A blessing in disguise is that Suriname has narrowly joined the two best runners-up, meaning that the World Cup dream is not yet definitively over. Menzo’s team therefore has a way out of the intercontinental play-offs to still obtain a ticket.
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That door was only opened in extra time by an own goal by Guatemala. Nicholas Samayoa’s own goal made it 3-1. As a result, Honduras was passed at the last minute as one of the best runners-up based on more goals scored. After the final whistle, we had to wait some time until Costa Rica-Honduras had also ended, but in the end no more goals were scored there.
That way out is little consolation. What dominates for Suriname is the deception about missing out on direct qualification on a total off day of the Natio.
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After the big 4-0 win over El Salvador, expectations were high for the last group match in Guatemala, but things actually went wrong for Suriname from the kick-off. The home team had already been eliminated from participation in the World Cup, but went like the fire brigade and made it very difficult for Suriname by entering every match with full dedication.
Suriname was completely unable to play its own Dutch-style combination football and escaped an early deficit when Darwin Lom headed onto the crossbar. Guatemala kept accelerating and Suriname had no answer. There was only one moment of goal danger in the entire first half. Richonell Margaret, who had scored twice against El Salvador, tested goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen with a difficult shot after a quick counter. It was a rare offensive action by Suriname, which was not featured at all.
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Meanwhile, the pressure was increasing from Panama, as the competitor took the 17e minute into the lead, causing Suriname to virtually lose the leading position in the standings based on a better goal difference.
The Surinamese goalkeeper Warner Hahn had to work hard to keep his goal clean. The former goalkeeper of Feyenoord and PEC Zwolle, among others, kept goal in Guatemala, because first goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen was unable to take a seat under the crossbar due to illness.
Stanley Menzo is making several changes in Suriname
Menzo had made quite a few changes compared to the line-up of the 4-0 win against El Salvador. This time there were starting places for Denzel Jubitana, Dhoraso Klas and Justin Lonwijk, while Radinio Balker, Sheraldo Becker and Jean-Paul Boëtius started on the bench.
With a 0-0 halftime score, the situation was far from alarming for the Natio, who would have needed one goal if Panama had a 1-0 lead to take the group win. But things would turn out very differently. It was Lom who opened the score for Guatemala with a header shortly after halftime. The blow hit Suriname hard and the 2-0 was quickly over. Substitute Olger Escobar hit the target with a shot deflected by Ridgeciano Haps. At that moment, Panama was already 2-0 ahead and it was clear that group victory was far away for Suriname.
Stefano Denswil and Jay-Roy Grot are in trouble. © ANP./HH
Menzo, who had already brought Becker and Jay-Roy Grot into the team at half-time, continued to substitute Balker and Virgil Misidjan, but that did not have the right effect. The defensive organization was completely lost and Guatemala took advantage of one of the many opportunities through Oscar Santis, meaning that Suriname was in danger of missing out on goal difference as well as participating in the intercontinental play-off (3-0).
In the final phase, Suriname had opportunities through Becker and Margaret to score the goal, which would still open the door to the intercontinental play-offs, but the ball initially did not want to go in, until fate favored Suriname. And so Suriname will compete for the last two World Cup tickets together with Jamaica, Bolivia, Congo, New Caledonia and Iraq.
But what prevailed among the Surinamese team was the realization that Suriname has missed a unique opportunity to qualify directly for the World Cup, because when qualifying for the next World Cup final round, the route from the CONCACAF zone will be much more difficult, because Canada, Mexico and the United States will also participate again.