CARSON, California – The final game of the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup Prelims saw El Salvador ride a Brenda Ceren hat-trick to defeat Guatemala 3-1 on Saturday evening at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, getting the last ticket to the group stage.
El Salvador started strong and in the 19’, after a great collective play, Ceren launched a banger from the right side that found the left back of the net, beating Guatemala GK Alexia Estrada for a 1-0 lead.
After a VAR revision in the 36’, the referee changed an initial yellow card call on Guatemala MF Savianna Gomez to a red card after a fouling El Salvador DF Juana Plata in the middle of the field, leaving Guatemala with 10 players.
El Salvador then doubled their lead to 2-0 when DF Elaily Hernandez played into Ceren, who controlled the ball just outside the área and scored her brace just before the half time whistle.
¡El segundo de Brenda Cerén duplica la ventaja para El Salvador! 🇸🇻⚽ pic.twitter.com/Q4HpdprwTb
— W Gold Cup (@GoldCup) February 18, 2024
El Salvador kept their foot on the gas in the second half and were awarded a penalty in the 69’, after Guatemala DF Giselle Samayoa committed a foul on Ceren in the area. Ceren was ready to add to her tally for the night, getting the first hat-trick of the tournament for a 3-0 lead.
Guatemala pulled one back in the 77’ and did so in style, as FW Ana Lucia Martinez dribbled past two defenders and blasted a shot into the back of the net to cut the deficit to 3-1.
El Salvador had one final chance to add a fourth in the 90’+3 after Samayoa committed a handball in the area. Ceren tried to get her fourth goal of the night from the penalty spot but sent the ball over the crossbar.
In the end, it was El Salvador getting their name in the last spot of Group C, along with Canada, Costa Rica and Paraguay. El Salvador will play their first game of the group stage against Canada on Thursday at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston.
