Wednesday’s soccer news starts with the first standout game of the Gold Cup. After waiting almost two hours due to a weather delay, Qatar and Panama went back and forth in a 3-3 draw in Houston to open group C. With the two teams splitting the points, it’s Honduras in 1st-place in the group with their 4-0 win over Grenada in the late game.
Qatar’s Akram Alif opened the scoring in the 48th minute with Rolando Blackburn equalizing in the 51st. Almoez Ali returned Qatar’s lead in the 53rd with Blackburn equalizing again in the 58th. Hassan Al-Haydos converted a Qatar penalty in the 63rd with Eric Davis equalizing from the penalty spot in the 79th minute. Both teams finished with six shots on goal while Panama had the edge on possession at 55%.
While it’s always tempting to make sweeping statements following one game, it’s an open question for what we learned about either team. Other than both can score goals, it’s going to be tough to judge the two group favorites until the knockout round. That’s assuming Honduras can’t insert itself into the conversation while Grenada looks like an outsider to get points in this group.
Honduras’s 4-0 shutout of Grenada started with Jerry Bengtson scoring in the 28th minute. Edwin Solano doubled the lead in the 52nd with Johnny Leveron scoring in the 85th. Romell Quioto finished off the goals in the 87th minute. Honduras goalkeeper Luis Lopez kept the clean sheet with three saves. Honduras plays Panama in the late game on Saturday while Grenada gets Qatar.
Also in the soccer news, USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath is now a member of Nottingham Forest in England’s Championship. Horvath signed a three-year deal with Forest, leaving Belgian champions Club Brugge. He joins a club that finished 17th in the Championship last season. They open their 2021-22 schedule at Coventry City on August 8.
“It feels great to be here,” Horvath told the club’s official site. “Nottingham Forest is such a historic club. I really like the stadium and training ground and the people have been fantastic. It’s a new challenge for me. I’m hoping all my experience can help Forest…. The shirt carries a lot of history and I’m proud to be part of that history.”
Reuters’ Simon Evans reports on English soccer’s attempt to try to deal with social media abuse of players. SBI’s Larry Henry Jr with the potential issues for El Salvador hosting World Cup qualifiers in September and October. The Province’s Patrick Johnston has Vancouver potentially back in consideration to host 2026 World Cup games. ESPN’s Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens update the situation with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
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Photo by John Dorton – ISIPhotos.com
