Tuesday, October 28; Pedro Marrero Stadium, Havana, Cuba: Suriname was hit for six as Cuba secured its spot in the Finals of the Digicel Caribbean Championships as leaders of Group G last night.
Following Barbados’ victory against the Netherlands Antilles, the Suriname squadron knew that only an outright victory would get the team through to the DCC Finals, but having witnessed Cuba club the groups other Dutch opposition 7-1 in their first fixture, few, if any, were holding any hopes of surviving the Cuban onslaught. History looked set to repeat itself as Cuba had knocked Suriname out at the second round of the Digicel Caribbean Championships in 2006.
Playing some truly scintillating soccer, Cuba created chances and carved up the defense at will. But it was Alain Cervantes that separated himself from the rest. Having suffered a sub-par performance against Barbados, Cervantes redeemed himself in unbelievable fashion. In minute 11, it was Cervantes that broke the deadlock when he popped up at the far post unmarked, having switched flanks seconds before, to nod in Marques’ cross from the right.
The goal seemed to spark the Cubans to even greater heights, and after a passage of play where they dominated possession for twenty minutes, they secured their second goal when Lazaro Alfonso’s 25-yard drive proved too hot to handle for Aloema in goal, again it was Cervantes that was quickest to react and he volleyed home for his second goal of the game and the last goal of the half.
The second half was even better for Cuba as they continued to pile the pressure on a Suriname team that must have felt like they were in quicksand. Suriname’s suspicions were confirmed as just three minutes after the restart, Cuba had scored its third goal. This time from a Hensy Munoz corner that was met by a bullet header in the six-yard box by the aerial acrobat Yenier Marques, his second headed goal of the group stages.
The fourth goal came just five minutes later, as Aloema was again beaten – this time following a neat one-two between Alfonso and Cervantes along the left touchline. Cervantes served it up for Roberto Linares to casually side-foot the ball home from six yards.
Cervantes was simply unplayable and continued to make Suriname suffer, by producing his second assist of the match when he played a slide-rule pass into the path of goal-hungry Duartes. Duartes did the rest with aplomb chipping the advancing Aloema from an acute angle.
By this stage, Aloema was undergoing somewhat of a Cuban missile crisis in goal as he continued to see shots rocket past him and into the net.
It became clear that everything Cervantes touched would turn to goals, when his lay off on a free-kick from 25 yards was rifled into the top corner by Hanier Dranguet in minute 77. A sweeter strike you may never see, as the ball flew past the diving goalkeeper and rebounded past him on its way back off the net before Aloema had even landed from his dive.
Cervantes was substituted off to a standing ovation on minute 81, and it seemed the Midas touch went with him as Cuba was unable to match its seven goal outburst from its first fixture and instead had to settle for six.
Cuba now advances to the Finals of the Digicel Caribbean Championships as Group G leaders, and definitely one of the tournament favourites.
Cuba: 12. Odelin Molina, 3. Yenier Marques(16. Reysandri Fernández min 59), 2. Silvio Pedro Miñoso, 5. Jorge L. Clavelo, 4. Hanier Dranguet, 7. Lazaro Alfonso, 8. Alianni Urgelles Montoya, 9. Alain Cervantes(18. Mario Ruiz min-81), 11. Hensy Muñoz, 15. Leonel Duartes, 10. Roberto Linares (17. Armando Coroneaux min-73)
Subs: 1. Dany Luis Quinteros, 13. Carlos D Francisco, 6. Yoel Colome,
Suriname: 1. Ronny Clyde Aloema, 8. Vangellino Sastrodimedjo, 4. Marlon Wendel Felter, 11. Hesron Egward Jeroe (5. Malcolm Armand Weibolt min-56), 3. Derrick Johan Garden, 17. Furgil WaldiOng-A-Fat, 9. Wensly Humbert Christoph, 6. Germaine Sergio Van Dijck, 15. Jerome Stryder, 14. Cleven RobertoWanabo, 10. Clifton Guno Sandvliet
