The Dominican men’s national team lost to Dominican Republic (DR) 2-1 in a game that many have described as a Goliath versus David. The match was played in DR because of the coronavirus pandemic in a World Cup qualifying match after they fell out with Panama. Dominica was in number 184 out of the 210 countries vying in the competition while Panama took the 78 position in the FIFA World Rankings.
During the Panama game, the Dominican team fought vigorously but conceded a goal in the 28th minute when Briel Thomas occasioned a goal. The national team equalized in the 82nd minute after Audel Laville, a substitute who just came on, scored against Panama. Unfortunately, Dominica’s Travist Joseph made a costly mistake and Panama’s Jose Fajardo drove a goal home.
Despite Dominica’s loss to Panama, Coach Rajesh Latchoo credited the team with high performance, saying Dominica has demonstrated that it is capable of competing in the World Cup. Meanwhile, Dominica is now in Group D of the CONCACAF Qualifies with Panama, Anguilla, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic.
DFA President Glen Etienne also lauded the Dominican national team for their prowess at the qualifiers, saying they can up their games to take on the big teams in a global competition. With advanced organization and effective team development, he said the country could win high-profile international competitions in the near future.
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