Concacaf Nations League Round-Up
Concacaf Nations League Round-Up
Trinidad and Tobago Captain Aubrey David said it well: Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers simply did not have enough desire to turn one point gained from Tuesday night’s, goalless draw against French Guiana into three. He was speaking at the Post-game press conference after Tuesday’s 0-0 draw in Concacaf Nations League League A action at the Dwight Yorke Stadium.
“We need to be humble and return to being hungry again to get good results and win at home,” stated David.
“It’s a sad result for us,“ he added. “It’s a draw that actually feels like a loss, because we know that three points would have put us in a good position in the group once again.”
Likewise, caretaker coach Derek King was also flattened by the outcome.
“I think tonight’s performance is a bit disappointing (that) we didn’t get three points,” stated the coach, who acknowledged the slow ball movement by his team. Even so, he felt they had still done enough to win.
On the night, Tobago-born veteran striker Kevon “Showtime” Woodley strayed marginally offside and had a goal disallowed in the first minute of the match at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Shaw Park, Tobago.
Daniel Phillips struck the upright from long distance with a low shot after getting a good look at goal, all of this in the first half.
In the second period, Reon Moore could have either set up Noah Powder for a tap-in, or with a little composure, might have squeezed the ball in at the near post, albeit from an angle, after passing the goalkeeper who was still badly positioned.
King might also not want to be reminded of Powder’s tame shot, straight at the goalkeeper, after racing into shooting position, or Moore’s striking the side netting when it was easier to find the back of the net.
“We still created chances. We just didn’t take our chances and goals win matches,” the coach said.
King thought that his players had done well to win the ball throughout the match, but were making too many backward and lateral passes instead of going forward the way he had hoped.
Taking responsibility for the outcome, the coach said there needed to be improvements before playing two must-win matches versus defensively stout Cuba in October.
“Ball speed has to be much better to compete with the top teams in CONCACAF,” King added.
David said T&T must revert to the things they did well in the last campaign, when just a year ago, under former coach Angus Eve and his assistant King, the Soca Warriors came from behind at beat El Salvador and Guatemala, and also won all their home games, scrapping doggedly to do so at times.
“We need to reset again because we have two important games coming up in next FIFA Window, and these games we need to win at all cost. “
Meanwhile, French Guiana were thrilled to pick up a point on the road.
T&T are still unbeaten against French Guiana, winning half of the six meetings between the teams.
That included a 4-1 T&T win at the Caribbean Cup, when current French Guiana head coach Jean Claude Darchavelle was among the French Guiana footballers on the receiving end.
Rather than dwell on that unpleasant experience the, French Guiana coach reflected on the meeting between the teams in 2021, when penalty kicks saw T&T through to the CONCACAF Gold Cup following a 1-1 draw.
Speaking through an interpreter he felt his side had an equal chance to beat the Soca Warriors based on their last meeting.
Expecting T&T to come at them, Darchavelle’s strategy was to have his team sit back, until late in the match when he felt they could win more than a point, and so made some attacking changes.
T&T and French Guiana draw 0-0 in Tobago
Nothing comes easy these days. And Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s footballers were made to work for a share of the points, when held goalless by French Guiana in a 2024-2025 CONCACAF Nations League match at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, in Bacolet, Tobago, last night.
The route to a quarter-final spot got harder, with just one point gathered from two matches and only a home and away series coming up against Cuba next month, to complete the four-match preliminary round.
The top two of each five-nation group teams will advance to the quarters, where they will be joined by four seeded teams; United States, Mexico, Canada and Panama.
Despite plenty effort and a few nervous moments for the 2,000 fans who showed up, there were no goals. The hosts almost had the perfect start with Tobagonian Kevon Woodley finding the back of the net in the opening minute, but it was ruled offside.
But after that bright start, there seemed at times too much a search for perfection, thus allowing French Guiana into the match. After that stagnant period, Duane Muckette provided a lift when working well with Woodley and stinging the keeper’s fingertip.
Meanwhile, T&T keeper Denzil Smith kept the defensive end safe, when swallowing up the only first half shot at his goal. The Soca Warriors were unlucky not to be ahead after the first period.
England-based Daniel Phillips hit the post from long range, and after beating his man Woodley’s low shot missed the far corner. So close, yet so far.
And subs Reon Moore and Noah Powder both ought to have scored early in the second half, with Moore hitting the side netting and Powder shooting low and straight at the keeper.
Both T&T and French Guiana lost their opening match. T&T going down 4-0 away to Honduras on Friday night, while a late goal saw French Guiana defeated 1-0 on home turf by Nicaragua.
Last night was the first time the Caribbean nations had faced each other in Nations League play, although Trinidad and Tobago had won three of five previous meetings, including twice at the Caribbean Cup.
T&T Fall 4-0 to Honduras
Derek King’s first game at Trinidad and Tobago caretaker coach ended in a 4-0 defeat away to Honduras on Friday night in the Concacaf Nations League at Estadio Nacional Chelato Ucles in Tegucigalpa.
King, who took over from Angus Eve as head coach on an interim basis, saw his team go down 2-0 in the opening half of the game.
Alexander Lopez opened the scoring for Los Catrachos with a right-footed shot from outside the area in the 39th minute before Kevin Arriage doubled the lead in stoppage time with a blast from the edge of the box.
Within nine minutes of the restart, Edwin Rodriguez converted a cross from Luis Palma to make it 3-0 for Honduras.
Trinidad and Tobago held the Hondurans scoreless until the 86th minute of the game when David Ruiz scored to round off an impressive 4-0 win for the Hondurans.
Trinidad and Tobago return home to face French Guiana at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on 10 September in their second match of the Concacaf Nations League.
