Argentina (10) 25

Villalba 4, Rojas 7, 61, Kanevsky 9, Barrionuevo 14, 43, 46, 55, 58, Rebecchi 17, 29, 47, 52, 53, 67, Merino 20, Abente 32, 33, 38, 45, 60, Zuluoaga 50, D’elia 63.

Bermuda (0) 0

The scoreline says it all. Argentina are a world class side, Bermuda are not, no more need be said.

And yet sport is very rarely that simple.

While the scoreline may give the cold hard facts, and underline the obvious, namely that Argentina are far and away better than Bermuda, it does not tell the whole story.

It does not show the heart and spirit of the Bermuda team, it does not show the pride of the supporters who gave their side a standing-ovation as they warmed-down, and it does not show the never-say-die attitude of a team that ran, and ran, and ran, for 70 minutes.

Last night was always going to be difficult, and Bermuda could have stuck 11 players behind the ball and opted for damage limitation, but they didn't. They could have constantly blasted the ball out of defence and made Argentina bring it back at them, but they didn't.

They tried to play hockey, and the sight of Erica Frith and Megan Troake breaking into the Argentina circle with just a minute left to play spoke volumes for the effort the entire side put in.

Whether adopting a more defensive approach would have made any difference is debatable given Argentina's obvious talent, but it is commendable to coach Gareth Tavares and his entire side that they chose not to.

"There was 100 percent effort out there," said Tavares. 'The girls ran, and ran, and ran and never gave up. Which is all I can ask from the team.

"Some of the goals Argentina scored, I'm not sure any side out here could have actually defended.

"They were just that much quicker, faster, more skillful than our team. All we could do was match them effort for effort.

"The girls put their bodies on the line, they fought hard and they kept on going.

"That was an experience for us that we will never have again in our lives. It was Argentina, they are second in the world.

"I think everyone out there, they are being a bit hard on themselves right now, but when they look back on it, they will be able to say they played Argentina and they tried.

"I'm very proud of those girls, I'm very proud of the fact that we kept trying until the end."

It took Argentina four minutes to score their first goal, and they scored their last three minutes from time.

They were 10-nil up at the break and yet kept their concentration and focus to such an extent that they banged in 15 in the second half.

Carla Rebecchi led the way, scoring six times, while the tournament's leading goalscorer Noel Barrionuevo bagged five to doubled her tally for the week. Macarena Abente also got in on the act, scoring five as well, including three in the space of six minutes.

"I kept them focused by telling them they had to score one goal more in the second half than they had in the first," said Argentina coach Gabriel Minadeo.

"That was shown when my team went running back to the midfield to start the game again so they could make the target."

In last night's other game, Trinidad and Tobago pulled off the first shock of the Pan Am Cup by beating Canada 3-2.

Largely expected to be the fourth semi-finalist along with Argentina, USA and Chile, Canada put in a display that merited nothing but defeat.

Sloppy at times, complacent at others, they lost because they did not start performing until it was too late.

In a fractious game Trinidad took an early lead and never relinquished it.

Stacey Sui Butt and Krizia Layne gave their side a 2-0 lead at half time, and although Jessalyn Walkey scored twice for Canada in the second half, they came either side of Butt's second of the night.

Argentina B Succi (GK), D Merino, R Luchetti, R Sanchez, S Parral, Y Rojas, C Rebecchi, M Abente, V Villalba, D Sruoga, V Zuluoaga, I Arrondo, G Aguirre, S D'elia, G Kanevsky, N Barrionuevo.

Bermuda F Doe (GK), J Hollis, K Masters, E Frith, L Hartley, K Graham, H Ellison, J Bielby, M Ford, K White, J McClure, M Troake, R Bardgett, J Smith, S Samuels, C DaCosta.

Umpires: A Mclean (Trinidad), F Block (England)