Despite allowing late rally, Panama beats Guadeloupe in Gold Cup group match

Panama opened Group C play in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 3-2 win over Guadeloupe at Ford Field in Detroit on Tuesday evening, the opening match of a doubleheader which was followed by the United States’ 2-0 win over Canada.

Veteran striker Blas Perez opened the scoring near the half-hour mark before teammates Luis Tejada and Gabriel Gomez netted to give the Panamanians a 3-0 lead that, combined with a 38th-minute red card to Guadeloupe defender Michael Tacalfred, looked insurmountable.

But the “Gwada Boys” summoned a furious late rally as substitute Brice Jovial scored two goals in 14 minutes to set up a tense finish.  Jovial’s late heroics also kept the French island nation in contention for a berth in the tournament’s knockout round by improving their goal differential, which may prove important in a group which is likely to be dominated by the U.S.

A French colony dating back to 1674, Guadeloupe is officially classified as an “overseas region” of France and thus cannot take part in FIFA World Cup competition, but is eligible for regional events like the Gold Cup. The Caribbean island of 400,000 has helped produce a long list of world-class French players like Thierry Henry, Lillian Thuram and William Gallas.

[+Click here to visit PSW's Gold Cup Roundup page]