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Eve pleased with Warriors’ performance...rout of Bahamas a big improvement on showing vs Grenada
By Ian Prescott (T&T Express)
Senior men’s football team head coach Angus Eve is pleased with both the result and performance as Trinidad and Tobago recorded the biggest winning margin in CONCACAF Zone 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifying to date, after they thrashed Bahamas 7-1 on Saturday in Basseterre, St Kitts.
“The result was the most important thing for us,” noted Eve. “We wanted to win the game. We wanted to get three points.” He felt the showing was a big improvement by T&T compared to its 2-2 draw against Grenada last Wednesday, when the Soca Warriors rallied after trailing by two early goals.
“I thought we were a little bit flat in the first game (against Grenada) and we never got going until the second half. We wanted to right that wrong, and I think we did it,” said Eve. “The passing was much better...the fluency of the team.”
Eve does not think it mattered than they played Bahamas, a team less aggressive and probably of lower quality than Grenada. Last World Cup cycle, the Bahamians grabbed a crucial 0-0 draw against T&T-- then coached by Englishman Terry Fenwick-- thus ending the Soca Warriors’ run during 2022 World Cup qualifying.
“It doesn’t matter who we played. This team (Bahamas) threw us out of the World Cup last time around. I don’t think we could have scored on them (in June 2021),” assesed Eve. “It shows improvement, for us beating them by seven.”
He was also pleased the Soca Warriors did not rest on their laurels after establishing an early advantage, having gone two-nil up in the first quarter-hour. “As the game went along, we believed we could have gotten more (goals),” intimated Eve. “We pushed for more, and it has taken us up to four points, which is most important.”
The coach made seven changes to his starting team that played Grenada, bringing in Malcolm Shaw and Duane Muckette, both scoring a double, as well as Andre Rampersad, Alvin Jones, Steffen Yeates, Triston Hodge and Josiah Trimmingham.
Yeates was making his national team debut, along with Dantaye Gilbert, the Holland-based teenager, while striker Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, 37, was playing his first World Cup qualifier, coming on as a second-half substitute.
“I just wanted to freshen up the team,” Eve explained. “I have confidence in all of the guys that we brought here,” adding, “We believe that we could kind of change up the squad somewhat and get the desired result.”
Yeates, 24, who was born in Canada and plays for Pacific FC, made a favourable impression in the midfield.
“I thought they did very well,” Eve assessed. “Yeates, as I said, since last October, we were looking at him. He is an intelligent footballer. He plays the ball well.”
Having come into the camp with a minor injury, Eve thought it best to restrict Gilbert’s playing time. “We kind of saved him a little bit from the first match and gave him the opportunity to play in this match. It’s always good to give a young player debut, and tonight we give two players debuts, and I think they did well.”
Eve mentioned that playmaker Muckette also delivered, netting a brace and setting up another. Striker Shaw also scored a double. “Duane has been doing good in the local League; Malcolm is playing more consistently in the Canada league,” noted Eve. “We believe in all the players that we bring here, and we have no fear to change up the team.”
T&T continue their 2026 World Cup Qualifying series next June, when hosting St Kitts/Nevis, before ending the series away to Costa Rica. The top two teams in each of six groups will advance to the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying.
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