U.S. Beach Soccer Men’s National Team Opens 2021 Concacaf Championship With Convincing Win Over Turks and Caicos
Seven Different Players Scored as USA Begins World Cup Qualifying; Nick Perera Scores his 100th International Goal
ALAJUELA, Costa Rica (May 17, 2021) – The U.S. Beach Men’s National Team defeated Turks and Caicos Islands 11-1 to kick off the 2021 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship in Costa Rica on Monday afternoon. Seven different players scored- including a brace from captain Nick Perera- which pushed him to 101 career international goals in his 75th match in the red, white and blue.
In his first official match as head coach, Francis Farberoff elected to start the match with five players who returned from the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup team: Chris Toth in goal as Jason Santos, David Mondragon, Gabriel Silveira and Perera all took the first shift on the pitch.
However, newcomers started the goalscoring onslaught as three of the first four goals came from players making their international debuts. Nicolas Perea gave the USA the lead after four minutes when he put away a goal at the back post off an Alessandro Canale bike. Canale is the sixth returning veteran from the 2019 World Cup squad.
That goal opened the floodgates as twenty-year-old Antonio Chavez doubled the lead with his first tally a few minutes later and Mondragon tallied his fourth career World Cup Qualifying goal to stretch the lead to 3-0 after the first period.
Turks and Caicos goalkeeper Pendieno Brooks opened the second period with a sensational shot from his own area that dipped over U.S. goalkeeper Chris Toth, but Conner Rezende answered with his first international goal on a volley set up by Chris Albiston.
Perera then scored his first goal since the 2019 World Cup at the far post off a quick thrown-in from Jason Santos, becoming the first U.S. Beach Soccer player to reach the milestone of 100 international goals. He soon added another on a free kick from 10 yards out.
Canale then hit two volleys for goals to bring his total to 16 over four Concacaf Beach Soccer Championships. Perea also added his second and Silveira closed out the convincing team performance with a brace in the final period.
The USA will next face Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, May 18 at 4:30 p.m. ET, live on TUDN.
- U.S. Beach Soccer Men’s National Team Match Report -
Match: U.S. Beach Men’s National Team vs. Turks and Caicos Islands