Selknam loses SLAR final to Peñarol

Selknam finds himself without the SLAR. In a match where it was difficult for him to come into play, they ended up losing 24–13 to Uruguay’s Peñarol at Charrúa Stadium in Montevideo . The revival of the second half was not enough to turn the tide and lift the trophy for the continent’s most important tournament.

The first few minutes were a headache for Selknam. They took to the pitch and faced a side that outplayed them in every aspect of the game. Backed by a packed stadium, the uruguayans put the national team in trouble and set the tone for the actions . Uncontrollable, they quickly took over.

They did it from the posts, reaffirming the intuition that penalties were going to be one of the keys to the game. The 4 minutes of play were ticking and Selknam was already losing . The worst thing is that not only was the result negative, but also the game that was seen on the pitch.

Peñarol’s defensive pressure stifled the national franchise, which found no answers against a team that harshly halted Chilean intentions. So came the first try of the match. Francois Urroz, the criollos scorer with 95 points tried to clear the ball very close to the end zone, but was tackled by a Uruguayan second line, leaving the ball served to the hosts to score points.

And the minutes passed and things didn’t change. Etcheverry scored another penalty and made it 13-0. The field was sold out, so the second Uruguayan try was no surprise. Those of Montevideo took advantage of an error in the national formation to punish the Chilean in-goal again . The distance was great and it hurt, but above all it provoked rage. Although the rival played at a high level, Santiago’s franchise players could not excel in defense, their great strength.

Thus, the penalty converted by Urroz in the 24th minute was so celebrated. Selknam needed to score, he needed to close the gap, but above all to feel part of the game again. The 15, charmer at this stage, did not hesitate and converted his 22nd penalty of the tournament.

It was a change in the logic of the duel and despite the drop that stretched the Uruguayan advantage in the last second of the first half, the nationals managed to gain presence in the game.

After the break, they managed to come back more focused and stronger , even managing to reduce the distances by penalty, always by Francisco Urroz. Self-love and the weight of dreams got them on the dashboard. He made the defense impenetrable, the formations smart and the energy inordinate. Selknam found his DNA.

and fight, they got the try-penalty in the 57th minute . They had faith and avoided the sticks, to go on the ground. This intuition was rewarded and made it clear that things had changed. That there was no longer one team above the other, but that everything was level and ready to fight until the last minute.

In those moments, the fatigue of the Uruguayan team was evident, after a first half in which they gave their all. Selknam, on the other hand, had its finest moment , driven by the claw and adrenaline typical of a final. but due to the weather and the situation, the game got shorter and shorter. Even Peñarol’s two yellow cards weren’t enough for the Chileans to get closer to their rivals . The nerves also did their thing, in the stands and on the pitch. The atmosphere was in the cauldron and 13 minutes from the end, no one knew how the match was going to end.

But time moved slowly and the distance could never be closed. To the pain of the team and the entire country, Selknam failed to match the actions and a counter penalty ended up defining the match 24-13. . These first minutes will undoubtedly cross the minds of the players, they will talk about when they return to Chile and when they are reunited with their families. But it will not only be pitiful, but also as internal fuel.

The process does not stop, but continues. If someone had told this group a few years ago that they would be going to a SLAR Finals, many might have defined it as a dream, not a reality. In 2021, they were in the semi-finals. Now in 2022 the final game. Maybe in 2023 it’s time to touch the sky . For this and for this they will get up tomorrow.