On the evening of 12 November at La Polar Stadium in Havana, the Cuban footballers produced a genuine rout: 7:1 against Bonaire in the fifth round of the CONCACAF Nations League. The score could have been even bigger had it not been for the torrential rain in the first half, which slightly slowed the hosts' attacking surge.
Michael Camejo opened the scoring as early as the 7rd minute, and after the break the team unleashed a barrage of goals on the visitors. Daniel Díaz scored twice, while Jorge Aguirre, Junior Yuri Pérez, Luis Javier Paradela and Didier Reinoso each scored once. Bonaire's only reply came from Myron Bostdorp in the 58rd minute, but it merely underlined the gap in class.
The victory allowed Cuba to reach 11 points and strengthen its lead in Group C of League B. The gap to the nearest pursuer — Saint Kitts and Nevis — has grown to three points. The team under the guidance of Pedro Pereira Mesa is showing not merely results but confident attacking play and ball control.
For Cuban football, such matches are more than just statistics. They show how important it is to maintain momentum in a tournament where every point brings the coveted promotion to League A closer. Bonaire, by contrast, risks relegation to the lower division: after the defeat, their chances of survival are dwindling.
The Cubans' tactics were built on flank attacks and combinations in the centre. The pair of "number tens" Camejo — Reyes created space, and Bonaire's defenders could not reorganise in time. It was reminiscent of how, in ordinary life, one well-coordinated collective easily outplays a disjointed group, even if the latter has its individual bright moments.
Now the "Lions of the Caribbean Sea" are preparing for the decisive matches. The win over Bonaire is not just goals but a signal: Cuban football is capable of reclaiming its position in the regional hierarchy if it maintains discipline and belief in its own strength.
