear: win and you’re in.