Goal spree results in 2-2 draw for Mexico, Trinidad.
Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago combined for three goals in a eight-minute span midway through the second half en route to a 2-2 draw at Hasely Crawford Stadium Wednesday night on the final night of CONCACAF qualification for the 2010 World Cup.
Mexico, which saw its five-match winning streak snapped, finished second in the CONCACAF “hexagonal”, one point behind the United States. Honduras defeated El Salvador 1-0 in San Salvador and, coupled with USA’s stunning 2-2 draw against Costa Rica, earned the confederation’s third automatic berth to the World Cup.
Trinidad & Tobago, which received two goals from Kerry Baptiste, finished last in the six-team group with six points from 10 matches.
Playing for nothing but pride, the Soca Warriors pressured El Tri from the opening kick. Dennis Lawrence’s point blank header was pushed away by Guillermo Ochoa, who also was caught off his line moments later before a Trinidad defender cleared the ball off the line.
Baptiste was then played behind the Mexican defense, but he fired well of the target from 16 meters. Baptiste stepped to the spot in the 32nd minute after Gerardo Torrado was adjusted to handle a deep cross.
The Joe Public midfielder fired a low shot that just evaded Ochoa, who guessed correctly and Trinidad & Tobago had a 1-0 halftime lead.
Enrique Esqueda equalized in the 58th minute, ripping the ball over goalkeeper Marvin Phillip’s right shoulder from the right side of the box.
But the Soca Warriors quickly regained the lead when Baptiste latched onto Hector Hughton’s ball into the box and headed past Ochoa from the edge of the six-yard box in the 61st minute.
Trinidad’s lead lasted all of five minutes, though, as Carlos Salcido got in behind the defense and headed the equalizer into the net.
The Soca Warriors nearly claimed all three points moments later, but Robert Primus’ header caromed off the crossbar.
With the United States losing 2-0 to Costa Rica at halftime in Washington, it seemed Mexico would finish atop the group with a draw, but the Americans rallied late and on Jonathan Bornstein’s goal 4½ minutes into second-half stoppage time to stay one point ahead of El Tri.
FULL TIME, 2-2
T&T 2 (Kerry Baptiste 32-Pen, 60) v Mexico 2 (Enrique Esqueda 55th, Carlos Salcido 67th)
MEX: - 1.Guillermo Ochoa; 15.José Castro, 4.Héctor Moreno, 2.Jose Magallón, 3.Carlos Salcido; 6.Gerardo Torrado (capt), 8.Israel Castro, 18.Andrés Guardado (7.Pablo Barrera 46th), 11.Carlos Vela; 17.Juan Palencia (10.Cuauhtémoc Blanco 54th), 14.Miguel Sabah (9.Enrique Esqueda 54th).
Subs - 12.José Corona (GK); 5.Ricardo Osorio, 13.Óscar Rojas, 16.Efraín Juárez.
T&T: - 1.Marvin Phillip; 5.Robert Primus, 16.Kern Cupid, 6.Dennis Lawrence, 4.Jake Thomson; 8.Trent Noel (16.Densill Theobald 78th), 11.Carlos Edwards (capt), 2.Clyde Leon, 10.Hayden Tinto (9.Hughton Hector 56th); 14.Kerry Baptiste, 15.Devon Jorsling (17.Kenwyne Jones 76th).
Subs: 18.Jan-Michael Williams (GK), 13.Juma Clarence, 3.Keston Williams, Leston Paul, 12.Shahdon Winchester.
CONCACAF.COM
Warriors close with a draw.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
The die hard fans of the “Soca Warriors” witnessed a gritty showing from their team as Trinidad and Tobago kept pace for 90 minutes to hold Mexico 2-2 in the final 2010 World Cup Qualifying encounter at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday night.
No more than 4,000 fans showed up at the venue but those who did were treated to a fine exhibition of football as the Russell Latapy team turned up the tempo and then Mexico brought themselves back with an intense second half display.
Mexico came into the match already assured of a South Africa spot but eager to finish top of the group and were only without regular stars Rafael Marquez (suspended) Giovani Dos Santos and Guillermo Franco.
T&T started better and could have found themselves at least 2-0 ahead in the first half had there been better finishing from Joe Public striker Kerry Baptiste who later made up with a penalty strike and second half finish.
On ten minutes Hayden Tinto swung one over from the right but Baptiste had his effort stopped by goalie Guillermo Ochoa.
Soon after Baptiste again collected inside the box and appeared to be well through before scoffing his effort, seeing it saved by Johnny Magallon.
Before 18 minutes, it was Baptiste again left holding his head in dismay when he shot wide.
T&T, starting with Baptiste and Devon Jorsling up front and Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones on the bench, capitalized on a penalty call against Gerrardo Torrado for handle ball and Baptiste comfortably converted to put T&T ahead 1-0, a lead they would maintain until the break but not before some anxious moments at the bar.
Goalkeeper Marvin Phillip was at his best to deny Carlos Villa and Andres Guardado.
Mexico came back out in search of the equalizer and duly got it when Enrique Esqueda leveled the scores on 56 minutes when he sent a perfectly directed effort over Phillip.
Soon after Mexico pressed again and went close but Esqueda failed to convert.
T&T, realizing that Mexico had now shifted gear, needed to get back ahead and did so in the 61st minute when substitute Hughton Hector whipped one in from the right for Baptiste to power a header home to the delight of the home fans. Game on.
But the Mexicans, with veteran number 10 Blanco now on the pitch, battled back and leveled up when Carlos Salcido headed home from a Pablo Barrera cross.
T&T went close again when debutant defender Robert Primus saw his header rebound off the post following a Carlos Edwards left side delivery.
Edwards, a T&T work machine and captain on the night , almost snatched a late winner when he hit wide in the final minute.
Overall a deserved scoreline for the affair but definitely one which would have left the fans with something to feel good about and bit of weight off Latapy and his men.
The T&T defence was marshaled by Dennis Lawrence with Kern Cupid, Primus and Jake Thomson turning in decent efforts on the night.
Lawrence, later announced his retirement from international football, thanking his teammates and staff members in the dressing room for a memorable journey wearing in the red, white and black.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, speaking afterwards, said he was pleased with finishing the match with a draw but disappointed on missing out on topping the group.
“It was a good result and a good performance by both teams. I want to thank the Mexican people for the support and this success is for them. The game was a difficult one and we came here hoping to win but yes we leave a little disappointed that we didn’t win the group.
But I was happy with how we came back to draw the game and I would say well done to Trinidad. They played a good game against us,” Aguirre said.
T&T’s Latapy paid compliments to his troops.
“The match itself was well played by both teams and I guess it‘s a good enough way to finish the campaign. We played 90 minutes of football which is the most important thing at this level. I want to say congrats to our players for the efforts tonight and hopefully we can all learn from this campaign and look ahead to the future with a fair amount of hope and optimism.
Nothing on football comes easily and we have learned that in this campaign, the players and those involved in the campaign. I would like to congratulate the teams that have qualified from our region for South Africa and wish them all the best. Our hope and desire must be to be one of those teams in 2014,” Latapy said.
The result pushed T&T to six points as they remained in sixth spot behind El Salvador which lost 1-0 to Honduras on Wednesday night. The Hondurans qualified for South Africa by way of a 64th minute winner by Carlos Pavon who made up for his last minute penalty miss versus USA on Saturday. They join Mexico and the Americans as the automatic qualifiers with Costa Rica now having to wait on the playoffs.