Courtesy: CONCACAF.com


Before reading the article... Know more about the CONCACAF Tournament in Heredia!

Cuba, USA qualify to 2004 FIFA Futsal World Championships

30/7/04 - Cuba and USA qualified to the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Championships, taking place from 21 November – 5 December in Chinese Taipei, after posting semifinal victories at the CONCACAF Tournament over Mexico and the host Costa Rica, respectively, in Heredia on Friday evening.
Cuba earned a hard-fought 5:4 win over Mexico in the first CONCACAF semifinal, while in the second encounter of the evening the USA stunned Costa Rica 4:0 in front of a crowd of 2,741 at the Palacio de los Deportes.

The cubanos jumped out to a 4:2 halftime lead with two goals by forward Yosniel Mesa Diaz and one each from defender Adalberto Guerra and midfielder Eduardo Morales, while midfielder Jesus Contreras and defender Victor Huerta got the tricolores on the board in the first half. In the second half, goals by Mexican defenders Guillermo Castañeda and Carlos Ramirez level the score at 1:1, but Diaz notched the game-winner for Cuba with a minute remaining via a penalty kick in the 5:4 final.

This will be the cubanos third consecutive trip to the FIFA World Championships and become only the second CONCACAF nation to do achieve that feat (other USA).

In the second semifinal, the USA opened the scoring over Costa Rica in the ninth minute of the first half with a penalty kick goal from forward Andy Gustaferro for a 1:0.

The USA increased lead in the 26th minute of the second half with a goal by forward Greg Howes off a counter attack for a 2:0 score.

The ticos looked to get on the board in 33rd minute as they removed their goalkeeper Justin Wallace and added Carlos Chaves as the fifth-attacker, but in backfired five minutes later, as Howes scored an empty netter from long-rang to give the stars & stripes a 3:0 edge.

Midfielder Joel Shanker closed out the scoring in the 40th minute-mark in the 4:0 win and the USA’s fourth overall berth to the FIFA Futsal World Championship and first since 1996.

The victory ends Costa Rica’s eight-game winning streak in CONCACAF Futsal Tournament play, with its last defeat coming on 1 September 1996, a 4:1 loss to the USA in Ciudad de Guatemala.

The 2004 CONCACAF Futsal Championship concludes on Saturday, 31 July at Heredia’s Palacio de los Deportes with Costa Rica facing Mexico for the third-place honours at 18:00, while the Cuba meets the USA for the region’s first-place crown at 20:00.


2004 CONCACAF FUTSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Semifinals

30/07/2004:

Heredia, COSTA RICA

Hall: Palacio de los Deportes

Attendance: 2741

Cuba – Mexico 5-4 (4-2)

CUBA:
Starting five: 1 Wilredo Carbo, 4 Jose Jacinto Serrano, 5 Eduardo Morales, 10 Juan Carlos Portal (Cap.), 11 Boris Saname
Substitutions: 12 Pedro Francis Lopez, 6 Adalberto Guerra, 8 Yosniel Mesa Diaz, 9 Fernando Chapman
Coach: Clemente Reinoso

MEXICO:
Starting five: 1 Abel Trepmann, 3 Jesus Contreras, 5 Mario Alberto Vertti (Cap.), 7 Victor Huerta, 8 Arturo Lopez
Substitutions: 12 Amado Pablo Torres, 2 Guillermo Castaneda, 4 Carlos Ramirez, 6 Alberto Montiel, 9 Hector Guzman, 10 Francisco Ramirez, 11 Miguel Angel Olvera
Coach: Josúe Rodriguez Angeles

Scorers:

2’ Eduardo Morales (1-0)
2’ Adalberto Guerra (2-0)
3’ Victor Huerta (2-1)
10’ Yosniel Mesa Diaz (3-1)
11’ Jesus Contreras (3-2)
14’ Yosniel Mesa Diaz (Penalty) (4-2)
35’ Carlos Ramirez (4-3)
38’ Guillermo Castaneda (4-4)
39’ Yosniel Mesa Diaz (5-4)

First Referee: John Konstantinidis (USA)
First Referee: Carlos Del Cid (GUA)
Third Referee: Jorge Antonio Ruiz (CRC)
Time-Keeper: Ernest Richardson (GRN)

Yellow card: Portal 33’, Carbo 40’, Olvera 10’

Sent offs: Contreras 14’, Trepmann 38’, Castaneda 39’



30/07/2004:

Heredia, COSTA RICA

Hall: Palacio de los Deportes

Attendance: 2741

Costa Rica – Usa 0-4 (0-1)

COSTA RICA:
Starting five: 12 Justin Wallace, 3 Adonai Vindas, 5 Henry Valverde, 10 Yanan Montoya, 11 Michael Barrantes
Substitutions: 2 Jason Arce, 4 Carlos Chaves, 6 Johnny Rodriguez, 7 Jefrid Ruiz, 8 Junior Rodriguez (Cap.), 9 Mauricio Carvajal.
Coach: Carlos Quiros

USA:
Starting five: 12 Brett Phillips, 4 Greg Howes, 5 Todd Dusosky, 7 Pat White, 9 Joel Shanker
Substitutions: 2 Andy Guastaferro, 3 John Ball, 8 Danny Kelly, 10 Lee Tschantret (Cap.), 11 Don D’Ambra
Coach: Keith Tozer

Scorers:

9’ Andy Guastaferro (Penalty) (0-1)
26’ Greg Howes (0-2)
38’ Greg Howes (0-3)
40’ Joel Shanker (0-4)

First Referee: Vladimir Maso Goitisolo (CUB)
Second Referee: Roy Mcarthur (GUY)
Third Referee: Ricardo Diaz (PAN)
Time-Keeper: Donald Campos (NCA)

Yellow card: Ruiz 9’, Barrantes 30’



GOAL SCORERS

8-Yosniel Mesa DIAZ (CUB) 5
8-Gilberto RANGEL (PAN) 5 (1 dp)
7-Jerwyn BALTHAZAR (TRI) 4
11-Gino BRANDON (SUR) 4
3-Jesus CONTRERAS (MEX) 4
10-Yanan MONTOYA (CRC) 4
7-Jefrid RUIZ (CRC) 4
11-Miguel BARRANTES (CRC) 3
4-Carlos CHAVES (CRC) 3
6-Adalberto GUERRA (CUB) 3
2-Andy GUSTAFERRO (USA) 3 (3 pen)
4-Greg HOWES (USA) 3
7-Victor HUERTA (MEX) 3
5-Eduardo MORALES (CUB) 3
11-Boris SANAME (CUB) 3
4-José Jacinto SERRANO (CUB) 3
9-Joel SHANKER (USA) 3
2-Jason ARCE (CRC) 2
9-Mauricio CARVAJAL (CRC) 2
5-Todd DUSOSKY (USA) 2
6-Winston FELLER (SUR) 2
6-Ako JAMES (TRI) 2
11-Marvin LEE (TRI) 2
8-Arturo LOPEZ (MEX) 2
6-Alberto MONTIEL (MEX) 2
6-Johnny RODRIGUEZ (CRC) 2
8-Junior RODRIGUEZ (CRC) 2
2-Anthony SMALL (TRI) 2
3-Everardo Antonio SMITH (PAN) 2
7-Pat WHITE (USA) 2
11-Alquis ALVARADO (PAN) 1
6-Dexter BENTICK (GUY) 1
2-Guillermo CASTANEDA (MEX) 1
9-Fernando CHAPMAN (CUB) 1
13-Robert DERBY (SUR) 1
14-Alberto DOESBURG (SUR) 1
7-Dwayne DOUGLAS (GUY) 1
8-Travis GRANT (GUY) 1
9-Eron HAYDE (GUY) 1
10-Colin JOSEPH (TRI) 1
5-Juan MURILLO (PAN) 1
16-Omalie Norman NASSY (GUY) 1
5-Franklyn OLLIVIERRA (TRI) 1
11-Miguel Ángel OLVERA (MEX) 1
4-Carlos RAMIREZ (MEX) 1
10-Francisco RAMIREZ (MEX) 1
3-Adonai VINDAS (CRC) 1
5-Travis WATERTON (GUY) 1
7-Moisés WILLIAMS (PAN) 1
8-Roberto ZEBEDA (SUR) 1