Guatemala and Costa Rica to battle for top place at Montelimar

Montelimar, Nicaragua, February 18, 2012 - Guatemala and Costa Rica are to play for top place in the NORCECA Men’s Beach Volleyball Continental Cup inter zonal tournament between Central America and the Caribbean while El Salvador and Nicaragua will face for third place at Montelimar Beach on Sunday.

The four Central American countries are already qualified to the final stage of the tournament to be held in Nayarit, Mexico from June 19 to 23 where they will be challenging the top four qualifiers from the Central Zone -Cuba, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico – for a place at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Guatemala and El Salvador engaged in a tough semifinal battle finally won by the Guatemalans when the tandem of Andy Leonardo and Erick Garrido triumphed 15-11 in a golden set over the Salvadorian duo of Carlos Leiva and David Vargas. On the other hand, Costa Rica blanked Nicaragua 4-0 in their best-of-five series.

Leonardo/Garrido began their day with a 21-18, 21-14 victory over Luis Morales/Carlos Escobar while Vargas/Leiva defeated Julio Recinos/Moises Reyes 21-15, 21-15. The two countries continued tied up when Leonardo/Garrido prevailed against Leiva/Vargas 18-21, 21-16, 15-12 but Morales/Escobar responded with a 21-19, 21-18 win over Recinos/Reyes.

Costa Rica had an easy journey to the finals when Bryan Monge and Esteban Escobar trounced Nicaragua's top team of Gerald Umaña and Dany Lopez 21-11, 21-13 to open the series while Marcelo Araya and Jonathan Guevara dispatched Winston Calderon and David Mayorga 21-11, 21-16. In the other two matches, Araya/Guevara beat Umaña/Lopez 21-11, 21-17 and Monge/Escobar crushed Calderon/Mayorga 21-7, 21-15.

Later in the afternoon, El Salvador defeated Panama 2-0 in the semifinals for third and fourth place while Nicaragua edged Jamaica 2-1 with a golden set victory 15-8 of Umaña/Lopez over Wayne Scott and Mark Lewis.

Saturday's results

Jamaica 2, Trinidad and Tobago 1

JAM-B d. TRI-A 2-0 (22-20, 21-15), TRI-B d. JAM-A 2-0 (21-12, 21-15). GS: JAM-B d. TRI-B (16-14).

Panama 2, St. Kitts and Nevis 1

SKN-A d. PAN-B 2-0 (21-8, 21-14), PAN-A d. SKN-B 2-0 (21-19, 21-11). GS: PAN-A d. SKN-A (15-9).

Guatemala 3, El Salvador 2

GUA-A d. ESA-B 2-0 (21-18, 21-14), ESA-A d. GUA-B 2-0 (21-15, 21-15), GUA-A d. ESA-A 2-1 (18-21, 21-16, 15-12), ESA-B d. GUA-B 2-0 (21-19, 21-18). GS: GUA-A d. ESA-A (15-11).

Costa Rica 4, Nicaragua 0

CRC-B d. NCA-A 2-0 (21-11, 21-13), CRC-A d. NCA-B 2-0 (21-11, 21-16), CRC-A d. NCA-A 2-0 (21-11, 21-17), CRC-B d. NCA-B 2-0 (21-7, 21-15).

El Salvador 2, Panama 0

ESA-B d. PAN-A 2-0 (22-20, 21-10), ESA-A d. PAN-B (21-10, 21-14).

Nicaragua 2, Jamaica 1

NCA-B d. JAM-A 2-0 (21-13, 22-20), JAM-B d. NCA-A 2-1 (19-21, 21-18, 15-7). GS: NCA-A d. JAM-B (15-8).