Cuba U-17 soccer team loses two friendly matches in Panama

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 21 (acn) The Cuban U-17 soccer team lost 0-5 to Panama in the second game in this country as part of its Central American training tour that will also include Honduras and El Salvador, prior to its participation in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament, which grants four tickets to the 2017 World Cup to be held in India.

The scoreboard showed an 0-0 draw in first half but an early goal in the second half seemed to cause a psychological effect on the inexperienced Cuban side which conceded four other goals in that period.
Previously, the Caribbean squad lost 2-4 to the same rival on Sunnday in the start of this tour. Cuban goals in that match were scored by Yandry Romero and Rivaldo Roldan, according to press reports from that country.
The team coached by Rufino Sotolongo will now move to Honduras to play on March 22 and 24, to then travel to El Salvador to hold two other friendly matches on the 27th and 29th, as announced by the Cuban national soccer commission.
The CONCACAF WC qualifying tournament will include 12 teams also in Panama from April 21 to May 7.
Cuba appears in Group B and their rivals will be Surinam (day 22), Canada (25) and Costa Rica (28).
The host Panama was included in Pool A with Honduras, Curacao and Haiti, and the defending champion, Mexico, is part of Group C along with El Salvador, Jamaica and the United States.