Cuba Gets A Leg Up

In the final second round series to begin play, a goal by second-half substitute Leonel Pla in the 85th minute delivered Cuba a 4-3 victory away to Antigua and Barbuda on Tuesday night in St. John's. Two goals from Kerry Skepple had twice given the hosts a lead in the first half, but Cuba continued to keep pace before snatching the go-head goal five minutes from the end of regulation. The teams will meet again Sunday in Havana. In terms of the USA's other potential opponents in the semifinal phase, Guatemala put six past St. Lucia in the first leg in Guatemala City while Bermuda stunned Trinidad and Tobago with a 2-1 away victory. The full list of CONCACAF results at the halfway point:

Grenada 2-2 Costa Rica
Antigua and Barbuda 3-4 Cuba
Suriname 1-0 Guyana
Guatemala 6-0 St. Lucia
USA 8-0 Barbados
St. Vincent 0-3 Canada
Haiti 0-0 Netherlands Antilles
Belize 0-2 Mexico
Panama 1-0 El Salvador
Trinidad and Tobago 1- 2 Bermuda
Jamaica 7-0 Bahamas

Honduras are through to the group stages after beating Puerto Rico 6-2 on aggregate.