The final group, Group D, started play Tuesday night at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup after a lengthy rain delay in Houston due to inclement weather. Honduras convincingly grabbed the lead in the group by trouncing Grenada, while Qatar and Panama shared the spoils in a six-goal thriller.
Qatar-Panama shed a slow start for a wild second half in which two penalty kicks helped result in a draw between the teams.
Here’s a closer look at Tuesday’s Gold Cup results:
Qatar 3, Panama 3
(Akram Afif 48′, Ali Almoez 53′, Hasan Al Haydos 63′ (pen)) – (Rolando Blackburn 51′, 58′, Eric Davis 79′ (pen))
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Qatar, invited to the tournament as a guest nation, unexpectedly challenged Panama for all 90 minutes in a 3-3 draw. Six second-half goals comprised the highest-scoring game yet in this summer’s Gold Cup, giving each team one point apiece.
Qatar broke a 2-2 tie with a penalty kick in the 63rd minute. Hasan Al Haydos sent the goalkeeper diving with a cheeky, perfectly executed Panenka penalty kick.
He went with the Panenka 😳
Qatar goes back out in front after a penalty is awarded pic.twitter.com/8AzbGqkzNb
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2021
Fifteen minutes later, Panama answered at the penalty spot. Eric Davis scored to keep Panama with a strong chance of advancing to the knockout rounds.
Rolando Blackburn scored twice for Panama early in the second half. The match included 12 shots on goal, 26 total shots and six total saves between the goalkeepers.
Honduras 4, Grenada 0
(Jerry Bengtson 28′, Edwin Solano 52′, Johnny Leveron 86′, Romell Quioto 88′)
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Honduras took the early lead in Group D, breaking Grenada down early and completing the rout late in the match.
Former New England Revolution forward Jerry Bengtson opened scoring in the 28th minute, capitalizing on a goal-line mistouch by Grenada’s goalkeeper. Edwin Solano added another goal to start the second half.
Grenada created some chances in the first half and appeared to be in the match if it could score, but Honduras made the difference by substituting on Johnny Leveron, Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis.
Leveron, a former Whitecaps defender, scored on a beautiful run straight through Grenada’s defense for the third goal.
Honduras goes up 3-0! 🇭🇳 pic.twitter.com/wlYNoGQpwy
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2021
CF Montreal forward Quioto scored two minutes later to hand Los Catrachos an encouraging win to start the Gold Cup.
