Senior Women fall to Puerto Rico
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Women fell to their second straight loss in their Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup qualifying group, suffering a 2-1 loss to visiting Puerto Rico at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday night.
With two games left in the League A group, T&T are at the foot of the three-team group behind Mexico (six points) and Puerto Rico (three points). Coach Richard Hood’s TT team put in an improved performance from their 6-0 loss away to Mexico in their opening game last month, but they couldn’t make home advantage count against the feisty Puerto Rico team who registered their first win in the group.
The Puerto Ricans started the game brightly and troubled the T&T defence early on, particularly from set pieces. Skylnn Rodriguez was the player who found the back of the net as she calmly placed a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Simone Eligon after a breakdown in the T&T defence.
Eligon then made a smart, low save to end a lovely solo run by the tricky Juelle Love down the right flank close to the break.
Attackers Asha James and Maria-Frances Serrant had decent opportunities from close range, but their shots lacked both power and accuracy to trouble the Puerto Rico goal.
Early in the second half, T&T got their equaliser as forward Alexcia Ali beat opposing goalkeeper Jlo Vazquez with a delightful lobbed effort in the 49th minute after receiving a slick through pass from James.
The joy for the 700-plus crowd in Mucurapo was short-lived, as Puerto Rico restored their lead in the 54th minute. T&T midfielder Chelcy Ralph cleaned out her captain Karyn Forbes and an opposing player with a brute of a tackle outside the area. The ball rolled to Puerto Rico captain Jillienne Aguilera who gave Eligon no chance with a rasping left-footed effort.
T&T tried to mount a swift response of their own in the 64th minute, but lively substitute Talia Martin was just edged to a 50/50 ball by Vazquez who rushed out of her 18-yard box to clear the danger. The home supporters urged their team to press for the equaliser, but the Puerto Ricans seemed to have more energy reserved in the latter stages as they flirted with a killer third goal.
Still, T&T nearly grabbed a second goal in the 84th minute when defender Christa Waterman spanked a speculative volley just wide following a set piece.
The top team in each of the three League A groups will qualify for the group stage of the Gold Cup. The three runners-up in the League A groups will play the three winners of the respective League B groups for a spot in the 12-team Gold Cup group stages.
