Action from the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship game between El Salvador (white jersey) and Haiti on January 12, 2015, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. (Photo: Mexsport)
MONTEGO BAY – A late penalty kick by Jonel Desire lifted Haiti (0-1-1, 1 point) to a 1-1 draw with El Salvador (0-2-0, 2 points) in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship on Monday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
The match concluded a Group B tripleheader, which saw Mexico (2-0-0, 6 points) end the day in first place thanks to its 2-0 win over Canada (1-0-1, 3 points). In the other match, Honduras (1-1-0, 4 points) topped Cuba (0-0-2, 0 points).
Jose Villavicencio -- scorer of a dramatic 90th minute equalizer from the penalty spot in a 2-2 draw with Honduras on Saturday -- put El Salvador in front, 1-0, in the 27th minute. Alvaro Guardado turned along the touchline and played the ball to Bryan Tamacas, who in turn sent a low cross across the face of goal to Villavicencio. The CD FAS midfielder simply tapped the ball in from inside the six-yard box.
Haiti leveled through Desire’s 88th minute penalty kick after referee Sandy Vasquez ruled Roberto Dominguez had pulled down Zachary Herivaux in the box. The forward stepped to the spot and placed the kick off the underside of the crossbar and over the line. It was his second goal of the tournament.
In the seventh minute, El Salvador was fortunate not to trail in the opening moments as goalkeeper Carlos Cañas misplayed a teammate’s headed ball. The 19-year-old, though, recovered in time to swat it away before it crossed the goal line.
Haiti nearly leveled in the 37th minute, but Peterson Joseph put his attempt off the post.
Villavicencio nearly made it a brace in the 58th minute, bursting into the 18-yard box only to put his 16-yard shot off the outside netting.
El Salvador next meets Canada, while Haiti will face Cuba. Both matches are Thursday, also at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
