Action from Central American U-20 qualifying match between Honduras (white jersey) and Nicaragua on July 12, 2016, in Panama City, Panama.
PANAMA CITY, Panama – Honduras (2W-1D-0L, 7 points) claimed a spot in the 2017 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship thanks to a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua (0-0-2, 0) in a Central American qualifier on Tuesday at the Estadio Maracana.
The result ensured that the Catrachos will finish no worse than third in the five-team competition, leaving available the region’s other two places. Nicaragua currently sits in last place, but could still advance with wins in its last two games.
CONCACAF.com takes a look at the action:
Late double lifts Honduras … Honduras broke a scoreless stalemate in the 74th minute, when Sendel Cruz beat goalkeeper Denvorn Fox from 12-yards out off a feed from first-half substitute Rembrandt Flores. Jorge Alvarez – another substitute – made it 2-0 in the 87th minute, knocking in a rebound with his right foot after Flores’ initial effort was thwarted.
Guatemala, El Salvador battle to draw … El Salvador scored the first and last goals in a 2-2 draw with Guatemala. In a physical battle that yielded 12 cards – 10 yellow and two red – Marvin Marquez converted a penalty kick in the 23rd minute to give the Salvadorans a 1-0 lead. Guatemala rallied to go ahead 2-1 on a header by Pedro Altan in the 30th minute and Jose Carlos Martinez’s converted penalty kick 11 minutes into the second half. After Brayan Paz equalized for El Salvador in the 79th minute, Guatemala’s Jose Dennilson Rac (87’) and Marquez (89’) were dismissed.
--------------------------------------------------------------
2016 UNCAF UNDER-20 QUALIFYING
Estadio Maracana – El Chorrillo, Panama City, Panama
July 8–16, 2016
July 8, 2016
Guatemala 2, Honduras 2
Brolin Valdizon 6’; Esteban Garcia 42’ / Foslyn Grant 45’+1; Sendel Cruz 46’
Panama 6, Nicaragua 0
Cesar Blackman 36’; Leandro Avila 48’, 53’, 56’; Isidoro Hinestroza 67’, 89’
July 10, 2016
Honduras 2, El Salvador 1
Cristian Avila 10’; Jose Alejandro Reyes 68’ / Jose Enrique Contreras 25’
Panama 0, Guatemala 1
Durban Reyes 68’ pen
July 12, 2016
Nicaragua 0, Honduras 2
Sendel Cruz 74’; Jorge Alvarez 87’
Guatemala 2, El Salvador 2
Pedro Altan 30’; Jose Carlos Martinez 56’ pen / Marvin Marquez 23’ pen; Brayan Paz 79’
TABLE
Honduras 3-2-1-0-6-3-7
Guatemala 3-1-2-0-5-4-5
Panama 2-1-0-1-6-1-3
El Salvador 2-0-1-1-3-4-1
Nicaragua 2-0-0-2-0-8-0
------------------------
July 14, 2016: El Salvador v Nicaragua; Panama v Honduras
July 16, 2016: Nicaragua v Guatemala; Panama v El Salvador
