LOS ANGELES: The US survived two missed penalties to beat Nicaragua 3-0 in Cleveland on Saturday and reach the Gold Cup quarterfinals as winners of Group B.
Goals from Joe Corona, Kelyn Rowe and Matt Miazga lifted the Americans against a lively Nicaragua side.
Bruce Arena’s men went into the contest needing a three-goal win to top the group after Panama’s 3-0 win over Martinique in the opening match of the day’s doubleheader.
For a time it looked as if they would not get there, but Chelsea defender Miazga’s 88th minute header spared the Americans from a quarterfinal date with dangerous Costa Rica.
“I would think that you could say we wasted some opportunities, and made it pretty difficult on ourselves,” said Arena, who changed all 11 starters from the side that beat minnows Martinique on Wednesday.
“However, in the end I’m pretty proud of our team that they kept battling, and they knew that they needed three goals in the game today and they managed to do it in the end.”
The US threatened early as Rowe fired straight at Nicaragua keeper Justo Lorente in the seventh minute.
Dom Dwyer and Zusi also went close, the latter surging into the box but firing straight at Lorente.
It was Corona who grabbed the opener in the 36th minute.
Alejandro Bedoya’s cross from the right found Corona, whose shot from the top of the area was deflected inside the near post.
They doubled the advantage in the 56th, when Rowe, played through by Bedoya, beat Lorente for his first international goal.
But two second-half chances from the spot went begging.
Dwyer’s penalty attempt, after the English-born striker was brought down in the box, was easily saved by Lorente.
After Rowe’s goal, a Daniel Cadena handball gave the American’s another chance, but Corona’s effort was also saved.
The Americans gained a man advantage in the 85th after Luis Copete picked up a second yellow card, and Miazga’s goal soon followed.
“Give the goalkeeper for Nicaragua credit, two penalty kick saves isn’t bad in a game,” Arena said. “Give them credit there, we didn’t do well with our kicks. At the end of the day we still came out on top, and I’m pleased with that.”
The US and Panama both finished group play on seven points, but the US took the group with seven goals-for to Panama’s six.
The Panamanians struck late in the first half and added two goals in the second in their victory over Martinique, who finished third in the group on three points.
Panama’s New York Red Bulls defender Michael Murillo opened the scoring in the 44th minute, nodding in a cross from New York City FC’s Miguel Camargo.
Goals in the 60th by Abdiel Arroyo and the 67th by Gabriel Torres sealed the points for Panama.
The top two teams in each of the three groups advance to the quarters, along with the two best third-place teams.
US downs Nicaragua to top Gold Cup Group B
US downs Nicaragua to top Gold Cup Group B
Davidson wins dramatic play-off with eagle at Address Marassi
- Welshman completes remarkable turnaround after opening-round 71 to claim maiden MENA Golf Tour title
- Adam Elshamy is leading amateur and leading Egyptian for second consecutive week
AL-ALAMEIN: Welshman Jack Davidson holed an eagle putt on the first play-off hole to beat Spain’s Juan Salama and claim victory at the Egypt Golf Series Address Marassi Golf Resort 2.
Both players finished regulation play at 14 under par after matching four-under 68s, setting up a dramatic conclusion on the par-five 18th.
Returning to the 18th for the play-off, both players found the fairway off the tee. Davidson went first with his approach and found the center of the green in two. Salama’s second shot finished just off in the fringe, and with the pin removed he backed himself to hole the eagle chip, but the lie was not ideal and he caught it slightly heavy, leaving it short of the hole. Davidson then stepped up and rolled in his eagle putt from 25 feet to seal a remarkable victory.
The triumph caps an incredible week for the Welshman, who was one over par after an opening 71 before firing a course record-equaling 63 in Round 2 to propel himself into contention.
“It’s been a bit of a journey over the last few days, and really over the last couple of years," Davidson said. “I wasn’t really in the tournament after the first round, but shooting 63 put me right back in it and gave me a chance going into the final day with so many players close together.
“I was giving myself chances all day and even though the putts weren’t dropping late on, I stayed patient and managed to get myself into the play-off. From there it was just about having no fear and committing fully to every shot. If I was going to win, I wanted to do it by trying my best, not by hoping.”
Davidson’s final round of 68 featured birdies at the fourth, seventh and ninth to turn in three-under 33, with a steady back nine and a closing birdie at the last to force extra holes.
The Welshman spoke emotionally about his difficult journey to reach this point.
“The last couple of years haven’t been easy for me, and towards the end of last year my relationship with golf was in a really poor place,” he said. “Over the past few months I’ve made some big changes and built an amazing support team around me, and they’ve completely turned both my game and my mindset around. I genuinely wouldn’t be standing here without them.
“The return of the MENA Golf Tour has come at the perfect time for me. I was starting to see improvements in my game but didn’t have anywhere to play, and this tour has given me the chance to compete against strong international fields on fantastic golf courses.”
Salama, who led or shared the lead after each of the first two rounds, was gracious in defeat despite coming agonizingly close to victory.
“My game is in really good shape and I played some very solid golf all day,” said the Spaniard, who turned in four-under 32 with birdies at the fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth. “It was almost a bogey-free round, which gives me a lot of confidence.
“In the play-off, I was just off the green in two and tried to hole the eagle chip but the lie was not great and got it a little heavy. I still felt I had a really good chance to make birdie but Jack holed a great eagle putt. I tried my best, and that's all you can do.”
Scotland’s Michael Stewart finished alone in third at 13 under after a closing 68, while the Czech Republic’s Dominik Pavoucek and England’s Curtis Knipes shared fourth at 11 under.
MENA Golf Tour Rankings leader Chris Wood finished in a tie for 15th at eight under, while Egypt’s Adam Elshamy claimed the leading amateur and leading Egyptian honors for the second consecutive week, finishing one under par.
“It was an incredible experience, especially to win again and playing the final round alongside Chris Wood,” Elshamy said. “He's such a professional and the way he carries himself on the course is really admirable. That’s something I’ll definitely try to take into my own game going forward.
“What really stood out was how consistent he is with his process. Every shot looks the same, regardless of what happened before or what’s coming next. It made me realize I need to be more process-driven and less reactionary, and that’s something I’ll be working on.”
Davidson collected $18,000 from the $100,000 prize fund along with Official World Golf Ranking points as the MENA Golf Tour's Egypt swing continues.
The tour now heads to Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo for the Egypt Golf Series Madinaty (Feb. 3-5), the final event of the four-tournament Egypt swing.
