Trinidad and Tobago and Ecuador Play to a Draw in World Cup Qualifying
By Hal Kaiser (Orange in the Oven)
It was a tale of two halves in Quito, as Trinidad and Tobago faced Ecuador in the first leg of a playoff for one of the final two spots in the Women’s World Cup in Canada next summer. The end result of both halves was identical, however, as the teams played to a 0-0 draw in front of over 15,000 in a match played at an altitude of 9,127 feet.
The opening ten minutes were frenetic as both teams raced up and down the pitch in a pace that likely favored the home side given the altitude. Thereafter, the Soca Princesses began to take control of the match with Ecuador dropping deep to defend and struggling to get numbers forward.
The pace and athleticism of the Trinidadian players proved difficult for Ecuador to cope with in the 1st half, and La Tri accrued three yellow cards early on as they dove to where the ball once was but found only the legs of the opposing players.
Still, the Ecuadorian defense proved difficult to break down and despite all of Trinidad & Tobago’s possession, they were unable to get a good look at goal. Ahkeela Mollon looked dangerous on the right side of the pitch, however the final ball was always lacking. Her best chance to create came in the 31st minute when she made a clever move to beat a defender along the right touchline only to hit her cross straight at the keeper.
In the final five minutes of the half, Ecuador began to show some signs of life as the altitude, perhaps, started to take its toll on the Trinidadian players. La Tri could not string together enough passes to threaten goal, however. The closest they came was in the 40th minute when a cross into the box found Ingrid Rodriguez, who chested it up nicely but went down under the slightest of contact. The referee was not impressed, and no foul was called.
As the sides went into the locker room, it was 0-0 with Ecuador having reason to feel good after surviving Trinidad and Tobago’s best efforts to get forward to score.
After the half, Trinidad and Tobago continued to look tired, getting increasingly sloppy in possession as Ecuador began to push numbers forward. Four minutes into the half, Andrea Pesantes had La Tri’s first real chance on goal, picking up a Trinidad and Tobago clearance near the top of the box and blasting a shot wide.
In the 53rd minute, T&T keeper Kimika Forbes was called upon to punch a dangerous set piece out of the box. Three minutes later, Ecuador brought on the dangerous Erika Vásquez who made her presence felt immediately. In the 60th minute, she was nearly played through on goal but the defense was alert to the danger and cleared. Two minutes later, she was played through again but Forbes was quick off her line and slid out to deflect the ball away.
In the 73rd minute, Pesantes stole the ball near the top of the Trinidad and Tobago box and let loose another long range volley which went just over the crossbar. As Ecuador continued to press forward, Trinidad and Tobago looked increasingly tired leading Randy Waldrum to send Tasha St Louis and Dernelle Mascall into the game.
In the 80th minute, Ecuador sent a dangerous ball into the box but the defense cleared. A minute later, a free kick for Ecuador created a frenzy in front of goal, but the Soca Princesses were again finally able to clear.
The 82nd minute saw a rare chance for Trinidad and Tobago, but the shot from the top of the box went harmlessly to the keeper.
Over the final five minutes of the game plus stoppage time, the pace picked up and chances came fast and furious at both ends of the pitch. In the 87th minute, Kennya Cordner found space at the far post but could not get up high enough to make good contact on a cross from the right touchline.
Four minutes later, the ball was in the back of the net as Cordner challenged the Ecuadorian keeper on a ball into the box, however she was judged to have fouled the keeper. In the 93rd, Quintero had a quality chance for Ecuador but headed wide of the net.
As the whistle blew following nearly six minutes of stoppage time, the Soca Princesses took a deep breath of relief having come away with a scoreless draw in difficult conditions. The teams will meet again on December 2nd in Port of Spain for the second leg of the playoff. A win on home turf and the Soca Princesses are through to the World Cup.
