Mexico, USA qualify for FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup
Mexico win their fourth regional title
USA back at global finals after six-year absence
Mexico won the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship for the fourth time to cement their status as a regional powerhouse and qualify for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Paraguay 2019 in style.
Cheered on by their own fans in Puerto Vallarta, El Tri beat USA 6-2 in the final.
The Americans, who edged out El Salvador on penalties in a memorable semi-final, missed out on winning the title for a third time though they did have the consolation of qualifying for the world finals for the first time in six years.
El Salvador, whose last World Cup appearance came in 2013, gained some consolation of their own by beating defending champions Panama 8-3 in the match for third place. Both sides missed out on a place in Paraguay.
The tournament produced an average of 8.96 goals per match (287 in 32), well up on the 2017 figure of 7.93 (381 in 48).
Other placings: Trinidad and Tobago (5th), Bahamas (6th), Guatemala (7th), Guadaloupe (8th), Costa Rica (9th), Guyana (10th), Antigua and Barbuda (11th), USA Virgin Islands (12th), Belize (13th), Jamaica (14th), Turks and Caicos Islands (15th), Bonaire (16th).
Mexico’s path to Paraguay
Won all six of their matches in regulation time.
Goals for: 30 (five per match).
Goals against: 12 (two per match).
Top goalscorers: Ramon Maldonado (7), Abidel Villa (4).
Did you know?
Mexico’s previous regional championship win came in 2015.
Three of their four CONCACAF titles have been won on home sand.
Benjamin Mosco voted player of the tournament.
Diego Villasenor voted best goalkeeper of the tournament for the second time running.
El Tri set to appear in their sixth world finals, a CONCACAF record. They have now qualified for the last three World Cups.
Ramon Raya has coached them at each of their world finals appearances.
USA’s path to Paraguay
Won five of their six matches, four in regulation time and one on penalties.
Goals for: 38 (6.33 per match).
Goals against: 19 (3.16 per match).
Top goalscorers: Nicolas Pereira (13), Tanner Akol (11).
Did you know?
This is the first time that USA have lost a CONCACAF Championship final, having won their two previous ones.
Will appear at their fifth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup and their first since 2013.
Only Mexico have more world finals appearances among the region’s teams. El Salvador follow USA on the list with four.
Pereira was the competition’s leading goalscorer.
Pereira and Akol combined to score 63 per cent of their team’s goals.