MIAMI, Florida – Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti took big steps toward qualifying for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup with victories in week three of 2019/20 Concacaf Nations League Qualifying on Saturday.
In a battle of unbeaten teams, Cuba (3W-0D-0L, 9 points) slipped past the Dominican Republic (2W-0D-1L, 6 points) 1-0 at the Estadio Pedro Marrera in Havana.
Yordan Santa Ctuz pounced on a loose ball in the area in the 83’ and fired in to earn the three points for the Cubans.
Jamaica (3W-0D-0L, 9 points) and Suriname (1W-1D-1L, 4 points) also produced a nail-biter, with the Reggae Boyz emerging victorious 2-1 at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Montego Bay.
A Cory Burke header (7’) and a Darren Mattocks penalty conversion (16’) outweighed Donnegy Fer’s sweep into net (36’) to give the win to the 2015 and 2017 Gold Cup finalists.
Undefeated Haiti (3W-0D-0L, 9 points) managed to overcome an early red card and handed Nicaragua (2W-0d=D-1L, 6 points) its first defeat in a 2-0 final at the Estadio Nacional de Futbol in Managua.
Miki Cantave took advantage of a Nicaragua error to make it 1-0 in the 12’, which was followed three minutes later by Wilde-Donald Guerrier’s sending off for the visitors.
Haiti hung tough though and even extended its lead through Derrick Etienne Jr. in the 31’ before seeing those out in the second half for the three points.
Rounding out the action was a 0-0 draw between Cayman Islands and Saint Lucia at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town.
The stars of the night were the goalkeepers, with each making big saves, including a spectacular stop from point-blank range by Cayman Islands GK Ramon Sealy.
