Five teams reach CONCACAF Olympic qualification final
… Guyana, Costa Rica clash only second round match left
Guyana Chronicle
November 21, 2003
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC - Canada, Honduras, United States, Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica advanced to the final round of the CONCACAF men’s Olympic qualification in Mexico next year after closing out their respective second round series on Wednesday.
After two periods of extra time, Canada prevailed over El Salvador 5-4 in penalty shots in Kelowna to advance on a 6-5 aggregate. The match ended 1-0 for the Canadians after regulation time that brought the aggregate score of the two-match, home-and-away series to 1-1.
In other matches, Honduras drew 2-2 with Haiti in Ceiba, Honduras, but advance with a 3-2 aggregate; United States pummelled St Kitts/Nevis 4-0 in Germantown, Maryland, to move forward with a 10-0 aggregate; Trinidad & Tobago rolled over Grenada 3-0 in Port of Spain to go ahead 4-1 on aggregate; and though Jamaica were edged 1-2 by Guatemala in San Marcos, they enter the next round on a 3-2 aggregate.
Guyana host Costa Rica at Blairmont on Sunday in the only outstanding second-round match to determine the last spot in the eight-team final round to be contested in Mexico from February 2 to 12. The Costa Ricans lead this series after a convincing 7-0 triumph at home.
Wednesday’s five winners, Panama and host Mexico have confirmed their participation in the final round of qualification that will decide the two CONCACAF berths at the 2004 Olympic Games to be staged in Athens, Greece, next September.
At the Apple Bowl Stadium, Canada got the result they desired after losing the first leg 1-0 last Saturday, but American referee Brian Hall booked no less than 11 players during the match and sent off three including Rocco Placentino, whose 48th minute strike was the only goal in regulation time.
Placentino ended a solo run on the left side by firing a shot past diving Salvadoran ‘keeper Luis Castro and into the far right side of the net in the 48th minute.
Canada’s first three penalty shots by Maycoll Canizalez, Adam Braz, and Tam Nsaliwa were successful, while Ramon Sanchez missed El Salvador’s second. Canada’s fourth shot taken by Dunfield was unsuccessful; however, the fifth taken by Matondo hit the mark.
El Salvador equalled the tally with successful fourth and fifth shots. Kelowna native Rob Friend sent Canada’s next shot past Castro, before Castro himself took El Salvador’s sixth and final shot missing the net and giving Canada the result.
At the Estadio Nilmo Edwards, Victor Bernandez’s second of two strikes swept Honduras into the final round, after they had the cushion of a 1-0 first leg win in Miami on Sunday.
Bernandez got the crucial goal in the 85th minute when he butted home a cross from Avilan Solas from the left side. He had got Honduras on the board in the 13th minute after a pass from Mauricio Castro split the Haiti defence.
Jean Phillipe Peguero level the scores for Haiti with a 41st minute tally and, one minute later, nodded home from close range to give the Haitians the lead in the match, and leave the scores tied 2-2 on aggregate.
Bernandez, however, ensured there was no extra time.
At the Maryland Soccerplex, the United States completed the work they had started with a 6-0 win in the first leg, with midfielder David Testo leading the way, scoring goals in the third minute on an assist from Edson Buddle and in the 64th minute.
In the 87th minute of the match, Kyle Martino finished a nine run with a soft chip over St. Kitts/Nevis ‘keeper Kayian Benjamin and, one minute later, Eddie Gaven scored from the penalty spot after he was fouled in the box.
At the Hasely Crawford Stadium, once striker Kendall Davis hit home on a first time effort from Josh Johnson’s right-side ball to give T&T the lead, the Grenadians, who played well at home to draw the first leg 1-1, did not have a comeback story.
T&T doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Lyndon Diaz whipped in a left side cross for Devon Mitchell to send a glancing header past goalkeeper Ken Searles on the near right post.
Grenada slumped further when Searles mishandled Johnson’s right-side cross and Kerry Baptiste was on the spot to claim the loose ball and hit home from close range for T&T’s final goal.
At the Estadio Marquesa De La Ensenada, Roland Dean’s delivered the painful blow to Guatemala in sudden-death, extra time to ease Jamaican worries after the Guatemalans were leading 2-0 at the end of regulation time.
The Jamaicans had the cushion of last Sunday’s 2-0 home win, but were left wondering about their fate after Jhony Leonardo scored twice in regulation time, in the 41st and 75th minutes, to leave the series tied 2-2 on aggregate.
The Jamaicans, however, demonstrated abdominal fortitude as they braved the challenges associated with playing at high altitude to grab the winner through Dean in the 21st minute of extra time.