Bahamas stay perfect to top Group A

The hosts remain on song, while others joined them in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship hosts Bahamas wrapped up top spot in Group A with their third win of the tournament as Lesly St. Fleur’s hat-trick ensured a 3-2 win over Jamaica.

Both sides were guaranteed quarter-final places before kick-off but, with first place on offer, it was Jamaica who battled back from a goal down to lead.

However, two further strikes from Bahamas’ star man St. Fleur made sure of the points in the final match of the group.

Earlier, Guyana had ended Belize’s hopes of progression in a 4-1 win inspired by a brace from captain Deshawn Joseph and a heroic display from goalkeeper Ethan Sparman.

In Group C, both USA and Trinidad and Tobago booked their progress ahead of their meeting on Thursday.

In a comfortable outing that saw six different American scorers, the US beat Antigua and Barbuda 7-2 as Edwin Soto’s men ensured a top-two spot with relative ease, while Hakeem King’s hat-trick helped ensure a dominant 5-1 success for Trinidad against the US Virgin Islands.

Thursday’s clash between the two nations will decide who moves into the next stage as group winners.

El Salvador also harbour hopes of topping Group D after they edged Panama 3-2 on penalties, having ended normal time level at 4-4.

Panama battled back from 3-1 down to force extra time but Alfonso Maquensi faltered from the spot along with team-mate Rafael Garcia, allowing captain Jose Agustin Ruiz to convert the winning penalty.

Earlier, Danny Johnson Handson hit a hat-trick as Costa Rica claimed their first points of the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in an 8-2 win against Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Costa Ricans sit second in Group D and remain in with a great shout of progressing to the next round after Handson struck three times alongside a brace from Greivin Pacheco Quesada in a dominant display.

Wednesday results

13.45 – US Virgin Islands 1-5 Trinidad and Tobago

15.00 – Antigua and Barbuda 2-7 USA

16.15 – Panama (1) 4-4 (2) El Salvador

17.30 – Belize 1-4 Guyana

18.45 – Turks and Caicos Islands 2-8 Costa Rica

20.00 – Bahamas 3-2 Jamaica

Thursday fixtures

13.45 – Canada v Guadeloupe

15.00 – Antigua and Barbuda v US Virgin Islands

16.15 – Mexico v Barbados

17.30 – El Salvador v Costa Rica

18.45 – Panama v Turks and Caicos Islands

20.00 – USA v Trinidad and Tobago