Game Report: Trinidad and Tobago vs Costa Rica
By LASANA LIBURD
SPANISH, it seemed, was the first language at the Hasely Crawford National
Stadium yesterday evening as Costa Rica defeated hosts Trinidad and Tobago 2-0
in a 2002 Concacaf World Cup qualifier.
The result made Costa Rica the 11th team to qualify for the 2002 World Cup and
the first from the Concacaf region.
And, at the final whistle, a large group of Costa Rican supporters screamed and
tossed drinks and hats in the air to mark the occasion.
In contrast, a disoriented Trinidad and Tobago squad slunk towards the dressing
room with the weight of four successive defeats on their shoulders.
The match should have heralded the rebirth of the “Soca Warriors” under the
guidance of Brazilian technical director Rene Simoes but, instead, was nothing
short of a Costa Rican fiesta.
As the teams faced the covered stands for the playing of the anthems, the
Warriors would have been bemused to see—in that section—more Central
American supporters than locals.
There were anywhere from 500 to 1,500 Costa Ricans from an attendance of
approximately 6,500 spectators at the stadium.
It was hard to gauge an exact figure as both sets of supporters wore red. But
there was no doubt about which was the noisier group.
The visitors did not have to wait long to start their party.
Just four minutes into the match, Costa Rican striker Ronald Gomez spun on
opposing sweeper Anton Pierre—about 25 yards from goal—and charged into the
penalty area.
His low left footer nestled in the back of the net, despite a touch from
goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, for the opening item and his first goal of the 2002
qualifying series.
The loud roar that went up from the covered stands suggested that they were on
their way.
The visiting supporters, as it turned out, had good reason for optimism.
Three minutes later, the “Ticos” almost struck again when captain Reynaldo
Parks deflected a Walter Centeno shot towards goal.
Only a good low block from Hislop and a desperate defensive clearance averted
the danger on that occasion.
The locals, who made six changes to their starting line-up since their last
qualifier, slowly began to settle on the damp pitch and were gaining in
confidence when Costa Rica doubled their lead.
Once more, it was Gomez who “did the dirty” and maintained his rich vein of
form in Trinidad.
Five years ago to the day, the burly Greek-based centre forward had managed
Costa Rica’s lone item in a 1-0 qualifying win at the Queen’s Park Oval for
the 1998 World Cup.
Selected in place of suspended striker Paolo Wanchope, Gomez was twice as
efficient yesterday as he again beat Hislop in the 34th minute with a firm half
volley which took a wicked deflection off the boot of Pierre.
There was precious little goalmouth action thereafter for either team.
To the credit of the hosts, though, they never looked like crumbling as they did
in a 4-2 loss to Honduras.
The Warriors, if anything, enjoyed slightly better ball possession and gave as
good as they got.
In the midfield, Joe Public star Arnold Dwarika displayed deft dribbling skills
although his distribution was well short of its normal precision.
Right wing-back Cyd Gray, Stern John and Pierre also toiled hard with minimal
success as did lively United States-based substitute Gary Glasgow.
But none looked capable of changing the eventual result.
The host’s best chance fell to the industrious Brent Rahim, who replaced
Aurtis Whitley—otherwise known as Otis Seaton—at the interval.
Fourteen minutes into the second half, John chested down a Dwarika cross for
Rahim who pulled his shot wide of the far post from the edge of the penalty
area.
Costa Rican substitute, Hernan Medford, also just missed the target with a
booming left footer from the edge of the area after a skilful backheel from
Steven Bryce in the 63rd minute.
But there was little else to illuminate the crowd.
Unless you were Costa Rican, of course.
At the interval, the Central Americans formed a conga line and danced through
the aisles.
And, for most of the 90 minutes, they sang, clapped and shouted “Ole” as
their team battled to its second-ever World Cup spot.
Coach Alexandre Guimaraes and Medford were both players when the “Ticos”
played in the 1990 tournament in Italy and they would have been especially proud
of yesterday’s achievement. If not their performance.
It was a totally forgettable match but, for Costa Ricans, a truly memorable
result.
T&T: 1-Shaka Hislop; 4-Marvin Andrews (5-Keyeno
Thomas 66), 16-Anton Pierre, 17-Addison Belfon; 3-Dale Saunders, 7-Cyd Gray,
6-Avery John, 19-Aurtis Whitley (11-Brent Rahim 46), 9-Arnold Dwarika; 18-Nigel
Pierre (12-Gary Glasgow 61), 14-Stern John.
COSTA RICA: 1-Erick Lonnis; 17-Stephen Bryce, 22-Carlos Castro (6-Wilmer
Lopez 66), 10-Walter Centeno, 2-Jorge Drummond (20-William Sunsing 77),
7-Ronaldo Fonseca (17-Hernan Medford 61), 11-Ronaldo Gomez, 3-Luis Marin,
5-Gilberto Martinez, 8-Mauricio Solis, 21-Reynaldo Parkes.
REFEREE: Mohammed Koussa (Syria).
OUT-GUNNED, out-suppported.
That was the sad state of affairs yesterday as Trinidad and Tobago officially
said goodbye to all chances of reaching the 2002 World Cup Finals in Korea/Japan
with a 2-0 loss to table-toppers Costa Rica at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
Ronald Gomez found himself in the right place at the right time to net both
goals for the Costa Ricans in the first half.
Victory left Costa Rica at the head of the standings in the final qualifying
round of the CONCACAF Zone with 16 points from seven matches while defeat left
the "Soca Warriors" anchored at the bottom of the six-country
competition with a lone point from a draw with Mexico at the same venue in
April.
T&T still has three matches to complete what has been a miserable final
qualifying round experience. It plays Mexico on Wednesday in Mexico, Honduras
early next month in Honduras and the United States here in mid-November.
National coach Brazilian Professor Rene Simoes of Brazil will now have to focus
all his attention on building a formidable unit for the 2006 World Cup in
Germany.
Although at home yesterday, the "Soca Warriors" found itself playing
with little vocal support from its fans except for the sounds of steelband
Woodbrook Playboyz, which kept up a steady rhythm throughout the match.
As it turned out, it was Costa Rica instead which enjoyed better crowd support
as its 1,500-strong invasion kept up a constant party chant of
"Ole-Ole-Ole, Ole-Ole-Ole, Ticos-Ticos-Ticos".
Ironically, almost the entire crowd of about 8,000 was clad in red so it was
difficult to distinguish a Trinidadian from a Costa Rican unless you heard
someone speak.
In a match in which both goalkeepers, Erick Lonis for Costa Rica and Shaka
Hislop for T&T. had little work to do, goalscorer Gomez made his two strikes
count.
Four minutes into the game Gomez was fed a pass by over-lapping right back
Gervis Drummond just outside the box. He rounded debutant Addison Belfon without
much fuss and, from around the penalty spot, left fly a left-footer that was
partially saved by Hislop before the ball entered the net.
It was the first serious attack by either team as well as the first shot for the
visitors in the first half hour of play.
Up until when Costa Rica scored again in the 33rd minute, Trinidadian Arnold
Dwarika was running rings around the opposition in midfield. However, he was not
getting the support he needed upfront from Stern John and Nigel Pierre whenever
he made a penetrative pass.
Like the first goal, Costa Rica attacked down the "Soca Warriors'"
left flank and once again it was a Drummond-Gomez combination that brought
success.
Drummond, who found himself near the corner flag, faked a cross and the
inexperience of Balfon showed as the defender jumped and turned his back in
anticipation of the ball hitting him.
Drummond quick to realise he had caught the T&T defender napping, made room
for himself and laid on a pass for Gomez, whose left-foot shot took a deflection
before beating a helpless Hislop.
It wasn't until Brent Rahim was brought on for Aurtis Whitney (Otis Seaton) in
the 46th minute and Gary Glasgow replaced Pierre in the 61st minute that T&T
looked dangerous.