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Women team storm into semis with 2-1 over Guatemala.
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Trinidad & Tobago scored twice in the second half to defeat Guatemala 2-1 in the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium on Monday.

Kennya Cordner headed the Soca Princesses into a 1-0 lead in the 73rd minute, before Maylee Attin Johnson doubled the advantage via the penalty spot nine minutes later.

Maria Monterroso halved the deficit for Guatemala in the 90th minute, but it wasn't enough the prevent the Chapinas' elimination.

Teams

T&T: - 17-Tenesha Palmer, 15-Arin King, 16-Brianna Ryce, 4-Rhea Belgrave (11-Janine Francois 89th), 15-Liana Hinds (Yellow 58), 7-Dernelle Mascall, 20-Lauren Hutchinson, 9-Maylee Attin Johnson (capt.), 12-Ahkeela Mollon (2-Ayanna Russell 82nd), 19-Kennya Cordner, 13-Anique Walker (3-Mariah Shade 52nd).

Head Coach: - Randy Waldrum.

Guatemala: - 12.Alicia Navas, 2.Daniela Andrade (15.Christian Recinos 86th), 5.Londy Barrios (Yellow 82), 6.Gloria Aguilar, 14.Coralia Monterroso, 3.Marilyn Rivera, 4.Mia Espino, 8.Maria Monterroso, 10.Kimberly De León, 9.Ana Martinez, 13.Aisha Solorzano (19.Diana Barrera 86th).

 Coach: - Benjamin Monterroso.

World Cup dream continues.
T&T Newsday.


The dream continues for the Soca Princesses as they beat Guatemala 2-1 yesterday to put themselves in good position to advance to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Women’s Championships at RFX Stadium, Washington, USA.

Locked in battle after a goalless first half, the speedy Kennya Cordner headed TT in front in the 72nd minute after good work down the right by Ahkeela Mollon.

Cordner, who posed the Guatemala defence problems throughout the 90 minutes with her pace, made the Guatemalans pay with a strong run into the box before she was cut down illegally by Londy Barrios who conceded a penalty. National captain Maylee Attin-Johnson made no mistake from 12 yards out, dispatching the penalty kick to the right of the goalie who went the wrong direction.

There was some nervous moments though when Maria Monterroso pulled one back with a header in the 90th minute.

There were to be no further inroads as the Soca Princesses held on for a deserved win.

With the result, TT moved to six points from three matches and into second spot provisionally behind USA in Group A. The Americans, the top women’s team in the world, were in action against Haiti just after press time last night, looking for their third straight victory to top the group. USA have beaten Haiti 10-0 and 5-0 in their last two encounters.

TT started their match yesterday the stronger team and Mollon should have done better when picked out with a left-footed cross from Cordner but failed to get good connection on her half-volley and her tame shot was saved.

The TT defence, breached just once for the tournament, got a scare in the 36th when forward Ana Martinez raced past Lauren Hutchinson and in on goal but goalkeeper Tinesha Palmer, in for the suspended Kimika Forbes, raced off her line to make the save.

Mollon was finding space down the left, and tested Alicia Navas in the Guatemala goal with a couple of shots which she handled with ease.

TT coach Randy Waldrum decided to shake things up in front, sending on striker Mariah Shade for Anique Walker in a like-for-like swap. The substitution sparked the TT attack into life with Shade linking up well with her fellow forwards. Shade should have done better when she ran on to a delightful flick from Mollon into the penalty area but she skewed her right-footer wide of the right post.

TT would eventually take the lead, Shade and Mollon combining down the right before the latter swung a teasing cross at the last post where Cordner rose highest to direct her header into the back of the net. The goal seemed to inspire the Soca Princesses who pushed for a second goal. They would be rewarded when Cordner, in the 81st, received a pass just outside the box and wove past three defenders before she was hacked down by the last defender. TT skipper Attin-Johnson stepped up and dispatched the penalty to the delight of her teammates.

A lapse in concentration on the stroke of the 90th allowed Monterroso to steal in to head a free-kick into the net but it was not enough as TT picked up the victory. A win or draw by USA against Haiti would see both USA and TT advance to the semi-finals. Haiti needed to beat USA by two clear goals to advance at TT’s expense.

Soca Princesses whip Guatemala 2-1.
By Ian Prescott (Express).


DREAM ALIVE

KENNYA CORDNER put in a 74th minute header and captain Maylee Attin-Johnson converted a 83rd minute penalty, as Trinidad and Tobago’s national women’s footballers came away 2-1 winners over Guatemala in Washington, DC, yesterday to put themselves in prime position to progress to the final four of the CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

Outplayed for much of the match, Guatemala got a consolation goal a minute into added-on time, when 20-year-old midfielder María Monterroso beat late T&T substitute Ayanna Russell to a lofted ball into the 18-metre box, and put a glancing header past inexperienced Soca Princesses goalkeeper Teneshia Palmer.

For the second consecutive match, striker Cordner was on the end of a precise cross from Ahkeela Mollon when beating the Guatemalan keeper at the back post, and also won the decisive penalty when taken down while driving between two defenders.

The win made the Soca Princesses almost certain to move on to the final four of the Championship. To stop them, Caribbean third-placed finishers Haiti would have had to accomplish the greatest upset in the tournament’s history, by beating the world No.1 ranked Americans in last night’s later match.

With ambitions of becoming the first Caribbean team to qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Soca Princesses finished their Group A programme with six points, and are highly likely to advance as the second-placed finishers to the group leaders United States and advance to the knockout round, where they would meet Costa Rica in Pennsylvania on Friday, for a spot in both the CONCACAF final and the World Cup.

Today, Caribbean runners-up Jamaica have their fate in their own hands, and need to beat Mexico to advance to the final round.

The first three CONCACAF finishers qualify automatically for the 2015 FIFA Women World Cup to be played next year in Canada. Should they finish fourth, at minimum, T&T will earn a two-leg playoff against Ecuador for another World Cup spot, the route which took the men’s team, the Soca Warriors, to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The first leg is carded for November 8/9 in Ecuador and the return between November 22/23.

Yesterday, T&T dominated a goalless first half, but, rather than build on their superior possession in the second half, the Princesses became very scrappy, particularly in the midfield.

However, Cordner’s goal lifted them. And the penalty she earned provided the needed insurance.