Puerto Rico outclass Nicaragua, will play Mexico 

TIJUANA, Mexico, July 5, 2012 — Puerto Rico advanced to a semifinal clash with Mexico in the NORCECA Boys’ U-19 Continental Championship following a 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-14) win over Nicaragua.

Juan Ruiz Goyco collected 17 points while Jose Pagan finished with 10 for Puerto Rico. Nicaragua’s top scorer was Yuriel Duarte with 5.

This was the second victory in the tournament for Carlos Rodriguez’s coach team “We increased our level from less to more. We also held a practice working tactically with our block and service,” he said about Puerto Rico’s performance tonight.

Captain Luis Garcia remarked: “I think it will be different tomorrow (against Mexico). We have lost our fears during the matches and feel more confident. We improved our counter attack and also in our block”.

Nicaragua’s coach Osman Hernández said he expected a little bit more from the team. “We expected more effort from the boys, they didn’t play like they did it in Honduras, where many people who are here watched them,” Hernández remarked.

“I didn’t really know what happened because we didn’t play the way we have done in other matches,” Douglas Chavez, the captain of Nicaragua, said.