By SCM Sports Correspondent
CURACAO hammered a hapless Bermuda side 7-0 last night in a CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier that will live long in the memory—especially for the home fans who had to endure the brutal rout at the magnificent Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre.
The venue, named in honour of Bermuda’s Olympic triathlon champion, is usually a beacon of sporting pride for the island nation. But under the floodlights, it became the scene of a stunning, seven-goal demolition as Curacao ruthlessly ran riot, closing in on a historic World Cup berth.
Dick Advocaat’s Curacao outfit showed no mercy to the winless hosts, opening the scoring early and never looking back.
The goals flowed like Bermuda’s famous rum cocktails, with Leandro and Juninho Bacuna setting the tone before the break.
But it was in the second half that the floodgates truly burst open at the state-of-the-art facility in Devonshire.
Substitute Jordi Paulina grabbed a brilliant brace to heap further misery on Michael Findlay’s side, turning the National Sports Centre into an absolute theatre of tears for the Bermuda faithful.
While the Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre is a gorgeous modern arena, perfectly designed for top-flight athletics and football, the Bermuda team looked anything but world-class.
They struggled to contain a high-flying Curacao, who now leapfrog Jamaica in Group B, setting up a winner-takes-all clash next week.
For Bermuda, already eliminated from contention, this 7-0 mauling on home soil—the largest defeat of the current qualifying campaign—will sting badly.
The only positive for them is that they won’t have to face the Dutch-coached powerhouse again on their home turf.
Final Score: Bermuda 0 – 7 Curacao
