 Bermuda 0 Cuaracao 7
Bermuda's final home match of the Concacaf World Cup 26 qualifying campaign ended in a heavy 7-0 defeat to a dominant Curacao side at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium. The match was an emotional occasion for the home fans, who saw legend Reggie Lambe lead the team out for his final international appearance on home soil.
The Final Round of the Concacaf Qualifiers will determine the region’s remaining participants in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joining co-hosts Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Bermuda Starting Line-up: - Dale Eve (Detre Bell 61st), Lejuan Simmons, Harry Twite, Dante Leverock, Logan Jiménez, Keziah Martin, Aunde Todd (Roger Lee 60th), Djair Parfitt, Reggie Lambe (Ne-Jai Tucker 62nd), Zeiko Lewis (Rahzir Smith-Jones 77th), Enrique Russell (Donavan Thompson 73rd) - Substitutes - Eusebio Blankendal, Daniel Cook, Jace Donawa, Jorj Dublin, Brighton Morrison, Riley Robinson - Curacao Starting Line-Up: - Elroy Room, Sherel Floranus, Armando Obispo (Joshua Brenet 73rd), Roshon van Eijma, Shurandy Sambo, Juninho Bacuna (Jeremy Antonisse 65th), Livano Comenencia (Ar'jany Martha 65th), Leandro Bacuna (Godfried Roemeratoe 65th), Kenji Gorré, Gervane Kastaneer (Jordi Paulina 46), Sontje Hansen - Substitutes -, Tyrick Bodak, Trevor Doornbusch, Kevin Felida, Jearl Margaritha, Tyrese Noslin,
Curacao asserted their dominance from the start, controlling 66.8% of the possession in the first half. The scoring began in the 6th minute when Bermuda fell victim to the VAR system, the referee, after reviewing a possible handball, awarded a penalty that Leandro Bacuna calmly slotted home.
The lead was doubled in the 32nd minute when Juninho Bacuna blasted a shot past a diving Dale Eve. Eve kept the game respectable with three amazing saves as Curacao took a 2-0 lead to the break.
The second half saw Curacao relentlessly increase the pressure and the scoreline. Just three minutes after the restart in the 48th minute, halftime substitute Jordi Paulina scored from the spot after being fouled in the box. Sontje Hansen made it 4-0 in the 59th minute.
Following a string of Bermudian substitutions, including the poignant exit of Reggie Lambe in the 62nd minute, Paulina secured his second of the night, following up a save from substitute goalkeeper Detre Bell to make it 5-0.
Another substitute, Ar'jany Martha, added the sixth with a 20-yard free kick that Bell could not keep out. The rout was completed in the second minute of stoppage time when Roshon van Eijma let fly with a long-range shot that found the back of the net, making the final score 7-0.
Curacao finished the match with 69% of the possession and a massive 11 corners, reflecting their total control over the contest.
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