The Stars and Stripes won big against Bahamas, and left the competition with a bittersweet taste in their mouths, acknowledging that they were really close to qualify for Qatar in their first ever international competition.
Although qualifying to Qatar was not entirely in their hands, the US National Team would leave everything on the pitch to try and make the most of their options.
Although qualifying was not entirely in their hands, US National Team left everything on the pitch.
Samatha Witteman, with two goals, and Lauren Leslie gave the Stars and Stripes a comfortable advantage in the first period. USA would not stop there, and would keep punishing the Bahamian nets all throughout the game, until Eastman’s second hit for the 7-0, with just five minutes to go.
Captain Karen Wert would pull one back for Bahamas, but that was way too little too late to mean anything in the game, and USA grasped three points that got them in the second position in this World Beach Games Qualifier El Salvador.
Goals: 0-1: Witteman, min. 9(1); 0-2: Leslie, min. 1(1); 3-0: Witteman, min. 2(1); 4-0: Fitzgerald, min. 11(2); 5-0: Eastman, min. 7(2) 6-0: Haynes, min. 6(3); 7-0: Eastman, min. 5(3); 7-1: Wert, min. 0(3)
WORLD BEACH GAMES – QUALIFIER EL SALVADOR 2019
Results:
Monday, 5th August
11.30 – US Virgin Islands 3-6 Guatemala (7th place)
12.45 – Bahamas 8-7 Trinidad & Tobago(5th place)
14.00 – USA 7-1 Bahamas (Women’s)
15.30 – USA 8-6 Panamá (3rd place)
16.45 – El Salvador 2-6 Mexico (Women’s)
18.00 – Mexico 5-4 El Salvador (FINAL)
Final standings:
Men’s competition:
CHAMPION: MÉXICO*
Runners-up: El Salvador*
3rd: EEUU
4th: Panama
5th: Bahamas
Women’s competition:
CHAMPION: MÉXICO*
Runners-up: EEUU
3rd: El Salvador
4th: Bahamas
*Qualified for the World Beach Games 2019
Individual awards:
Men’s:
Best goalkeeper: Villaseñor (MEX)
Top scorer: Maquensi (PAN)
MVP: Exon (SLV)
Women’s:
Best Goalkeeper: Paulin (MEX)
Top Scorers: Witteman (USA) & Carolina (SLV)
MVP: Leyva (MEX)
