Guadeloupe and Martinique, involved in the Gold Cup, which brings together the best selections of Concacaf (North, Central America and the Caribbean), were eliminated at the end of the group stage on Tuesday, with a particularly cruel scenario for the Guadeloupeans.
During a prolific evening (25 goals in four matches), Guadeloupe, in Group D, long believed they were qualifying for the quarter-finals, still leading 2-1 against Guatemala 20 minutes from the end. But, when they needed at least a draw, they finally lost 3-2.
In a New Jersey stadium acquired from their opponents, they opened the scoring in the 27th minute through Andreaw Gravillon. The Guatemalans equalized for the first time 12 minutes later by their striker Rubio Rubin (1-1, 39th).
After the break, the 63rd minute then gave rise to a crazy scenario: a Guadeloupe goal from Jordan Leborgne was canceled for a handball… but the VAR then signaled another handball, from a Guatemalan defender, resulting in a penalty converted by Ange-Freddy Plumain, in indescribable chaos.
The ace! Rubio equalized in the 70th minute before Carlos Mejia scored Guatemala’s third goal in the 75th minute (3-2).
To top it all off, Guadeloupe even missed a penalty in the 88th, and finished 3rd in their group, behind Guatemala and Canada.
Martinique also failed in 3rd place, Group C, after a score-river defeat against Costa Rica (6-4). But there was less suspense since the Martiniquais were led 5-1…
In this group, Panama and Costa Rica go to the quarter-finals.
The other four qualified teams are the United States, Jamaica, Mexico and Qatar.
