El Salvador, Costa Rica win, claim semifinal berths at CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

June 19, 2009

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – El Salvador and Costa Rica won their opening games at the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship on Thursday and clinched semifinal berths to get within a victory of qualifying for the World Cup.

Wilber Zavala scored a pair of goals, including the finale midway through the third period to help El Salvador subdue a Canadian rally and win 8-6, eliminating the North Americans. It was the second loss in as many days for Canada, relegating them to the fifth-place game on Saturday against the Bahamas.

Costa Rica got goals from three different players and shutout the Bahamas 3-0, also eliminating the islanders from contention for a World Cup berth.

El Salvador will face Mexico, and Costa Rica will take on the United States on Friday to determine seeding for Saturday’s semifinals. Two teams will qualify for the Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates November 16-22.

Jose Agustin scored twice in 63-second span to put El Salvador ahead of Canada 2-0 with 8:21 remaining in the first, and the Central Americans with the help of Zavala’s first goal built a four-goal cushion before Canada responded early in the second period with the first of four goals by Kyle Yamada.

Additional goals by Yamada, Christopher Lemire and Paul Dhaliwal pulled Canada with a goal three times, the last when Yamada tallied 1:37 into the final period to get the Maple Leafs within 7-6. But Wilber scored his last with 8:31 remaining to restore a two-goal bulge and El Salvador shutout Canada the rest of the way.

In the early game, Javier Angulo put Costa Rica ahead with 8:54 remaining in the second period and Fernando Jimenez added another 6 ½ minutes later to send Costa Rica on its way past the Bahamas.

Enzo Mora added the insurance late in the third to assure Costa Rica of a chance at a World Cup berth.

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