Warriors hunt winning start

In their last meeting, both teams drew 1-1 in 2007 in their final Gold Cup Group stage match while T&T had a 3-2 home win in the second-leg of the 2006 successful Germany World Cup qualifying campaign to avenge a 5-1 away loss.

Yesterday, T&T coach Stephen Hart, appearing in his second Gold Cup with the Soca Warriors after a quarterfinal finish last time out, had one final session at the University of Illinois.

Speaking on the eve of the clash with the Central Americans Hart said he was anxious to get over the opening game.

“The first game is always the one you want to get out of the way in a tournament like this. There is anxiety, eagerness and just a willingness to take the field and play the game. And of course the performance and the result somewhat sets the pace for the rest of the tournament,” Hart said.

Hart’s men will enter today’s clash on a goal drought, but the T&T coach is confident of turning around their fortunes in Chicago.

Officially, T&T is without a goal in 450 international minutes dating back to the Caribbean Cup in November - but did earn a 1-0 win over Haiti behind closed doors, also on Friday, in an unofficial friendly while Guatemala advanced in Concacaf's World Cup qualifying with a 1-0 aggregate win over Bermuda in June, to end a seven-match winless streak before suffering a 4-0 loss to USA in a friendly on Friday.

Since July 1, the “Soca Warrior” have had a strong eight days of preparations in both Miami and Chicago 1 and according to Hart the players have all showed good energy levels.

“I felt it’s good to have certain leadership and people who have played in the tournament especially now where we have a lot of young players who have done well and deserve to be here," Hart said.

With respect to Guatemala Hart says he is expecting a difficult challenge, but nothing that would be beyond Kenwyne Jones and his teammates.

Tournament officials revealed yesterday that 48,000 tickets have been sold for the double header which will also see Cuba taking on Mexico in the second match. The majority of fans will no doubt include Guatemalans, Mexicans and Cubans but the atmosphere is expected to be abuzz and a win for the Soca Warriors will be the ideal start. The conditions have been chilly with temperatures ranging between 16-20 degrees Celsius.

T&T: Guatemala’s ‘Black Beast’.
T&T Express Reports.

Guatemalans have described Trinidad and Tobago as their “Black Beast”, meaning a ferocious and dangerous foe which has often hurt them.

It may be a fitting description. The Soca Warriors have knocked Guatemala out of World Cup qualifying the last two times the countries have met. T&T have not lost to Guatemala since a humiliating 5-1 away loss during the 2006 World Cup campaign. But with the Guatemalans looking qualifiers, T&T won 3-2 at home, edging the Central Americans to fourth place in CONCACAF on the way to qualifying for the World Cup. T&T also kayoed Guatemala in 2010 following a goalless draw in Guatemala City.

Matches between Trinidad and Guatemala are always close, with the Soca Warriors having a slight winning edge. Three CONCACAF Gold meetings have followed that trend. The teams drew 1-1 in the last meeting in 2007; T&T won 4-2 in 2000 under Bertille St Clair and Guatemala won 1-0 in 1991.

OVERALL RECORD

P W D L GF GA

Trinidad and Tobago 14 5 5 4 16 20

Guatemala 14 4 5 5 20 16

HEAD TO HEAD

12/10/2008 WC Qualification CONCACAF 2010 South Africa:

Trinidad and Tobago 0 Guatemala 0

06/09/2008 WC Qualification CONCACAF 2010 South Africa:

Trinidad and Tobago 1 Guatemala 1

12/06/2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007:

Trinidad and Tobago 1 Guatemala 1

03/09/2005 WC Qualification CONCACAF 2006 Germany:

Trinidad and Tobago 3 Guatemala 2

27/03/2005 WC Qualification CONCACAF 2006 Germany:

Guatemala 5 Trinidad and Tobago 1

15/02/2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup 2000:

Trinidad and Tobago 4 Guatemala 2

08/12/1996 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1998 France:

Guatemala 2 Trinidad and Tobago 1

06/10/1996 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1998 France:

Trinidad and Tobago 1 Guatemala 1

1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1991:

Trinidad and Tobago 0 Guatemala 1

03/09/1989 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1990 Italy:

Trinidad and Tobago 2 Guatemala 1

20/08/1989 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1990 Italy:

Guatemala 0 Trinidad and Tobago 1

10/12/1973 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1974 West Germany:

Trinidad and Tobago 1 Guatemala 0

20/11/1968 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1970 Mexico:

Trinidad and Tobago 0 Guatemala 0

17/11/1968 WC Qualification CONCACAF 1970 Mexico:

Guatemala 4 Trinidad and Tobago 0