PUERTO VALLARTA, JALISCO, MEX. (May 17, 2019) – The U.S. Beach Soccer National Team advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship with a 5-1 win against Guadeloupe in Puerto Vallarta. The tournament’s top two scorers – Tanner Akol and Nick Perera – each scored twice and David Mondragon added his third of the competition.

The USA found itself trailing for the first time in the tournament when Guadeloupe’s Sylrick Phirmis did well to hold a defender off before spinning and shooting past Chris Toth early on. The lead lasted just five minutes, as Nick Perera was fouled on a bike attempt in the box and converted the penalty kick.

A patient U.S. side finally broke the game open with three goals in the final five minutes of the second period – all off bicycle kicks. Akol gave the team the lead when he spectacularly biked a Ryan Futagaki throw-in on the fly into the back of the net. David Mondragon followed with his own bike that bounced over the goalkeeper, and Nick Perera finished the period by flicking up his own set-up before slamming in a powerful bike from inside the box.

The USA changed goalkeepers midway through the third period, and Juan Cervantes was up to the test with successive saves, first tipping a shot over the crossbar and then a quick reaction dive to his left to prevent Guadeloupe from inching closer. Akol then put the game away with another scoop bike for his tournament leading 11th goal.

Up Next: The USA is through to the semifinals where they’ll face El Salvador on Saturday, May 18 (5:45 p.m. ET). El Salvador defeated the Bahamas in the other Quarterfinal earlier in the day, setting up a rematch of the 2013 Final, which the USA won 5-4 in overtime. The winner will automatically qualify for the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay and play for the Concacaf title on Sunday. Fans can watch games live on UDN, Concacaf’s Facebook page and the ConcacafGo app.

NOTES:

This was the first meeting between the USA and Guadeloupe in the Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship.

The USA has now advanced to the semifinals in five of the six Concacaf Beach Championships in which the winner was decided by a title game rather than standings, missing out only in 2017.

With 11 goals, Akol has tied Perera’s USA single tourmanet scoring record set in 2013.

David Mondragon scored his third goal and first since the opener versus Bonaire.

Akol and Perera (10 goals) are the leading scorers in the tournament. El Salvador’s Augustine Ruiz is next with 9.

As a team, the USA’s 33 goals are most in the Championship, followed by El Salvador’s 31.

The semifinal matchup against El Salvador will mark the first time the teams have met with elimination on the line since the 2013 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship final, when the USA defeated El Salvador 5-4 in added extra time on a goal by Nick Perera to claim its last Concacaf Beach Soccer title.

El Salvador won the last meeting in the 2015 third place match (2-5). They also previously won in the 2009 Semifinals (3-5). The teams split group play matches in each of their first two meetings (USA W 9-5 in 2007, SLV W 6-5 in 2008).

- U.S. Beach Soccer National Team Match Report -

Match: U.S. Beach Soccer National Team vs. Guadeloupe

Date: May 17, 2019

Competition: 2019 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship; Quarterfinals

Venue: Visit Puerto Vallarta Stadium, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET

Attendance: ---

Weather: 84 degrees, sunny

Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 F

USA 1 3 1 5

GLP 1 0 0 1

GLP – Sylrick Phirmis 1st minute

USA – Nick Perera (penalty) 6’

USA – Tanner Akol 19’

USA – David Modragon 21’

USA – Nick Perera 23’

USA – Tanner Akol 33’

Lineups:

USA: 1-Chris Toth, 4-Adrian dos Santos, 5-Alessandro Canale, 7-Nick Perera, 8-Tanner Akol

Substitutes: 12-Juan Cervantes, 2-Jason Leopoldo, 3-Ryan Futagaki, 6-Jason Santos, 9-Franck Tayou, 10-Oscar Reyes, 11-David Mondragon

Head coach: Eddie Soto

GLP: 5-Mikael Germain, 3-Benoit Zembama, 5-Terry Shillingford, 10-Sylrick Phirmis, 11-Sebastien Hell

Substitutes: 12- Jordan Sennoaj, 2-David Bordelai, 4-Ricardo Mezence, 6-Gael Geolier, 7-Alan Lefort, 8-Melaick Breter, 9-Theo Gelas

Head coach: Damien Granchi Constant

Misconduct Summary:

GLP – Alan Lefort (caution) 31st minute

Officials:

Referee: David Cruz (SLV)

Second Referee: Jair Robles (MEX)

Third Referee: Juan Andres Angeles (DOM)

Fourth Official: Gonzalo Carballo (SLV)

ussoccer.com Man of the Match: --