St Kitts, Guyana, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic Secure First WCQ Victories
In a thrilling conclusion to the second round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying, St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic each celebrated their maiden victories in the campaign on Tuesday.
Five standout players scored twice for their respective teams: Guyana’s Deon Moore, Dominican Republic’s Rafael Mata and Dorny Romero, and Puerto Rico’s Jeremy de Leon and Wilfredo Rivera.
St Lucia vs Aruba
St Lucia and Aruba were the only teams that ended without a clear winner, drawing 2-2 in their Group C match at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Aruba started strong with Walter Bennett’s header in the 22nd minute and Isai Marselia’s penalty in the 43rd. St Lucia’s Ridel Stanislas reduced the deficit with a goal in first-half stoppage time. Peter Pearson then equalized in the 66th minute, earning both teams their first point of the campaign. St Lucia and Aruba now sit in third and fourth positions, respectively, behind Curaçao and Haiti, who both have six points.
St Kitts and Nevis vs Bahamas
St Kitts and Nevis edged the Bahamas 1-0 in Group B at Warner Park in Basseterre. The crucial goal came in the 12th minute from Ethan Bristow, who capitalized on a rebound. This victory moved St Kitts and Nevis up to third place in their group, trailing Costa Rica (six points) and Trinidad and Tobago (four points).
Guyana vs Belize
Guyana defeated Belize 3-1 in Group D action at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados. The second half saw Deon Moore score twice, with his first goal coming in the 66th minute, assisted by Omari Glasgow. Liam Gordon added a second goal a minute later, and Moore secured his brace in the 71st minute. Belize’s Carlos Bernardez scored a consolation goal in the 88th minute. The victory elevated Guyana to third place in their group, behind Nicaragua and Panama, both on six points.
Dominican Republic vs British Virgin Islands
The Dominican Republic rebounded from their previous defeat to Jamaica by overwhelming the British Virgin Islands 4-0 in Group E at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal. Rafael Mata scored twice, with goals in the 2nd and 31st minutes. Dorny Romero also netted twice, converting a penalty in the 14
th minute and scoring again in stoppage time. Despite this comprehensive win, the Dominican Republic remains in third place in their group, trailing Guatemala and Jamaica, who each have six points.
Puerto Rico vs Anguilla
Puerto Rico delivered the most dominant performance of the day, thrashing Anguilla 8-0 in a lopsided Group F encounter at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon. Jeremy de Leon opened the scoring with a 21st-minute penalty, followed by Roberto Ydrach’s long-range effort in the 31st minute. Anguilla missed a chance to score from the penalty spot in the 36th minute, with Joel Serrano making a crucial save for Puerto Rico.
The floodgates opened in the second half, with Wilfredo Rivera scoring in the 48th and de Leon adding his second in the 51st minute. Leandro Antonetti scored in the 58th minute, followed by Rivera’s second goal in the 65th. Darren Rios added a header in the 71st minute, and Nicolas Cardona capped off the rout in the 90th minute. This victory propelled Puerto Rico to second place in their group, with four points, behind leaders Suriname on six points.
These results mark significant milestones for St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, as they each secured their first wins in this World Cup Qualifying campaign, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the tournament.
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