T&T Close off Nations League with Win over USA
T&T Close off Nations League with Win over USA
Trinidad and Tobago secured their first ever win over United States in competitive football outside of World Cup qualifying with a 2-1 victory in the second leg Concacaf Nations League tie at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Monday night.
Goals by Reon Moore and Alvin Jones, his second winner over the Americans secured the win for Angus Eve’s their first in Nations League history.
Playing before a buoyant crowd over 9440, T&T were looking to pile on the pressure early but it was the visitors who looked more comfortable on the ball. Fresh off his one goal, one assist performance in the first leg, Antonee Robinson got back on the scoresheet and gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead in the 25’ when he got on the end of a Sergino Dest cross and headed into net.
Trinidad and Tobago would get a break, though, as the U.S. were reduced to 10 men when Dest picked up a pair of yellow cards in less than a minute in the 39’, resulting in a sending off. Dest was sent off by referee Walter Lopez for a display of dissent. The former Barcelona player got a pair of yellow cards within the space of roughly 30 seconds as he was firstly booked for hacking a ball into the covered stands after a call went against the US, while he got his second yellow after vigorously disagreeing with Lopez’s original booking.
Trinidad and Tobago certainly made the most of it to start, as Reon Moore received a ball in the area, muscled off a defender after collecting a ball from Jones and fired into net from a tight angle on the right to bring the scores level 1-1 in the 43’.
The momentum was squarely with Trinidad and Tobago and the home side took a 2-1 lead in the 57’ when a screamer from Alvin Jones on a free kick beat U.S. GK Matt Turner.
The US had the better of the exchanges in the early stages of the high-octane match, as both Brenden Aaronson and Folarin Balogun forced fine saves from T&T goalkeeper Denzil “Peng” Smith in the opening five minutes. Aaronson drew another good save from Smith in the 15th minute, after a turnover by T&T left-back Andre Raymond.
With the numerical advantage, the TT team came out full of vigour and intent in the second half, with James firing a warning shot over Turner’s bar in the 47th minute. The industrious Phillips sent the next shot in anger seven minutes later, as he sent a long-range effort wide of the mark.
The next effort on goal was something special though, as Jones uncorked a brute of a right-footed free kick from 30-plus yards in the 57th minute. The rocket from Jones brought back memories for both sets of teams and supporters, as the right-back scored a similar jaw-dropping goal in a World Cup qualifier in 2017 to knock the US out of contention for Russia 2018. On Monday night, Jones’s blast did not knock out the US, but it definitely reminded all and sundry of his prowess and accuracy from long range.
Owing to Robinson’s away goal, TT needed to win by an improbable four goals to clinch the tie. Try as they might, the Warriors could not quite find the back of the net again. It was not for a lack of trying, and the hosts should have taken a 3-1 lead on the hour mark.
After a US corner, Gomez showed great strength to hold off a US player as he played James through on goal. The Jamaican-based forward won his foot race with US captain Tim Ream but he dragged his left-footed shot agonisingly wide of Turner’s goal. The TT fans groaned in anguish as James’ effort trickled wide of the post, as TT’s slender hopes of a spot in the Nations League semis slowly faded away.
TT had a couple more chances in the encounter, as Gomez fired high and wide from a tight angle in the 62nd minute, while Andre Rampersad drew a fine save out of Turner just three minutes later.
TT rarely troubled the US in the latter stages of the game, as players such as Robinson and Yunus Musah retained possession well under pressure and kept TT at bay.
Even brought on the trio of Kristian Lee-Him, Duane Muckette and Malcolm Shaw in the latter stages of the game but TT did not pose a great attacking threat thereafter.
At the final blow of Lopez’s whistle, the US advanced to the Nations League semis but TT won 2-1 on the night and gained the respect of thousands of supporters — local and abroad.
The Newsday reported stated, “T&T can still advance to Copa 2024 with a win in a March 2024 playoff against one of the other losing quarter-finalists in the Nations League. On the evidence of the performance in the second leg against the US, coach Eve and T&T will fancy their chances against any potential opposition.
Trinidad and Tobago remained on the front foot and continued to create chances, but the U.S. defense firmed up during the final half-hour and kept the hosts at bay until the final whistle to nail down their CNL Finals place.
Trinidad and Tobago (4-4-2): 22.Denzil Smith (GK); 16.Alvin Jones, 2.Aubrey David (captain), 17.Justin Garcia, 6.Andre Raymond (3.Ross Russell Jr 90); 14.Shannon Gomez, 12.Daniel Phillips (23.Kristian Lee Him 77), 18.Andre Rampersad, 10.Real Gill (7.Ryan Telfer 60); 13.Reon Moore (8.Duane Muckette 77), 9.Nathaniel James (19.Malcolm Shaw 77).
Unused substitutes: 1.Christopher Biggette (GK), 21.Jabari St Hillaire (GK), 4.Jesse Williams, 5.Michel-Poon Angeron, 15.Kevon Goddard, 20.Kaïlé Auvray. Levi Garcia – Injured out
Coach: Angus Eve
United States : 1.Matthew Turner (GK); 2.Sergino Dest [Red card 38], 3.Cameron Carter-Vickers, 13.Tim Ream (captain), 5.Antonee Robinson; 6.Yunus Musah, 14.Luca De La Torre (22.Lenny Maloney 89), 7.Giovanni Reyna (19.Joseph Scally 41); 9.Ricardo Pepi (17.Malik Tillman 64), 20.Folarin Balogun, 11.Brenden Aaronson.
Unused substitutes: 18.Ethan Horvath (GK), 21.Gabriel Slonina (GK), 4.Christopher Richards, 10.Alejandro Zendejas, 12.Miles Robinson, 15.Paxten Aaronson, 16.Kevin Paredes. 23.Kris Lund.
Coach: Gregg Berhalter
Referee: Walter Lopez (Guatemala)
