November 4 to 10, 2019 (Copa America 2020 Qualifiers) Global Futbol MatchesA Chapter by Steve Clark The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2019. November 4 to 10, 2019 (Copa America Qualifiers)Venezuela and Mexico faced off on Tuesday in the battle for top spot, although Venezuela still had an extra game on Sunday. Three goals came the way of the hosts by the 34th minute, via Darwin Machís, Yangel Herrera and Salomon Rondón. Machís found himself cutting into the box from left midfield after some choice passing dumbfounded the Mexican defence. Herrera scored off his head, while Rondón volleyed with his right boot even though the assist came from the right wing. Thinking the match was over, Venezuela started playing more defensively. Instead, Mexico stepped up and worked back into the game. Carlos Rodríguez caught onto a free kick with his head before the break. Straight after, Jose Macías found the back of the net from the tightest of angles. Rodríguez then scored his second, levelling the match. Mexico were not done, and pronounced the greatest of comebacks and scored again, this time via Carlos Antuna. As the match deepened, it seemed Mexico would have the match, and guaranteed first place in Group A, only for substitute Arquimedes Figueroa to fire with his left foot in additional time and equalise. The match ended 4-4.
The Bahamans desired a solid result against Cuba after having lost 5-0 to them earlier in the campaign. The Bahamas hit the woodwork early, but it was Cuba who scored first via Arichel Hernández. Cuba had much of the possession of the first half and kept up the pressure, only to fail to score another goal. Instead, Quinton Carey headed home an equaliser in the 53rd minute to give the hosts a boost, and from there, they held on for a vital draw.
On Sunday, Puerto Rico looked to defeat or at least draw against Cuba to remain off the bottom of Group A. However, the visitors attacked for the first half without relent, missing three key shots early before scoring via Maykel Reyes and Arichel Hernández. Cuba then squandered a lead for the second time in five days as Puerto Rico found the back of the net through Darren Rios and Giovanni Padron. Late chances fell to Puerto Rico, but the hosts struggled to get on target, and the match ended a draw.
Venezuela then took on the Bahamas to claim first place in the group. The Bahaman defence held firm as Venezuela threw everything early into attack. Then, turning the tide of the match, Salomon Rondón was sent off for a wild challenge, halting the Venezuelan momentum. In the second half, the Bahamans did enough to keep Venezuela away from the 18-yard box, before scoring on a counter via Marcel Joseph. From there, the Bahamas celebrated their first win, only to hear that Puerto Rico had drawn their match, keeping the Bahamans on the bottom of Group A. Nevertheless, it gave Venezuela a shock to their campaign and they had to wait to hear the results from other groups to guarantee their spot in the Copa America.
In the final Match Day for Group D, Guyana hosted Chile, knowing they had third place secured. Chile, meanwhile, needed a solid victory to keep their top spot in the group. Alexis Sánchez scored twice in the first half to set up the win for the Chileans, after Eric Pulgar opened the scoring with an easy tap-in before Guyana defender Matthew Briggs equalised. Chile were able to gain respect after having lost at home to Guyana previously, and gave the US a challenge in overcoming them on the ladder.
The Americans threw everything at the Cayman Islanders, only to come up short with a scoreless draw, faltering at the final hurdle. The Cayman Islanders celebrated their fourth draw for the campaign, a little achievement considering their hefty opponents. The Americans sat and waited until Sunday to determine their place in the Copa America.
Grenada hosted Uruguay in a do-or-die final Match Day for Group F. The home side shocked the visitors with a goal from Tyrone Sterling’s head in the fifth minute. However, Edison Cavani restored confidence with a header. Grenada had chances late in the first half to regain the lead, only to hit the post. Luis Suárez then gained the lead straight after the break, and from there, Uruguay took complete control. Giorgian De Arrascaeta made it three goals after his shot was the fourth in the same passage of play, before Cavani pocketed a penalty to run out 4-1 winners and a spot in the sixteen teams at the Copa America. Grenada, meanwhile, saw their hopes dashed.
Jamaica put their best foot forward, bringing Javon East into the starting eleven from their loss against Montserrat. Bobby Reid took the reins up forward in a bold move that paid off as he was the last to touch the ball before it trickled into the goal for Jamaica’s winner. Both sides had chances to score throughout the remainder of the match, only Jamaica held on for a vital victory and second place in the group. The team awaited results on Sunday to determine if they qualified for the Copa America, or if they will grace the CONCACAF Gold Cup next year.
With Guatemala qualified, the race for second place between Ecuador and Suriname ramped up in Group B. Canada, though on paper were able to make it to second, were an outside chance.
Ecuador started with an early goal from Ángel Mena against Guatemala to set up their win, and the visitors’ first loss of the Qualifiers. Carlos Gruezo’s run in the second half cut through the defence and he led on to a long through pass, easing the ball home for Ecuador’s second. From there, Ecuador kept their lead and gained a vital victory on the road to the Copa America.
Will Johnson came from right midfield to pocket Canada’s only goal against the US Virgin Islands in their final match. The Canadians should have had more goals in the first half, but their lack of precise passing in the final third, worsened in the second half, ensured that was the only goal registered for the match.
With that win, Canada placed before Suriname the need to defeat Guatemala at home to finish third on the Sunday. It seemed like the game would peter out to a draw after both sides had shots cleared on the line by defenders. Suriname then targeted Carlos Gallardo, who was carrying an injury since the first half. Foolishly, his coach kept him on, and though he held his own for long periods, substitute Nigel Hasselbaink took full advantage of his extra pace and outran the defender, scoring a crucial goal. From there, Suriname held on, and claimed third place as their own.
The US Virgin Islands had a chance at the beginning and end of the match against Ecuador to score, only to miss both. Instead, with five minutes left in the first half, Enner Valencia opened the scoring. Substitute Luis Chicaiza then made it two goals as Ecuador placed themselves in a solid position to progress to the Copa America, pending other results. The USA and Venezuela were ensured qualification.
Second place was still on the cards for all Group C teams. El Salvador needed a win in their final match; however, qualification with eleven points seemed unlikely. Straight after halftime, after a series of misses, Jaime Alas scored for El Salvador against Belize, giving them the upper hand. From there, they were able to deny Belize any real chances, and finished their campaign on a winning note.
Aruba looked better up front against their hosts Nicaragua as the first half was all about feeling for weaknesses. Then, right before the break, Carlos Chavarría got onto a Byron Bonilla cross and fired into the left-hand corner. After the break, Bonilla had a goal of his own, setting up a solid win and a small chance of gaining second place on Sunday’s game against Peru.
First, Aruba played for fourth place against Belize, with a win guaranteeing that position. Belize had other ideas and scored in the eleventh minute off the head of Amilton Santana. Aruba tried their hardest to level the scores, only to leave their campaign with a final loss.
With four points from three away games to finish their Qualifiers, Belize turned their attention to the Peru and Nicaragua game, for they sensed third place was on the cards. However, Nicaragua made it tough for Peru in their final third, and the hosts could not find a way to goal. Finally, Andy Polo, having scored in the previous match, leapt onto a through ball in the 37th minute and helped his side take the lead. From there, Peru had the advantage, with Polo scoring again to ease the pressure. The South Americans ended their campaign with the two-nil win and a clear goal to go deep in the Copa America.
Meanwhile, Nicaragua will rue their three home draws earlier in their quest for qualification. They now face Costa Rica in the World Cup Qualifiers. El Salvador host the might of Mexico, whilst Belize and Aruba will have to wait for the Nations League next year for their next competitive matches.
Bermuda, with a slim chance of topping Group E, faced off against Paraguay on their home ground. Bermuda hit the post in their quest for the opening goal; however, Paraguay took the lead late in the first half via defender Gustavo Gómez. Straight after the break, Zeiko Lewis chipped the Paraguayan goalkeeper, and then followed up by pressuring the clearance, and tapped in for a fortunate goal. Paraguay, however, restored confidence and qualified for the Copa America when Rodrigo Rojas sealed a late winner.
Trinidad needed a win to have any chance of qualifying against St Kitt and Nevis. In spite of hitting the woodwork once in each half, St Kitts and Nevis held on for the draw as neither side could find the back of the net. Trinidad’s second draw in a row left them potentially in third or fourth place and out of contention for the Copa America.
In the final match, Bermuda and St Lucia fought for second place, with Bermuda’s potential twelve points a slim chance of being the seventh-best runner-up and thus a place in Copa America. Nakhi Wells scored for Bermuda in the third minute, chipping the St Lucian goalkeeper. At the other end, the difference between an equaliser and still being behind was the right-hand post, denying St Lucia a chance to get back in the game. From there, the hosts attacked, but could not find another way to goal. Nevertheless, the single goal was enough for the three points, before a nervous wait for results in other groups to determine a spot for the Copa America.
Trinidad and Tobago next face the Americans at home, while St Kitts and Nevis fly to Cuba to start the next stage for Qatar qualification. St Lucia must wait until the Nations League before their next match, against Aruba.
St Vincent and the Grenadines needed to win against Brazil in Group G and hope results went their way to have any hope of Copa America qualification. However, the Brazilians had other things in mind as they scored twice in the first half via Gabriel Jesus and Casemiro. Both walked through the St Vincent defence to score their goals, but after this, the home side kept the Brazilians at bay, leaving the ground only having conceded the two goals.
Curaçao then recorded their second win for the Qualifiers with a 3-1 scoreline against Costa Rica. Juninho Bacuna scored from long range, before Brandley Kuwas pocketed the rebound off the Costa Rican goalkeeper into the back of the net. After the break, sensing they were fighting for their place in the Copa America, Costa Rica responded via Johan Venegas. However, Curaçao maintained a two-goal lead when Jeremy de Nooijer worked around the Costa Rican defence and fired home his side’s third.
This left the final match of the group as determining second place. Both sides, Dominica and Costa Rica, needed a win, as a draw would not be enough, possibly, to progress to next year’s tournament. Both sides had chances to score, only to miss wide of the mark. It took a poor defensive decision by Dominica to gift Costa Rica a penalty, and although the Dominican goalkeeper got some purchase on the Johan Venegas spot kick, the ball still ruffled the net, and sent Costa Rica into the Copa America, based on results in other groups earlier on Sunday.
Colombia hosted Panama in Group H, knowing any points will guarantee first place. Panama needed a draw to almost guarantee second place and give themselves the best chance of qualifying for the Copa America. Juan Cuadrado’s 64th-minute goal was the difference between the two sides as Colombia dominated the match but failed to net any winners, until the midfielder brought the crowd into the match with his header off a corner.
Haiti gave themselves every chance to qualify with a two-nil win over bottom side Turks and Caicos Islands. Duckens Nazon opened the scoring with his head, but the Haitians struggled to find another way to goal. The Turks’ goalkeeper kept his side in the match, before Frantzdy Pierrot doubled the lead and effectively ended the match on their terms. However, the Haitian coach felt more goals was needed to bridge the gap between them and Panama.
On Sunday, Haiti travelled to the Dominican Republic in the hopes of winning. The hosts, however, were fighting for third place, and they made the most of their attacking prowess. Just before the hour mark, Ronaldo Vásquez caught onto a parry and slotted into the open goal. Haiti tried their hardest to equalise, but it was the Dominican Republic who came out on top.
That meant Panama were playing to qualify for the Copa America against the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, the visitors had other ideas as Jepthe Francois scored early. Panama immediately replied via Edgar Yoel Bárcenas. It seemed the general order had been restored. That would not be the case, as Billy Forbes scored for the visitors, and for the next 70 minutes, held onto their lead to gain their first win for the Qualifiers. This loss for Panama all but extinguished their hopes of qualifying, but also gave Bermuda in Group E the lifeline they needed to qualify.
Panama must bounce back from this tragedy as they host Puerto Rico in the World Cup Qualifiers, and Haiti travel to Bermuda to start their campaign. As for the Dominican Republic, they play at home against the Bahamans, while the Turks and Caicos Islanders face Antigua and Barbuda next year in the Americas Nations League.
In Group I, Honduras faced off against Bolivia, with both sides having clear objectives. A win for Honduras would keep them in the hunt for first place and automatic qualification, while Bolivia wanted to secure third place and finish an otherwise disappointing campaign on a positive note. Honduras, though, set the benchmark for the match when Bryan Acosta caught hold of a parry from Brian Velásquez’s original shot. Velásquez then set up Alberto Elis for Honduras’ second goal, before scoring one for himself straight after the break. Bolivia edged back a goal via Fernando Saucedo, only for Honduras to work down the left wing, with substitute Bryan Róchez cutting back and scoring. Left back Emilio Izaguirre joined in the goal fest and scored late, leaving Honduras 5-1 winners.
Argentina flew to the British Virgin Islands, hoping to gain an away victory, considering they had scored nine against the Caribbean side in their previous encounter. Argentina’s front three all scored, with Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala and Sergio Agüero showing why they are a formidable trio. The British Virgin Islands created a few crosses throughout the match, only for the away side’s defence to hold firm. When Bailey Rowe gained two yellow cards in two passages of play, the game was effectively over. Argentina increased the lead through Giovani Lo Celso to run out 4-0 winners.
The British Virgin Islanders were not perturbed at losing by that margin, as their defence held Antigua and Barbuda to a scoreless draw in their final match. Though the hosts dominated, the Antiguans did not have a shot in the first half, and the second half was much the same, though one header did smack the crossbar. Still, Antigua and Barbuda gained the point needed to take third place.
In the battle for top spot, Honduras went up a goal in the tenth minute thanks to Alexander López. In spite of multiple attempts, Argentina could not find a way to equalise until Lionel Messi caught onto a free kick from the left wing. From there, Argentina had control of the game, culminating in the winning goal from Giovani Lo Celso, who scored his second goal in as many games. Argentina won their seventh match of the Qualifiers, while Honduras ended up the second-best second-placed side and qualified for the Copa America as well.
Bolivia, finishing a dismal fourth, now face Venezuela in their opening World Cup Qualifier. Argentina take on Ecuador at home, while Honduras hosts Barbados. The British Virgin Islands must wait until their home match against Bonaire in the Nations League, while Antigua and Barbuda play away to the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Qualified: Guatemala Mexico Brazil Chile Uruguay Peru Paraguay Colombia Argentina
Second placed sides: USA 17 points +12 Honduras 17 points +11 Venezuela 17 points +7 Ecuador 16 points +9 Jamaica 16 points 0 Costa Rica 13 points +3 Bermuda 12 points +2
Unsuccessful second-placed sides: Panama 11 points +3 El Salvador 11 points -4
© 2020 Steve Clark |
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Added on September 4, 2020 Last Updated on September 4, 2020 Author
Steve ClarkAdelaide, South Australia, AustraliaAboutA free spirited educator who dabbles in the art of writing novels and articles. more..Writing
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