Game Report: Trinidad and Tobago vs Honduras
By LASANA LIBURD
THE script called for them to win their home games but the Trinidad and Tobago
national football team suffered a devastating blow in their 2002 World Cup
qualifying campaign yesterday afternoon. The Soca Warriors fell 4-2 to Honduras
at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
And the defeat by the visiting “Catrachos” was achieved rather more easily
than the scoreline might suggest. Honduras now lie in third spot on the six-team
Concacaf table with four remaining home matches.
The “Soca Warriors”, on the other hand, need a miraculous turnaround if they
are to stand any chance of earning a berth in the 2002 World Cup, to be jointly
hosted by Korea and Japan.
There is still a mathematical chance, though, if coach Ian Porterfield can
inspire his troops to an away win and consecutive home victories over Jamaica,
Costa Rica and the United States.
But on the evidence of yesterday, it is difficult to believe that either the
Scottish coach or his men are up to such a task.
After being initially cut from the squad by the technical director René Simoes,
Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke had promised, in the pre-game build-up,
to let his feet do the talking.
He did not say much in yesterday’s match, though, managing just one shot which
rolled wide to the right of the Honduran upright.
Teammate Anthony Rougier, who—like Yorke—had talked his way out of trouble
with the technical staff, was no more voluble and was justifiably replaced at
the interval.
A few sublime touches from talismanic midfielder Russell Latapy was as good as
it got for the hosts.
Relegated to the substitutes’ bench—as was West Ham custodian Shaka Hislop—for
the first half, Latapy again confounded his critics by effortlessly shrugging
off the rust of over four weeks of inactivity.
The Warriors’ first meaningful shot on target came within seconds of his
entrance.
Nottingham Forest striker Stern John suddenly realised there was a game to be
won and let fly a blistering right-footer. Custodian Noel Valladares’s
desperate block seemed to have more to do with self-preservation than the three
points up for grabs.
Ironically, it was the Hondurans who benefitted from their opponents’ attack.
They scored a splendid goal on the break through substitute, Rony Morales, in
the 54th minute.
But two minutes later, Latapy answered with a composed finish from the edge of
the area after some good approach work from Brent Rahim on the left flank.
For the next ten minutes, the small crowd of just under 5,000 patrons willed on
their team who seemed to have grown in confidence.
But sent clear by teammate Arnold Dwarika in the 60th minute, John failed to
keep his shot down.
Four minutes later, an ambitious effort from Mickey Trotman deflected off the
wrong side of the upright after a well worked one-two with Latapy.
But it was a case of showing up at the terminus after the bus had departed. And
there were only smiling Honduran faces on board.
Employing a delightful mixture of pace and creativity, the Hondurans were
clearly the better prepared team in what began as a bottom of the table clash.
They needed barely ten minutes to show who were the better side. A wayward Rahim
pass was picked off by Honduran skipper Carlos Pavón who sent the impressive
David Suazo clear only for his shot to flash past the far post, goalkeeper
Clayton Ince’s defence left to resemble mere spectators in the play.
It would be a recurring theme during the match.
Suazo, who scored four times in the 2000 Olympic Games, has made just 11 senior
team appearances owing to a relentless tug-of-war between Italian Serie B team
Cagliari and national coach Ramón Maradiaga.
For almost 90 minutes, the T&T defence struggled to get near the speedy,
skilful forward—and rarely managed to stop him.
His pace won two penalties from sweeper Dennis Lawrence and Ince respectively
which were converted by Pavón in the 13th minute and playmaker Amado Guevara in
the 89th.
Suazo was also instrumental in Morales’s item, early in the second half, after
another incisive Honduran counter-attack.
But while his direct approach—which has earned him comparisons with Brazilian
superstar Ronaldo—regularly unsettled the T&T backline, the guile of
Guevara was equally effective.
Guevara’s slipped pass for midfielder Danilo Turcios in the 22nd minute was
worth at least half of his goal.
His partnership with José Luis “Thin Man” Piñeda in the midfield was
irresistible and, for once, left Reynold Carrington looking woefully out of his
depth.
Still, it was substitute Morales who had the visitors’ best move with just his
second touch of the game.
One flick of the left boot created the necessary space, the other sent the ball
crashing past Ince at his far post for a then three-nil advantage.
John managed his first goal of the qualifying campaign in stoppage time after a
Dwarika through pass but it was too late to save the match.
The technical staff failed to turn up for the scheduled post-game media
conference to discuss it but, obviously, a whole lot more is now needed to save
the Warriors’ faltering campaign as well.
STAND-IN Trinidad and Tobago skipper Marvin Andrews and his teammates strode into the Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday, it would seem, in a daze following a tumultuous 72 hours.
Shaken to the core in the build-up to the crucial clash, after the dropping and
re-instatement of teammates Dwight Yorke and Anthony Rougier, T&T's 2002
World Cup dream was all but put to bed after a 4-2 spanking by Honduras.
With CONCACAF Zone leaders United States, Costa Rica and Jamaica all achieving
positive results, the Gods will have to smile considerably on T&T now for it
to achieve its goal of reaching a first-ever World Cup Finals.
The US - which drew 0-0 with Jamaica - now has 10 points, while Costa Rica
jumped to seven following a stunning 2-1 victory over Mexico. Honduras and
Jamaica, with five points each, are next, while Mexico has four with T&T
still languishing at the bottom on a single point.
There are still those who will argue that skipper designate Russell Latapy's men
still have a mathematical chance of reaching Japan and Korea next year.
Yet, it is unlikely that any of the meagre 8,000 fans who turned up at the
Stadium yesterday - save the diehards -will bet in favour of a T&T recovery.
Already weakened by the absence of the suspended Angus Eve, absent Ronnie Mauge
and injured Jerren Nixon, T&T coach Ian Porterfield also surprisingly
decided to go without the inspirational Latapy - due to fitness fears - and
experienced England-based goalie Shaka Hislop.
But the men given the responsibility to drive the team forward in midfield,
Arnold Dwarika and Reynold Carrington, simply did not spark at all.
Indeed, apart from Mickey Trotman's early close range drive, which was well
saved by Honduras keeper Noel Valladares, T&T was mostly under siege by a
hungrier and fitter Honduras side in the first half.
The man leading the Honduras charge was speedy David Suazo, who made the T&T
defence look leaden-footed whenever he approached the penalty area.
He was responsible for setting up the first goal, forcing defender Dennis
Lawrence to bring him down in the penalty area in the 13th minute, after he had
run almost the entire length of the field in a swift counter-attack.
Skipper Carlos Pavon then easily beat T&T keeper, Clayton Ince, to the
delight of a handful of Honduras supporters.
Pavon was also at the heart of the move which put his team 2-0 up in the 22nd
minute. The burly striker sent a neat through ball to teammate Danilo Turcios
just outside the penalty area and he shot past an advancing Ince.
After that, the Honduran onslaught was well and truly on.
Porterfield switched to a 3-5-2 system for the second half to counter the
opposition's speed. He also brought in Dale Saunders for Anthony Rougier, who
had a disappointing game, and Latapy, eight minutes after the resumption.
But it would be Honduran substitute Rony Morales who would strike the most
telling blow. He put his side 3-0 up in the 54th minute with a well- placed,
long-range right-footer from just outside the penalty area after yet another
swift counter-attack.
Latapy then produced his only piece of magic, slotting a loose ball ,which came
to him off Stern John, past keeper Valladares to reduce the deficit to 3-1.
But there would be no comeback for T&T, as Amado Guevara restored the
Honduran advantage from the penalty spot two minutes from the end, after Suazo
was again brought down, this time by Ince, before Stern John got a consolation
item in injury time.