Havana, October 3 (RHC) – The Cuban national football team drew 3–3 on Friday against Saint Kitts and Nevis in a match for Group C of League B of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Cuba started by controlling the action, but it was Saint Kitts that found the net through Kyle Kelly in the 26th minute, following a few unsuccessful attempts by the team from the “Largest of the Antilles.”
The deficit lasted only long enough for the Cubans’ opponents to settle in, as the equalizer arrived on the very next play courtesy of Yunior Yuri Pérez in the 29th minute.
Cuba then dominated the play, and by the end of the first half, they were leading 2-1 thanks to a goal from Diego Catasus in the 38th minute.
La Tricolor deserved even more; indeed, shortly after the break, Yunior Yuri Pérez netted his second goal using a tactic that troubled the Saint Kitts side: playing one- or two-touch football and exploiting the space behind the opposing defense, which had pushed forward in desperation due to the scoreline.
Cuba could even have scored a fourth, but defensive jitters set in, and they paid a heavy price for two errors, each resulting in a goal (Tyreece Simpson in the 82nd minute and Tiquanny Williams in the 88th).
Cuba continued to threaten the penalty area and nearly found a winner, but Luis Javier Paradela’s shot struck the crossbar with the goalkeeper already beaten.
Fate may have favored the Eastern Caribbean islanders earlier, when a persistent drizzle saturated the pitch at Hasely Crawford Stadium and hindered the Cubans by affecting their ball handling—an area in which they hold an advantage over all other teams in Group C.
