MANAGUA, Nicaragua (Apr. 14, 2024) – The U.S. Men’s Futsal National Team nearly overcame a four-goal second half deficit, but ultimately fell 7-6 to the Dominican Republic Sunday afternoon in both teams’ second Group C match of the 2024 Concacaf Futsal Championship. Sebastian Mendez’s hat trick stood as his first international goals, with Luciano Gonzalez, Franck Tayou, and Nilton de Andrade adding one a piece.
With three points after two games, the USA closes out the Group Stage on Monday against Guatemala (2 p.m. ET; Fox Sports on Tubi, ViX) needing a win or tie to secure direct entry to the Quarterfinals. The U.S. would have to wait to see if three points would be enough for one of the top third place teams that also advances.
The Dominican Republic were up two goals after five minutes. Captain David Rondon caused the first when he took a kick-in from the right side that found its way through the legs of Tayou, then off the inside-leg of shielded goalkeeper Diego Moretti on the goalmouth. They doubled their lead a few minutes later when Jose Belliard put away his own rebound after Nicholas Lopez blocked his initial shot as Moretti lowered to make the save.
Sebastian Mendez cut the lead in half right away when he advanced a nice pass from David Ortiz down the center, took a touch to his preferred left and ripped it past the keeper from outside the arc.
Javier Pepen then scored from a tight angle down the left, hitting a shot over Moretti’s right shoulder at the near post.
Gonzalez sent the USA into the break down by one when he toe-poked a shot past the goalkeeper just seconds before the whistle.
After the Dominican Republic’s Guillermo Lopez and Marselle Cestero scored to increase their lead to 5-2 with ten minutes to play, USA head coach Hewerton Moreira put the team in fifth-attacker mode, with Gonzalez donning the flying goalkeeper jersey. However, Hector Perez picked off a pass early on and scored on an empty net from nearly the full length of the court.
The USA then settled and almost mounted a full comeback. Tayou roofed a goal from 4 yards out, and seconds later Mendez put away his second when he blasted in a rebound after Burato’s shot was saved on the line.
Mendez then got the USA within one at the four-minute mark, completing his hat trick with a rip from outside the top of the arc.
Pushing for the equalizer with less than a minute left, Perez picked off a Lopez cross in his own half and stretched the lead again with another empty-net goal. Nilton de Andrade got it right back for the USA with a back-post re-direct with 20 seconds left, but the clock ran out before the U.S. could level.
Match: United States Futsal Men’s National Team vs. Dominican Republic
Date: April 14, 2024
Competition: 2024 Concacaf Futsal Championship – Group C
Venue: Polideportivo Alexis Arguello; Managua, Nicaragua
Attendance: 150
Kickoff: 2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. local time)
Weather: 96 degrees
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
USA 2 4 6
DOM 3 4 7
DOM - Own Goal (Diego Moretti) 17’20” (First Half)
DOM - Jose Belliard 15’30”
USA - Sebastian Mendez (David Ortiz) 14’49”
DOM - Javier Pepen 5’49”
USA - Luciano Gonzalez (Sebastian Mendez) :05
DOM - Guillermo Lopez 14’31” (Second Half)
DOM - Marselle Cestero 9’42”
DOM - Hector Perez 8’33”
USA - Franck Tayou (Nicholas Lopez) 6’50”
USA - Sebastian Mendez 6’23”
USA - Sebastian Mendez (Diego Burato) 4’16”
DOM - Hector Perez :32”
USA - Nilton de Andrade (Diego Burato) :22”
Lineups:
USA: 12- Diego Moretti (Captain), 5- Luciano Gonzalez, 7- Diego Burato, 8- Franck Tayou, 13- Nicholas Lopez
Substitutes: 1-Robert Damron, 2-Manuel Andrade, 3- Nilton de Andrade, 6- Sebastian Mendez, 9- Raphael Araujo, 10- David Ortiz, 14- Erik Macias
Did not play: 4-Alencar Ventura-Junior, 11-Luiz Morales
Head coach: Hewerton Moreira
DOM: 12- Jose Perez, 4-Christian Gardelli, 6-David Rondon (Captain), 7-Hector Perez, 14-Granci Moscoso
Substitutes: 1-Dimar Blanco, 2-Juan Rondon, 5-Ricardo Alvarez, 8-Jose Belliard, 9-Marco Gomez, 10-Guillermo Lopez, 11-Marselle Cestero, 13-Javier Pepen
Head Coach: Fernando Ballester
Misconduct Summary:
DOM - Jose Belliard (caution) 12’21” (Second Half)
DOM - Juan Rondon (caution) 11’47”
Officials:
Referee: Jorge Antonio Flores (SLV)
Second Referee: Colin Abel (GUY)
3rd Referee: Josue Molina (CRC)
Timekeeper: Roberto Lopez (PAN)