Panama City, Tuesday 6 March 2012.– Maria Monterroso scored a goal for her second straight game and Guatemala earned a 5-2 consolation victory over Cuba on Tuesday in the final game for both teams at the CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship.
Both teams already had lost twice and been eliminated from semifinal contention. It was only the second win in six tries for Guatemala at the confederation finals, the other a 2-1 victory over Cuba in 2010.
Maria Argueta, Idiana Perez and Cinthya Lopez also scored for Guatemala, which also was the beneficiary of an own-goal.
The result matched Guatemala's largest number of goals in CONCACAF U-20 women's play, equaling the output of a 5-0 victory over Nicaragua in Central American qualifying for the 2002 championship.
Cuba had the upper hand off the opening kickoff when Maidoni Goitizolo ran onto a loose ball inside the Guatemala restraining arc and stuck it off the crossbar. The ball struck diving Guatemala keeper Noemi Franco in the back and she scrambled to cover it before it crossed the line.
Cuba continued to push forward and Franco had to push Milagro Ramirez's shot wide in the fourth, but then Guatemala began to get possession, generating several chances the most promising of which was when Idiana Perez shot from the edge of the area that Cuban keeper Dainelis Moreno handled easily.
But Guatemala's control became more intense and then coach Benjamin Monterroso, father of Maria, inserted Argueta for Yoseline Razuleu in the 23rd minute.
Three minutes later, on the second of two consecutive corners, Mia Espino curled a corner from the right side that Maria Monterroso deflected with a header at the near post. It was headed for the inside of the far post, where Cuban defender Esmeralda Marcos tried to clear with her right foot but only directed into her own net.
Argueta added hers in the 31st, running onto a ball played into space by Espino and striking a first-time, left-footed effort to beat Moreno to the far side.
Less than a minute later Perez increased the lead to 3-0, racing to latch on to a through ball and toe-poking it from 12 meters.
Cuba scored only its second goal of the tournament in the 54th when Maria Perez and Yanet Tamayo traded passes before Perez shot from the top of the penalty area and scored off the underside of the crossbar.
Guatemala restored its three-goal lead in the 66th when Lopez converted a penalty after Cuba's Regla Ponce knocked over Perez with a shoulder charge.
The Chapines added to the advantage with on an own-goal three minutes later. Moreno tried to clear a through ball with Monterroso closing quickly at the edge of the area, but hit the ball off teammate Odette Bayeaux and it ricocheted into the Cuban net.
Rachel Pelaez pulled Cuba back within three in the 81st, settling a ball 25 meters from goal and striking a right-footed shot for her second of the tournament.
Cuba ended the tournament, its third trip to the finals, with a ninth loss in as many games having been outscored 42-6.
*With information from the CONCACAF
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