MIAMI, Florida – The teams from Group G and Group H of the 2023 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship in Guatemala wrapped up their group stage campaigns on Thursday, with teams like Cuba and El Salvador earning wins to secure their spot in the knockout round.
GROUP G
Cuba 4 Guadeloupe 0
The day in Group G at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City started with a scintillating affair between Cuba and Guadeloupe. Needing a sizable win to advance to the next round, Cuba got the job done in a 4-0 final over Les Gwada Boys.
Goals from Yansiel Reinoso (22’) and Lizardo Hernandez (32’) put the Cubans in a place in which they only needed another goal to advance. They made sure there was no doubt, as Didier Reinoso (68’) and Hanoy Sosa (75’) scored to nail down a commanding victory and a third-place finish in the group.
Costa Rica 2 Jamaica 2
The second game of the day in Guatemala City was an exciting contest between Jamaica and Costa Rica in which the Reggae Boyz took a two-goal lead into the final half-hour, only for the Ticos to find a pair of late goals to earn a 2-2 draw.
Alexavier Gooden’s goal in the 17’ and Adrian Reid’s score in the 62’ handed the Caribbean side a 2-0 advantage they held until the late stages, but Costa Rica got goals from Roy Bustos (79’) and Sean Albriton (87’) to collect a share of the spoils.
Costa Rica also claimed first place in the group with the result, while Jamaica finished in second to punch their knockout round ticket.
GROUP H
El Salvador 4 Suriname 0
Group H finished up at the Estadio Pensativo in Antigua, beginning with El Salvador’s 4-0 triumph over Suriname, which sealed the Cuscatlecos’ knockout round berth.
Goals in the 24’ and 28’ from Bryan Vasquez and Christopher Argueta, respectively, gave El Salvador a 2-0 halftime lead. They would then double the margin in the second with goals through Cristopher Arias in the 60’ and Nelson Diaz in the 82’ for a second-place finish in the group.
Honduras 1 Haiti 0
The nightcap at the Estadio Pensativo between Honduras and Haiti ended with a 1-0 win for the Catrachos thanks to a goal from Russel Cruz in the 45+2’.
With the result, Honduras top the group with a perfect nine points from three games, while Haiti finished in third-place and a place in the next round.
