Dominican 2024: Hosts Near Elimination After 1-1 Draw With New Zealand, As USA Secure Crucial 2-0 Victory Over Colombia, Boosting Quarterfinal Hopes.
The Dominican Republic’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stages of the Dominican 2024 tournament suffered another blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw by New Zealand in a Group A encounter on Sunday morning.
In front of a modest crowd of 3,258, the match saw early drama when Dominican defender Renata Mercedes Puello scored an unfortunate own goal, gifting New Zealand the lead. The hosts, however, fought back and equalised through Yulemis Pinales in the 68th minute. Despite their best efforts, the Dominican Republic could not find a winning goal.
The statistics told the story of a closely fought contest. Both sides committed 16-10 fouls and each received one yellow card. The hosts had 17 shots to New Zealand’s 22, with both teams managing five shots on target. New Zealand edged possession with 58%, stringing together 325 passes compared to the Dominicans’ 246. However, the Dominican Republic earned more corner kicks, with a 6-3 advantage.
In Group A, Nigeria have already secured their place in the quarterfinals after emphatic victories, beating New Zealand 4-1 and thrashing Ecuador 4-0. Ecuador had previously defeated the Dominican Republic 2-0. As it stands, Nigeria lead the group with eight points, followed by Ecuador with three points. Both the Dominican Republic and New Zealand have one point, with New Zealand having scored more goals but conceded more than their hosts.
The group’s final decider will see Ecuador face New Zealand, while the Dominican Republic will take on the high-flying Nigerian team, who have already scored eight goals in the tournament.
In Group B, the USA took a significant step towards the quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over Colombia, in a match attended by 6,334 spectators. Micayla Johnson opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with an assist from main striker Mary Long. Colombia’s hopes were dashed further when defender Oritz Chicue conceded a penalty, which Kennedy Fuller converted in the 58th minute. A late VAR decision rejected a potential penalty for Colombia, sealing the win for the USA.
Spain currently tops Group B with six points, while the USA is second with three points. Colombia and South Korea both have one point, with Colombia having scored one goal and conceded three, and South Korea netting once but conceding six.
The final Group B matches will see the USA face South Korea, while Colombia will square off against group leaders Spain. Meanwhile, Nigeria will meet the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador will battle New Zealand for a place in the next round.
Other group matches scheduled for Wednesday include Japan versus Brazil and North Korea against Kenya. The final group fixtures will conclude with Zambia facing Poland and England playing Mexico, bringing the group stage to an end.
