Victory by two over Haiti.
By: John Peters.[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Team completed a 2-0 victory against Haiti courtesy of second half goals by Keyeno Thomas and Cornell Glen in Wednesdays friendly international at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
Warming up for next month’s semi final round World Cup qualifier away to Cuba, the Cyd Gray-led Soca Warriors suffered a setback mere minutes before kick off when captain Aurtis Whitley suffered a blow to the ankle in the warm up and had to be replaced in the starting line up by Kevaughn Connell.
The hosts struggled to find their rhythm in the opening 45 minutes as Haiti looked more purposeful and enjoyed larger periods of possession. T&T, playing the 4-5-1 formation with Glen alone up top, only settled in the second half and subsequently found the net in quick succession.
T&T did however create the first good try on goal on nine minutes. Connell pushed forward down the left and played one over neatly to the onrushing Khaleem Hyland but he couldn’t connect well allowing Fenelon Gabart an easy pick up.
Three minutes later Haiti showed their intentions when Germain Peter had his effort deflected inches wide of the goal. Glen, who made a couple surging runs on either side of the half, also had a one time shot saved before the 20-minute mark.
Chris Birchall would be the spot kick server for T&T on the night and caused the Haitian defense their first bit of problems with a well served ball from the left which made good height before going wide off the far post off Thomas’ head.
Haiti did manage some inroads into the T&T goal area but never managed to cause major panic in the T&T back line. They had no less than 16 players in their squad on Wednesday from the squad which beat Netherlands Antilles 1-0 over two legs in last month's World Cup tie. Missing on Wednesday were veteran Pierre Bruny and Cadet Eliphene.
The game picked up pace after the interval with T&T breaking the deadlock. On 62 minutes Birchall’s perfectly flighted free kick from left found the head of Thomas and Gabart had no chance of stopping the ball from entering the net.
Haiti almost got back into the match on 68 minutes when goalie Marvin Philip failed to hold Chery Mones’ left side cross but Peter could only head over from the six yard.
T&T got the 2-0 cushion in the 70th minute when another Birchall delivery from the spot came over from the left and Thomas headed across for an onrushing Glen to convert from close range.
Teams
T&T: - 21-Marvin Phillips. 3-Avery John, 4-Makan Hislop, 5-Keyeno Thomas, 6-Khaleem Hyland, 7-Christopher Birchall (16-Radanfah Abu Bakr 76th), 8-Cyd Gray (capt), 10-Kerry Baptiste (17-Anthony Wolfe 62nd), 2-Kevaughn Connell (11-Andre Toussaint 72nd), 13-Cornell Glen, 18-Densill Theobald.
Did not play: - 2-Aklie Edwards, 15-Gyasi Joyce,1-Cleon John.
Haiti: - 1-Fenelon Gabart, 2-Alcenat Jn Sony, 4-Germain Peter (19.Jean Baptiste Fritzon 69th), 17-Alain Vubert 5-Jerome Mechack, 7-Fucien Brunel (11.Gustave Alain, 78th), (10-Alexandre Boucicaut 59th) 9-Leonel St Prux, 3-Gilles Frantz (15-Raymond Ednerson 77th), 12-Sampeur Markoel, 22-Chery Mones, 20-Joseph Peterson (16-Jean Marc Alexandre).
Did not play: - 30- Pierre Louis Wings, 6-Guerrier Parnel.
Match OfficialsReferee – Kevin Tmas (Jamaica)
Assistant 1 – Egert Paesch (Aruba)
Assistant 2 – Triston Tullock (Jamaica)
Fourth Official – Dave Peterkin (Jamaica)
View Post Game Comments.
Maturana fights back.
...Warriors see off Haitian threat.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Francisco Maturana gave a glimpse of his staying power at the Marvin Lee Stadium on Wednesday night with a timely interview in English as the "Soca Warriors" defeated Caribbean champions, Haiti, 2-0 for their seventh win from 12 internationals under the Colombian football coach.
At the post-match press conference, Maturana made his maiden media address in English-even in the questions and answers segment-and shared the head table with previously ignored 2006 World Cup players, Cornell Glen and Chris Birchall.
There was a suspicion that the inclusion of both players was forced upon the former two-time Colombia World Cup coach but he fended off the enquiry as to whether he sacrificed his supposed stance regarding the use of players who do not represent their respective clubs.
"I think that I am (an) intelligent man," he said. "I don't hate any compromise. (The) only (point is) for the football (team) to win
"(As far as I am concerned) all players are available."
Maturana appeared to be floundering after Trinidad and Tobago's slender goal aggregate triumph over Bermuda in June but at least he has managed a response.
On the field, he scrapped his team's 4-1-3-2 formation for a more pragmatic 4-1-4-1 and recalled discarded World Cup players like Cyd Gray, Anthony Wolfe, Avery John, Glen and Birchall. Off the field, assistant coach Anton Corneal, whose perceived influence courted criticism, has become less visible while the Colombian also paraded his improved English.
Of course, the most important bit is the wins column and Maturana improved that too with a more noteworthy victory, if not more convincing, than previous exhibitions against Grenada, Barbados, Guyana and the Netherlands Antilles.
The Haitians were livelier but fashioned only one scoring opportunity when the teams were level, striker Leonel St Preux wasting a free header in the first half.
The Warriors' threat came, almost exclusively, from deep free kicks which Birchall repeatedly aimed at powerful central defender, Keyeno Thomas. In the 62nd minute, Thomas headed home his second international goal in 56 caps from a Birchall delivery and, eight minutes later, the Joe Public player headed across goal for Glen to nod into an empty net.
It was Glen's first goal at this level in three years-his last came against Panama at the 2005 Gold Cup-and his tenth overall from 39 outings.
The talented 27-year-old striker was his own worse critic and gave the impression that he is, belatedly, ready to build on the promise that illuminated Trinidad and Tobago's famous World Cup tie against Sweden.
"I have a lot of work to do," said Glen, at Wednesday's press conference. "My fitness, my first touch, my decision making "
Birchall, in his first international for two years, did not knock a Haitian off the ball until the 58th minute and, even then, he conceded a free kick in the process. His dead ball delivery was his sole redeeming quality on the night as he tries to win a place ahead of W Connection midfielder Clyde Leon and, possibly, 19-year-old Khaleem Hyland, who gave a notable performance of restrained aggression in the holding midfield role vacated by the injured Aurtis Whitley.
"I am really glad to get (this first game) out of the way," said the England-born midfielder. "It is a rebuilding process and I think we are going in the right (direction)."
In goal, Connection employee Marvin Phillip became the first T&T custodian in over a decade-at least-to record six successive clean sheets. He is two shy of Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince for the most shut-outs in a calendar year.
Ince managed eight blanks in 2000-the most on record by a national keeper-with three against Canada and one each against Panama, Mexico, Barbados, Netherlands Antilles and the Dominican Republic. Phillip's shut outs, thus far, have come against El Salvador, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles and Haiti.
The strength of Phillip's and Maturana's records is open to debate. But on Wednesday night, at least in the post-game chat, the glass looked half full.
Haiti beaten 2-0 at 'Marvin Lee'
By: Ian Prescott (Express).[/size]
Warriors winIf Trinidad and Tobago wanted to be known as the best football-playing team in the Caribbean, incumbents Haiti made sure they worked hard to prove it last night at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya.
The "Soca Warriors" had real opponents on their hands: quick, rough Haitians who tested them before the home team secured a 2-0 victory in the first of a two-match series.
If anyone expected fluid, beautiful Soca Warriors football, they were soon disappointed. Haiti disrupted the play, allowing T&T to play in their own half, but pressured them when they came forward.
T&T suffered a setback before the first whistle, losing designated captain Aurtis Whitley, who injured his leg during the warming-up on the artificial surface. French-based player Kevaughn Connell replaced him.
Meanwhile, Haiti's squad contained eight players from the 2007 Caribbean Cup championship winning team, including scorers Alexander Boucicat (midfield playmaker) and Fucien Brunel (midfielder).
Only missing from Haiti's World Cup qualifying squad were starting strikers Eliphene Cadet and Fabrice Noel (Puerto Rico Islanders), and captain Pierre Bruny.
Meanwhile, T&T had four survivors from last year's Caribbean Cup squad in the then captain Densill Theobald, young central defender Makan Hislop, Kerry Baptiste and keeper Marvin Phillip. More important T&T started five of their 2006 World Cup starters in Chris Birchall, Avery John, Theobald, Cornell Glen and Cyd Gray, with a sixth, Anthony Wolfe on the bench.
Despite a goalless first half, there was still enough action to keep fans attentive. Haiti signaled their intentions early, with a direct attack in the very first minute. T&T goalkeeper Marvin Phillip was quickly pressed into action. But although failing to cut out a through ball, Phillip still gathered the rebound before Haitian striker Leonel St Preux.
And St Preux had another chance in the 28th when heading away a wide cross from Jean Sony Alcenat. Connell's pace set up T&T's best first half chance in the 10th. Racing a full 40 metres out of defence up the left, Connell centred the ball to lone striker Glen, who shrugged off his marker but only just failed to slip the ball under the dive of goalkeeper Fenelon Gabart.
And on the half hour, Glen had another half chance, but turned the ball into the side-netting under pressure. T&T finally broke the deadlock in the 62nd, taking a 1-0 lead when Birchall hit a pin-point free-kick to central defender Keyeno Thomas, who nailed a downward header at the back post.
And just seven minutes later, Birchall and Thomas combined with another free-kick. This time Thomas reached the ball at the back post, and headed it across goal, where Glen scored in the 69th to make the score 2-0. T&T are now halfway towards proving they are the Caribbean's best, but, let's see how they do when the teams meet again in Haiti on August 10.
Soca Warriors blank Haiti 2-0.
By: Nigel Simon (Guardian).[/size]
The “Soca Warriors” continued their 2010 South Africa World Cup preparations with a 2-0 shut-out of reigning Digicel Cup Caribbean champions, Haiti, 2-0 in a friendly international at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, yesterday.
After a less than inspiring first 45 minutes, second-half strikes from defender Keyeno Thomas and forward Cornell Glen secured a second straight win for T&T over the Haitians, who had earned a 2-1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in the Digicel final last year. However, the match did not get off to a good start for the host, as minutes before the kick-off, captain Aurtis Whitley, who was expected to make a return from injury after missing the last two matches had to be replaced from the starting 11.
Whitley, picked up an ankle injury while warming up on the artificial turf surface and his place in the team was taken by winger Kevaughn Connell while the captain’s band was handed to Cyd Gray. Seconds into the match, the Haitians were almost gifted a goal by a lethargic T&T defence, however goalkeeper Marvin Phillip was able to recover in time while at the other end the first real sign of life of attack from T&T came in the ninth minute, when Connell began a counter-attack down the left flank.
After reaching just over the half line, Connell picked out an over-lapping Gray racing down the centre of the Haitians defence, but with goalkeeper Fenelon Gabart to beat he fired straight into the legs of the keeper. Apart from that, the visitors enjoyed the better of the first half, stroking the ball around the field without much pressure from a very relaxed T&T midfield but with no real positive effect on the scorecard.
The Haitians should have gone ahead in the 26th minute, but striker Leonel St Preux, managed to head wide of the target from less than six yards out from a pin-point Alcenat Sony right-sided cross. T&T’s only other real threats of the first period came via some long range free-kicks taken by England-based Christopher Birchall, and aimed at Thomas at the far post, which were all handled by the Haitians.
Speedy forward Glen also looked to be coming into his own and on a few occasions had the Haitian defenders snatching at air with his quick turns and change of pace. But being the lone striker employed by T&T coach Francisco Maturana, he found the task too much to carry against the no-nonsene Haiti defenders.
At the intervention, Maturana seemed to have had a much needed pep talk with his players who looked much more purposeful, but the Haitians were still enjoying much of the ball with their quick and crisp inter-passing. Against the run of play though, T&T went ahead when Thomas rose high above the Haitian defence, not for the first time in the match, to head in another well flighted Birchall free-kick.
The goal seemed to knock some wind out of the Haitians, and six minutes later, Birchall and Thomas were both involved in T&T’s second goal, scored by Glen. From another Birchall free-kick, Thomas headed the ball back across the face of the goal from on the bye-line where an unmarked Glen chested the ball into a gaping goal.
When the final whistle came it was yet another win for coach Maturana against a Caribbean opponent and a third straight 2-0 win at Macoya, following on the heels of recent wins over Guyana and Netherland Antilles as they look ahead to the Concacaf Semifinal Round Group A World Cup Qualification home-and-away matches versus Cuba, Guatemala and USA beginning on August 20, in Havana.
The Haitians are also fine tuning their preparations for Concacaf matches against Suriname, Costa Rica and El Salvador in Group C while Group B comprises, Jamaica, Canada, Mexico and Honduras. T&T will now journey to Port-Au-Prince to face Haiti on August 10 and then face El Salvador in Washington in another friendly on August 14 before heading to Havana for its opening Semifinal Round fixture.
Touches report