HOUSTON, Texas – Guadeloupe charged to the top of Group D while eliminating Cuba with a dominant 4-1 win at Shell Energy Stadium here Saturday night.
Matthias Phaeton (right) holds off Cuba’s Yosel Piedra during Guadeloupe win on Saturday.Matthias Phaeton, a 23-year-old forward who plays in the Bulgarian top flight, netted a brace in the 13th and 43rd minutes, while Ange Plumain (41st) and Anthony Baron (51st) also got on the scoresheet to earn the French Caribbean side their first win of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, following their draw with hosts Canada in Toronto last Tuesday.
Aricheell Hernández accounted for Cuba’s only goal from the spot in the 63rd.
The defeat for Cuba was their second, coming on the heels of their 1-0 loss to Guatemala in Fort Lauderdale, leaving them without a point with a game still to play.
In the other Group D game, Canada endured yet another disappointing result when they drew nil-all with Guatemala, and are now facing a do-or-die final round clash with Cuba in order to reach the next stage of the confederation showpiece.
Phaeton highlighted the first-ever Gold Cup meeting between the two teams when he unleashed a 22-yard rocket to put Guadeloupe ahead.
Cuba thought they had equalized in the 38th minute when Maykel Reyes finished off a clever move, only for the strike to be ruled off-side.
Guadeloupe capitalized, scoring twice in the last five minutes before the break. First, Plumain curled in a volley from the top of the 18-yard box before Phaeton added his second with a near carbon copy of his first.
Baron erased any hope of a Cuba comeback moments after the resumption when he spun in the box, beat his two markers and slotted home from close range, not long after Luis Paradela’s header shaved the crossbar for the Spanish-speaking Caribbean outfit.
Cuba finally got the first goal of the tournament, substitute Eduardo Hernández brought down in the area and Aricheell Hernández sending goalkeeper Davy Rouyard the wrong way.
