Havana, March 14 (RHC) – The Cuban U-20 national football team continued its preparations in Panama with a 2-1 friendly victory against their Panamanian counterparts, Club Atlético Independiente.
The match was dominated by the Cubans, who took the lead with a goal from Yuliano Calzado, who finished off a well-worked passing move with a shot.
The Panamanians equalized from the penalty spot after a handball in the area. However, the Cubans regained control of the game from a set piece when Erik Daniel Martín headed in a corner kick.
Martín was one of the players who qualified for the U-17 World Cup and made a strong impression after joining the team to bolster its defense, perhaps its Achilles’ heel in the UNCAF U-19 Tournament held in December 2015 in the same city.
The team, currently in Panama for two weeks of training, has several more matches scheduled against local league teams, which will allow them to arrive in top form for the game on the 28th.
This match will be played at the Antonio Maceo Stadium in Santiago de Cuba against Jamaica, and the winner will secure a direct berth in next summer’s Central American and Caribbean Games.
