MIAMI, Florida, CMC – Haiti and St Maarten confirmed their promotion status with wins against fellow Caribbean Football Union sides, Bermuda and the United States Virgin Islands, respectively, in the Concacaf Nations League on Tuesday.
But Bonaire narrowly missed out when they were beaten by the Turks & Caicos Islands, and Guyana played to a goalless draw with Montserrat when the group stage drew to a close.
A brace from Frantzdy Pierrot enabled Haiti to bid farewell to League B with a 3-1 win over Bermuda at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.
The result meant that Les Grenadiers secured first place in Group B and promotion to League A, but that did not stop the Concacaf Gold Cup-bound team from continuing their strong scoring form.
Pierrot got them into the swing of things in the 25th minute after a drive down the right flank from Carnejy Antoine led to service inside the box for the prolific Haitian frontman to finish neatly.
Jeppe Simonsen doubled the lead for Haiti one minute later with his second international goal on a pass from Bryan Alceus.
Antoine extended Haiti’s lead to three in the first-half stoppage time with a masterful hit from outside the box. It was the 11th international tally for Antoine and the first of the year.
Jai Bean earned a consolation item for the Bermudians with a lob over Haitian goalkeeper Josue Duverger from inside the box in the 75th minute.
Jeroen Cox scored a late winner to enable St Maarteen to beat the USVI 2-1 on the road at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex in St Croix to finish top of Group A in League C and earn a promotion to League B and a spot in the preliminary competition for this year’s Concacaf Gold Cup.
The first half was a fairly even affair, and each side managed a handful of fair chances, but neither was able to break through, and the match remained scoreless at halftime, but the game came alive in the second half and was tied 1-1 with 15 minutes remaining.
With his very first touch, Cox slipped the ball past USVI goalkeeper Lionel Brown to catapult the Dutch side back into the lead, and they held on to finish the group in first.
League C top scorer Gerwin Lake gave St Maarten the lead with his eighth goal of the tournament in the 58th minute when he blasted the ball into the net from 25 yards out before USVI captain Karson Kendall struck back for the hosts when he knocked in a corner in the 76th minute.
St Maarten topped the group with 11 points, and the USVI finished fourth with four.
Guyana and Montserrat failed to break the deadlock in their League B, Group C contest at the Wildey Turf in Barbados.
Guyana was locked into second place heading into the match, and they were searching for a fourth win to put together their best CNL campaign. Montserrat was searching for their second tournament victory to finish third in the group.
But goalkeepers Kai McKenzie-Lyle and Corrin Brooks capped off their campaigns with clean sheets, and both teams will return to League B in the next CNL.
Guillermo Montero enabled hosts Bonaire to make an early statement when he launched a rocket of a free kick from well outside the penalty area past TCI goalkeeper Sebastian Turbyfield and into the back of the net, sending the home crowd at the Stadion Antonio Trenidat in Rincon into a joyous frenzy.
But TCI was not intimidated, and Billy Forbes ran down the right wing and weaved between three defenders before firing a low shot that crept inside the near post to tie the match in the 18th minute.,
Forbes then gave the visitors the lead in the 40th minute via a long free kick of his own, curling the ball into the top right corner.
When the TCI playmaker stepped up to take a 54th-minute penalty, it felt like the match had gotten away from Bonaire, but the home team goalkeeper Rishison Frans made an excellent diving save and, in the process, swung the momentum back towards the hosts.
A second yellow card for Christopher Louisy reduced TCI to 10 men, but the late efforts from Bonaire to find the equalizer were all fruitless.
Bonaire finished second in League C, Group A, with an impressive 10 points, and TCI ended third with nine points.
At the close of the CNL group stage, which involved all 41 Concacaf member associations divided into three leagues, the four League A group winners – Mexico (Group A), Panama (Group B), Canada (Group C), and the United States (Group D), secured their places in the semi-finals on Thursday, June 15 this year at the Allegiant Stadium in the American city of Las Vegas.
League B group winners – Cuba (Group A), Haiti (Group B), Nicaragua (Group C), and Guatemala (Group D); and League C group winners – St Maarten (Group A), St Kitts & Nevis (Group B), St Lucia (Group C), and Puerto Rico (Group D), ensured their promotion to Leagues A and B, respectively, for the third edition of the competition.
The Group Stage also served to qualify teams for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, kicking off on June 16 this year.
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