Football
ESPN staff 7y

Nicaragua beat Haiti with six-minute hat trick to qualify for Gold Cup

Nicaragua have qualified for the Gold Cup after beating Haiti 4-3 on aggregate in dramatic fashion and will line up in the same group as the U.S. at this summer's tournament.

With Nicaragua trailing 3-1 on aggregate in the second leg of their playoff tie, captain Juan Barrera scored a hat trick in the final eight minutes to claim a 3-0 win on the day and a 4-3 victory on aggregate.

Nicaragua are the final team to book their spot at the 2017 Gold Cup and will be in Group B of the competition alongside the U.S., Martinique, and Panama.

Tuesday's second leg at the Nicaragua National Football Stadium was goalless going into the final eight minutes with Haiti seemingly set to qualify, only for Barrera to bag his hat trick within the space of six minutes, scoring in the 82nd, 86th and 88th minutes.

Nicaragua supporters stormed the pitch to celebrate at the final whistle with their team, who last qualified for the Gold Cup in 2009.

The 2017 Gold Cup is due to take place in the U.S. from July 7 to July 26, with Mexico the reigning champions.

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