Cuba handle Barbados at home despite Primus heroics

SANTIAGO, Cuba – Cuba’s first home match of their League B Group A campaign was one to remember, as the Leones cruised to a 3-0 victory over visiting Barbados at the Estadio Antonio Maceo. The opening 45 minutes saw Cuba in control. They held 66 percent of the possession, and largely kept the play in Barbados’ half. They were rewarded for their efforts in the 34th minute when Willian Pozo scored a beautiful goal, a powerful curling shot past Barbados GK Kishmar Primus from outside the top of the penalty area. Aricheel Hernandez then doubled the lead in the 37th minute after jumping on top of a loose ball and tapping it home into an empty net, giving Cuba a 2-0 lead at halftime. The Leones kept up their intensity after the break, quickly extending the lead to 3-0 when Luis Paradela tucked a penalty into the bottom left corner of the net in the 47th minute. Cuba’s onslaught of the Barbados goal never really let up, but the goals stopped coming. Primus had a fantastic game in net for Barbados; while he was unable to stop the goals that went in, he did prevent several more from finding the back of the net. This is Cuba’s first ever win in Nations League play, having dropped their opener to Guadeloupe and gone winless last time around in an incredibly tough group with the United States and Canada. Cuba will next face Antigua and Barbuda, while Barbados will meet Guadeloupe.