T&T’s senior footballers were beaten 1-0 by Curacao in Thursday night’s Concacaf Nations League (CNL), group A encounter at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad. The result pushes the Soca Warriors closer to relegation from League A to League B. Coach Derek King’s men have now lost all three matches in the tournament and remain on zero points, the same as both Costa Rica and Nicaragua, who were scheduled to face each other on Thursday in a 10 pm kick-off at Nicaragua’s National Football Stadium.
If either of them gets a win or even a draw, it would mean that by the time T&T completes its CNL campaign on Sunday with a reverse fixture against Curacao at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, the team’s League A tenure could be over.
Molik Khan and Kobi Henry made starts for T&T as midfielder Daniel Phillips and Wayne Fredericks, who were red-carded on Sunday, were given four-match and one-game suspensions, respectively.
Still, fortune failed to follow King and his men when captain Levi Garcia went down clutching his hamstring in the 13th minute, with no player close to him. King, now facing a mountain to climb to see off relegation without his most high-profile player, opted to introduce Reon Moore, who was overlooked by coach Dwight Yorke in the final rounds of the World Cup qualifiers.
However, Curacao, fresh from a first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup in June, went on the early attack that left the T&T defence backing. Kenji Gorre displayed blinding speed to get past Jaheim Joseph down the left flank, and his centre was struck powerfully by Juninho Bacuna inside the T&T penalty area, only for Denzil Smith to hold on.
Curacao’s eonslaught should not come as a surprise for the T&T defence, since the Blue Wave had netted 10 goals in two previous wins against Costa Rica (4-3) and Nicaragua (6-1). But the winless T&T, defended stoutly until they could create something at the attacking end. In the 32nd minute, Dantaye Gilbert, another player previously overlooked by Yorke but called back by King, rushed into the box to meet a left-side corner, but he put it wide.
A minute from the half-time break, Curacao’s Tahith Chong and Shurandy Sambo combined to enter the T&T goal area, but with defenders around him, Sambo’s snap shot was gobbled up by Smith in the T&T goal. Shortly after that chance, referee Oshane Nation of Jamaica sent the teams off to the dressing room tied at 0-0 at the halftime break.
There was not much difference in the order of proceedings when they returned to the field 15 minutes later, and with the home team continuing to probe, Chong, using his pace, got to the byline in the 57th minute and picked out Bacuna (Juninho), whose left-footed drive was somehow pushed wide by the outstretched arms of Smith.
A minute later, though, the home team was rewarded for their efforts. Bacuna raced on to another long diagonal ball from Chong and stretched his right foot out to prod the ball past the advancing Smith for a 1-0 lead.
The dominant Curacao men might have had another item in the 67th minute. This time Chong galloped onto a threaded ball on top of the T&T area, but his curling attempt whisked past the upright.
Three minutes later, T&T’s pain intensified when Dantaye Gilbert was shown the red card for his second bookable offence for a tackle on Chong in the 70th minute.
Still, with relegation looming and a numerical disadvantage, King’s men caused panic when Luke Phillip stormed into the box for a sight at goal. His thunderous shot from the left rattled the Curacao goal but stayed out.
Two minutes from the end, the home team had the chance to increase the advantage when Nation sent them to the penalty spot after the influential Chong went down on a challenge inside the penalty area. Smith came up big again by pushing wide the attempt by Leonardo Bacuna to preserve the 1-0 scoreline.
Both teams fought in the remaining moments, but neither could have gotten another goal, and so it ended 1-0 to Curacao, who maintained the top spot in the group with a perfect nine points from three matches.
Teams
Curacao
1 Eloy Room (gk), 2 Shurandy Sambo, 3 Jurien Gaari, 5 Sherel Floranus, 7 Juninho Bacuna, 8 Livano Comenencia, 9 Jurgen Locadia, 10 Leandro Bacuna, 14 Kenji Gorre, 18 Amando Obispo, 21 Tahith Chong
Subs
22 Tyrick Bodak (gk), 23 Kiyani Zeggen (gk), 4 Jurich Carolina, 6 Nicky Souren, 11 Jeremy Antonisse, 12 Kyano Penso, 15 Arjany Martha, 16 Jearl Magaritha, 17 Tyrese Noslin, 20 Joshua Brenet
T&T
22 Denzil Smith, 3 Kobi Henry, 4 Jaheim Joseph, 6 Andrew De Gannes, 7 Ryan Telfer, 10 Molik Khan, 11 Levi Garcia, 15 Dantaye Gilbert, 16 Michel Poon Angeron, 19 Rio Cardines, 20 Real Gill
Subs
1 Jabari Brice, 21 Jaheim Wickham, 5 Neveal Hackshaw, 8 Luke Phillip, 9 Daniel David, 12 Shervohnez Hamilton, 13 Reon Moore, 17 Justin Garcia, 18 Andre Rampersad, 23 Noah Powder
