Guadeloupe beat Cuba for third place
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| Published on Monday, December 15, 2008 |
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KINGSTON, Jamaica: Guadeloupe graduated to the Gold Cup with renewed belief following their penalty shootout victory against pretournament favorites Cuba in the third place playoff of the Digicel Caribbean Championships.
Third place playoff matches are often anti-climatic with both vanquished teams finding it difficult to motivate themselves for the match when they know they came close to winning it all. Unfortunately the fixture between Guadeloupe and Cuba, pitting two of the most attack minded teams in the tournament, failed to live up to expectations or even the standards that were set when Cuba came out the victors 2-1, in their Group B clash.
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| Cuba gets tackled from behind |
The match started brightly enough with Cuba finding the back of the net as early as minute eight, when Roberto Linares thought he had repeated his goal scoring feat against Guadeloupe from their first encounter, only to have this one ruled offside.
The Gwada Boys would have their first strike at goal in minute 14 through Gregory Gendry. While Cuba’s first legal shot on target came in minute 28 through Urgelles. On what would be the hottest day of the DCC Finals so far, both teams looked lethargic and unwilling to take a risk to go for the outright win, the majority of both teams possession was concentrated in midfield which meant halftime was met with the same score-line we kicked-off with.
The second half did not stray too far from the first, with clear cut chances few and far between; the introduction of regular starter Mickael Antoine-Curier sparked some life into Guadeloupian’s and caused some concern at the back for Yenier Marquez and company. Just 10 minutes after making his entrance Curier looked like he had plundered a precious poach, but only to those in the grandstand, who were unable to see the ball ripple the outside side-netting after the burly forwards first time strike from the right.
The teams hardly looked like they wished to be separated on the pitch, and with the late swapping of the Cuban goalkeepers Chevans for Hoez, it appeared as if Guadeloupe and Cuba would both be facing the Guillotine of the penalty shootouts.
Cuba, who would already have a bitter memory of their last shootout in the Semi-Finals against Grenada, would be put under the spotlight from the spot once more and once more they seemed to have it under control as they slotted home their first four-only to be matched by Guadeloupe. Ironically, and tragically Jaine Colome who had given the Lions so much during the tournament, will now be remembered for his second penalty kick miss in as many attempts, but while his first miss in the Semi-Finals was not tournament ending, this time it was, as captain Jean Luc Lambourde laced one low to take the score to 5-4 and grant Guadeloupe the title of third runners-up in what has been a rollercoaster ride in the Digicel Caribbean Championships.
Guadeloupe (Team list): 1. Franck Grandel, 3. Willy Laurence, 4. Fabien Jerome (6. Alain Vertot min-76), 5. Xavier Bematol (17. Lery Hanany min-47), 7. Livio Nabab, 12. Cedric Avinel, 13. Jean Luc Lambourde, 14. Gregory Gendrey, 15. Cedric Vanoukia, 18. Ludovic Quistin, 19. Wilfred Loiseau (11.Mickael Antoine-Curier min-55)
Subs: 2. Lina Meddy, 16. Fabrice Mercury,
Cuba (Team List): 2. Silvio Minoso, 3. Yenier Marquez, 5. Jorge Clavelo, 6. Joel Colome, 8. Alianni Urgelles (7. Lazaro Alfonso min-66), 9. Alain Cervantes, 10. Roberto Linares, 12. Odelin Molina Hoez (1. Danny Quinteros Chevans min-88), 14. Jaine Colome, 15. Leonel Duarte (13. Ariel Martinez min-45), 16. Reysandry Fernandez
Subs: 4. Hanier Dranquet, , 11. Jensse Munos, 17. Luis Vallegas, 18. Mario Ruiz Leonard
Referee: Trevor Taylor (BRB) | | | | Reads : 1920 | | | |
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