'Unprecedented achievements' - Leeds United's Junior Firpo stars in international decider as defender adds to goal tally in style
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Dominican Republic also clinched promotion to Concacaf Nations League A with a resounding victory over Bermuda on Tuesday evening, in which Firpo provided two assists.
The 28-year-old scored three for the country of his birth during October's international break, including a 'Panenka' style penalty and added a pair of assists this month to bring his overall tally for club and country to 15 for the calendar year.
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Hide AdSeparate 6-1 wins versus Dominica and Bermuda over the past week allowed Dominican Republic to celebrate making history in style, maintaining a 100 per cent record in their Nations League B Group D fixtures.
The outcome of Tuesday night's match was a foregone conclusion, so long as Firpo and co avoided a highly improbable six-goal goal difference swing to the Bermudans, which would have instead seen Dominican Republic finish second in the group.
Dorny Romero (4), Heinz Morschel and Jean Carlos Lopez made sure of all three points and qualification with the Dominican Republic's goals.
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Hide AdFirpo only made his senior international debut in March this year having switched allegiance from Spain, but has swiftly become the country's star man, owing to previous experience with Real Betis and Barcelona, as well as his prominence in English football at Leeds.
"The Dominican National Soccer Team defeated Bermuda 6-1 to earn a direct ticket to the 2025 Gold Cup and promotion to League A of the Concacaf Nations League, both unprecedented achievements for Dominican men's soccer," the country's footballing federation official website read.
Next summer's Gold Cup, hosted across 13 cities in the United States and Canada will take place between mid-June and early July. Sixteen teams will compete in the tournament with Dominican Republic among the first seven to confirm their place, along with co-hosts United States and Canada, holders Mexico, Haiti, El Salvador, Curacao and Panama.
Firpo is due back at Thorp Arch on Thursday this week ahead of Leeds' trip to face Swansea City on Sunday, however, the defender will not be eligible to feature until next weekend due to a three-match suspension for violent conduct. Having already served one match of the three-game ban against Queens Park Rangers before the international break, Firpo misses the visit to Swansea as well as Luton Town's visit to Elland Road.
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