Warriors allow El Salvador a great come back.
By: Flex Mohammed.
It was a game of two tails. T&T dominated the first half and El Salvador the second. Four goals scored and both teams shared a point each. T&T however, will have the advantage as they were the visiting team.
Midfielder Osael Romero scored two free kicks in a space of eleven minutes to secure a point for El Salvador in the first match of the final round of World Cup qualifying in San Salvador on Wednesday. T&T went into the half leading 2-0 after Carlos Edwards scored a 7 minute goal and captain Dwight Yorke ensured T&T the other with a well taken penalty in the 27th after Stern John was fouled in the box.
But T&T have only themselves to blame for El Salvador's great come back as they allowed the Central Americans to run at them in the second half with countless attacks on goal and it was only a matter of time El Salvador would get back into the game. The writing were on the walls as T&T defence was under tremendous pressure from the El Salvadorians especially in the last 20 minutes of the second half.
Striker Stern John who, had a pretty decent game until his penalty miss in the 47th minute must had been feeling the worst out there for T&T after the game. The incident happened when Mexican referee Marco Antonio Rodriguez blew for a penalty after Kenwyne Jones went down in the box. Surprisingly, Dwight Yorke left the task in the hands of T&T record goal scorer Stern John only for the Bristol City marksman to completely miss his target. His penalty almost hit a "pigeon" sitting on the top of the stadium observing the game. Well, not really, but the ball ended up in the stands, this was a bit of a relieve for El Salvador who realised that they were still in the game and from there on they dominated the proceedings until the final whistle was blown.
But Stern John was not the one who gave T&T a heartache, infact, the striker played an important role in T&T's second goal and did hold-up the ball well for his partner Jones who did nothing special on the night by the way. And, to my amusement Stern John did pitched in helping out the T&T defence. Speaking about defence. Well, it all started when T&T lost Keyeno Thomas through injury as early as the 12 minute. Makan Hislop was his replacement and did relatively good when he came on. But Thomas was surely missed as the inexperience Hislop had some nail bitting moments for T&T and did give away the free-kicks to El Salvador after committing fouls on the opponent that led the great come back.
El Salvador midfielders Eliseo Quintanilla, Osael Romero and Salvador Coreas was having a great time with Aklie Edwards on the left. The Defence Force wing-back was being chewed up as the El Salvadorians noticed that they had an easier path going down the left and continued to take that route throughout the game.
But in all fairness though, Aklie's parther Keon Daniel who by the way was having an awful game left him for dead most of the times. Silvio Spann, T&T's other wing-back was also a sight to see. Being caught out of position on many occasions and having to track back only to be left out by his man time and time again gave the T&T fans a few nerve wrecking moments. The midfielder, now rightback did have some good runs going forward though and one could sense that both wingbacks might be better utilized on the wing. But then again, I'm not the coach.
All was not bad for T&T though as captain Dwight Yorke, Clayton Ince, Dennis Lawrence and Carlos Edwards was definitely a few bright spots for the Warriors. While Chris Birchall and Kenwyne Jones had some very good moments.
Midfielder Osael Romero who was the hero for host El Salvador on the night will have to claim his $20,000 dollars prize money for each of his strikes. The El Salvador government promised $10,000 dollars a goal. Hopefully, he'll spend that wisely, maybe a new pair of goal scoring boot as they play host to CONCACAF giants United States next on March 28 while Trinidad & Tobago will be home against Honduras who fell 2-0 to Costa Rica in their opening game.
Three of the six teams in the regional final will automatically qualify for the 32-team World Cup field in South Africa. The fourth-place team will face a South American side for another berth at the tournament.
TEAMS
T&T Team
1.Clayton Ince, 3.Aklie Edwards, 6.Dennis Lawrence, 5.Keyeno Thomas (4.Makan Hislop 12th), 16.Silvio Spann, 11.Carlos Edwards, 9.Keon Daniel, 7.Christopher Birchall (2.Clyde Leon 59th), 17.Dwight Yorke (capt), 14.Stern John (Cornell Glen 77th), 15.Kenwyne Jones.
Did not play
8.Anthony Wolfe, 12.Densill Theoblad, 18.Marvin Phillip, 10.Russell Latapy.
Coach
Francisco Maturana (COL).
El Salvador Team
1.Juan Gomez, 2.Alexander Escobar, 3.Marvin Gonzalez, 5.Luis Hernandez (14.William Torres 33rd), 6.Shawn Martin (18.Salvador Coreas 60th), 7.Ramon Sanchez (capt), 8.Osael Romero, 9.Rudis Corrales (12.Rodolfo Zelaya 46th), 10.Eliseo Quintanilla, 15.Alfredo Pacheco, 17.Cristian Castillo.
Did not play
4.Deris Umanzor, 11.Miguel Montes, 13.Carlos Ayala, 16.Oscar Jimenez.
Coach
Carlos De Los Cobos (MEX)
RESULTS
T&T 2 (Carlos Edwards 7th, Dwight Yorke 26-Pen) v SLV 2 (Osael Romero 82, 93)
CAUTIONS
Keon Daniel - Yellow Card 40th.
Dwight Yorke - Yellow Card 44th, 90th.
Christopher Birchall - Yellow Card 46th.
Carlos Edwards - Yellow Card 55th.
Clayton Ince - Yellow Card 82nd.
SENT OFF
Dwight Yorke (TRI) 90th.
OFFICIALS
Referee: Marco RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Juan RANGEL (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Salvador RODRIGUEZ (MEX)
Fourth official: Mauricio MORALES (MEX)
ATTENDANCE
25,000.
VENUE
San Salvador / Estadio Cuscatlan
El Salvador register late draw against Warriors.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
Tempers didn’t flare but the mood in the Trinidad and Tobago dressing room would have left anyone with the feeling that the National Senior Footballers had just suffered a most disappointing defeat following its 2-2 draw with El Salvador at the Estadio Cuscatlan on Wednesday night.
Two first half goals by midfielder Carlos Edwards (7th) and Dwight Yorke (27th min penalty) was insufficient to give what could have safely been three points before the closing eleven minutes. Oseal Romero buried two free kicks in the 79th and one in the fifth minute of what was initially signalled by the Mexican fourth official as four minutes of added on time. Mexico’s Marco Rodriguez was the match referee.
In the end, the “Soca Warriors” were made to rue several second half chances including an early second half penalty which Bristol City striker Stern John fired over bar after slipping prior to executing with his right foot.
Francisco Maturana offered no sympathy for the drawn match.
“In a World Cup qualifying campaign to get one point away from home is generally not a bad result . But because of the way this game developed, we leave here with a very bitter taste in us,” Maturana told TTFF Media.
“During the game we had several chanced and we played well. At some moments it looked as if we would win by a large margin but El Salvador came back with a lot of heart and they ended happier than we did.
“We wanted first of all to protect that two goal lead but also get opportunities to increase and we had some chances that we did not capitalize on. But we also did not protect the lead.
“We had to be very careful with Dwight and Chris in the midfield because they had yellow cards but otherwise the instructions to maintain the lead.”
Asked whether his team panicked late in the match, he responded.
“There was no panic. This team has shown very good character in a lot of very difficult situations. The issue of travelling could have affected us but it’s no excuse even though it could have caused a lack of concentration. The goal that they scored came from a throw in that was our throw. They threw a very quick throw and caught us which led to the free kick and that could be as a result of some mental fatigue,”Maturana added.
When quizzed by reporters as to whether Assistant Coach/Player Russell Latapy should have been on the field, Maturana replied “No. I don’t even think that he thought was ready to play. He was very entrenched in what was going on the field of play and very entrenched in his role as an assistant coach. I don’t even think he even had his shoes on.”
T&T will miss the services of Yorke, Clayton Ince and Chris Birchall in the next home match against Honduras on March 28 because of suspension.
“That is definitely something we will have to reassess because these are two players we will have to replace in the middle of our game,” Maturana added.
Latapy assured the T&T team that all was not lost and it was in fact the beginning of a final round journey to South Africa that is still very much alive.
At the end of the match, several soldiers had to form a protective barrier using shields to allow the T&T team members to exit the dressing room on their way to the team bus a little less than 100 metres away. And prior to the team’s closing prayer before departing the dressing room there was a five-minute period where several racial slurs were directed at the T&T team from home fans who were on the opposite end of the wall separating the room.
El Salvador President Antonio Saca announced on matchday too that his Government would reward the El Salvador team USD10,000 for every goal scored in Wednesday’s match. The T&T home-based players return home via Panama City on Copa Airlines at 5pm on Thursday while the other overseas pros travel back to their respective destinations.
