De Natio will meet Guatemala on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday (at 2 a.m. Dutch time) and can ensure participation in the World Cup in the Central American country next summer.
With the big win, Suriname has strengthened its leading position in the World Cup qualifying group by not only taking the three points, but also working hard on the goal difference. Before this match day, Suriname and competitor Panama were exactly equal in terms of points and goal difference and Menzo’s team was narrowly in the lead based on a larger number of goals scored. Panama will play against Guatemala later in the night.
Chery the most dangerous man
In the sold-out Dr. Franklin Essed stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname seized the initiative. Menzo’s team made significant progress during the World Cup qualifying campaign and imposed its will on higher-ranked El Salvador (number 94 in the FIFA rankings compared to Suriname’s 126th). There were three Eredivisie players in the starting lineup: FC Groningen goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen, Go Ahead Eagles attacker Richonell Margaret and Tjaronn Chery from NEC.
Suriname, dreaming of the World Cup, can reach match point: ‘All the pieces of the puzzle seem to be falling together’
The latter was the most dangerous man in the first half in his eighth international match for Suriname. The 37-year-old technician, who once sat on the bench for the Dutch team without taking action, set the tone in midfield and created the first real danger with a well-placed ball that just hit the crossbar. Not much later, Chery’s leg was hooked, after which the ball hit the spot. The NEC player took the penalty himself and where he had recently missed twice at NEC, he was now cool-headed: 1-0.
Public on the benches
El Salvador was teetering on the brink of elimination due to the deficit, but showed little in Paramaribo. In the second half there was a short phase in which the Central American country became somewhat threatening and appeared dangerously in front of Vaessen’s goal. But it was Margaret who finally secured the three points. The Eagles attacker reacted alertly when a Salvadorian defender shot the ball against Kenneth Paal while defending and rounded it off excellently: 2-0. Immediately afterwards it was 3-0 thanks to another goal from Margaret after a preparatory action from Ridgeciano Haps, former player of AZ and Feyenoord.
The audience stood on the benches in the Dr. Franklin Essed stadium and it would become even better, because an excellent attack via substitutes Jay-Roy Grot and Dhoraso Moreo Klas also resulted in a fourth goal with former ADO player Klas as the scorer. As a result, Suriname has suddenly created a big gap in goal difference and the South American country’s first-ever World Cup participation beckons.