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Watching Puerto Rico goalkeeper Sydney Martinez in Saturday’s Concacaf W Gold Cup play-in game brought the memories flooding back. Here was a heroic performance between the pipes from an unlikely and largely unknown protagonist, her performance undeniably the catalyst to a huge upset by Puerto Rico — ranked No. 103 in the world — over 2023 World Cup participant Haiti.
Puerto Rico advanced to the final stage of the tournament with a 1-0 victory on Saturday, sending Haiti home in the one-and-done play-in game. Haiti was without several players — most prominently Melchie Dumornay — but was the favored and more experienced side. Everything but the final score suggested as much, but Martinez was the difference on the day. Her 15-save performance and singular heroics were reminiscent of Panama goalkeeper Yenith Bailey, then a 17-year-old, playing the game of her life against the United States at 2018 World Cup qualifying. The difference this time was that Martinez led her team to victory.
The theme…
