Hondurans shut out T&T 2-0.
By Walter Alibey (Guardian).Trinidad and Tobago’s chances of progressing out of the group in the Concacaf Nations League were dealt a severe blow when they were shut out 2-0 by Honduras at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain last night.
The visitors got a second-half goals from Bryan Velasquez-Moya (52th) and Douglas Martinez (90th) as skipper Kevin Molino’s side was confined to yet another defeat in what has been a horrible run for them so far this year.
And on another day the scoreline could have been much wider, as the visitors enjoyed the better of the exchanges on the night and it was only some desperate defending by Daneil Cyrus, Alvin Jones and company which prevented further goals.
In the 52nd minute, Alberth Elis skilfully blew past Cyrus on the right flank before delivering for Velasquez-Moya to hit powerfully past goalkeeper Marvin Phillip.
And Martinez was again at the centre of the attack for Honduras again, this time he stormed down the right side and released for an unmarked Martinez Juarez Douglas to drill the final nail in the T&T coffin in the 90th minute.
The Warriors, who started strong despite a small turnout of fans, also finished the match with nine men after Levi Garcia was given marching orders in the 72nd minute for his second bookable offence and Mekeil Williams was shown a straight red for a vicious tackle in time added on at the end of the match.
Earlier in the seventh minute, sloppy defensive work by Sheldon Bateau almost allowed a deflected attempt to squeeze past T&T goalie Phillip.
TT’s best chance came in the 25th when Molino picked out Sheldon Bateauwith his left-sided corner, but Bateau’s powerful header crashed against the crossbar before going to safety.
Later, Ryan Telfer combined with Khaleem Hyland but the latter, with miles of room in front him, saw his shot sail overbar.
The teams went into the interval goalless but afterwards, Honduras dominated the affair.
However, T&T should have scored a consolation item in the 85th when Molino’s cross from a freekick found Akeem Garcia unmarked at the back post but he failed to connect with the ball.
The Soca Warriors needed a win to have any chance of a berth in the Concacaf Hex for the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying series while Dennis Lawrence also set an unwanted mark for the longest win-less streak in the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s 111 year history. The lanky head coach, who has managed five wins, eight draws and 18 losses from his 31 matches - (Wired868).
(Teams)Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 1.Marvin Phillip (GK); 16.Alvin Jones, 4.Sheldon Bateau, 5.Daneil Cyrus, 17.Mekeil Williams [Red Card]; 23.Leston Paul (9.Ataulla Guerra 73), 8.Khaleem Hyland (captain); 11.Levi Garcia [Red Card], 10.Kevin Molino, 7.Ryan Telfer (13.Duane Muckette 87); 14.Daniel Carr (20.Akeem Garcia 62).
Unused substitutes: 21.Glenroy Samuel (GK), 22.Adrian Foncette (GK), 2.Aubrey David, 3.Joevin Jones, 6.Keston Julien, 15.Neveal Hackshaw, 12.Carlyle Mitchell, 18.Aikim Andrews, 19.Kevan George.
Coach: Dennis Lawrence
Honduras (4-2-2-2): 22.Luis Lopez (GK); 2.Félix Crisanto, 4.Henry Figueroa, 3.Maynor Figueroa (captain), 5.Éver Alvarado; 8.Carlos Pineda, 10.Alexander López (20.Jorge Álvarez 75); 17.Alberth Ellis, 12.Jonathan Toro; 11.Bryan Róchez (16.Rigoberto Rivas 67), 13.Brayan Moya (14.Douglas Martinez 81).
Unused substitutes: 1.Harold Fonseca (GK), 18.Jose Zuniga (GK), 6.Bryan Acosta, 7.Emilio Izaguirre, 9.Jorge Benguche, 15.Denil Maldonado, 19.Luis Garrido, 21.Danilo Tobias, 23.Edwin Solano.
Coach: Fabián Coito
Highlights -
Trinidad 0 - 2 HondurasRELATED NEWSHonduras whip T&T 2-0 in ill-tempered affair.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).HONDURAS whipped T&T 2-0 in an ill-tempered affair on Thursday evening, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, in a Concacaf Nations League, League A, Group C encounter.
Brayan Moya and Douglas Martinez were the goal-getters for Honduras, with T&T finishing the game with nine men as Levi Garcia and Mekeil Williams were sent off by referee Mario Escobar.
This result will certainly heap more pressure on T&T’s beleaguered coach Dennis Lawrence, whose winless run has now been extended to 13 (nine defeats and four draws).
T&T entered this match on the back of two drawn results (1-1 and 2-2) against the other team in Group C, Martinique. Honduras were playing their first game in the group.
Lawrence made two changes from last month’s 2-2 draw against Martinique at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, with captain Khaleem Hyland and left-back Williams replacing Kevan George and Aubrey David.
Hyland played his part in T&T’s first attack on the Honduras goal, in the third minute. The T&T skipper picked out fellow midfielder Kevin Molino to his left, and Molino’s right-footed effort went wide of the mark.
Sheldon Bateau, who wore the captain’s armband against Martinique, almost gifted Honduras an opening goal four minutes later. The central defender took too long to control a back pass and saw his shot crash off Honduras’ striker Bryan Rochez, leaving T&T goalkeeper Marvin Phillip to rush back to clear the looping ball off the line.
Bateau, on the other end of the field, came close in the 27th minute, as he met Molino’s corner with a header which crashed off the crossbar, with the loose ball cleared off the line by defender Felix Crisanto.
In a rare T&T foray, Hyland took a ball from Molino and sent his left-footed drive overbar, while Honduras’ skipper Maynor Figueroa forced Phillip to push a powerfully-hit freekick overbar.
Honduras changed gears in the second half, with Phillip forced to parry a low right-footed shot from Ever Alvarado but a lurking Alberth Elis sent the rebound high, from a few metres out.
Honduras eventually broke the deadlock in the 51st, with a close-range left-footed shot from Moya, after Elis left T&T centre-back Daneil Cyrus for dead, on the left by-line.
Debutant Akeem Garcia, who came on for an ineffective striker Daniel Carr in the 61st, was deployed in his unaccustomed role as centre forward.
He had a chance to tie the scores six minutes later when he ran at a pass from Hyland but sent a low right-footed shot wide off Luis Lopez’s goal.
Levi Garcia was given his marching orders two minutes later, for a second bookable offence (after fouls on Alvarado in the 47th and Jonathan Toro), while Molino vented his frustration at the referee and got a yellow card.
The T&T players almost got into a brawl with their opponents in the 84th after Alvin Jones got into a tangle with Carlos Pineda; Rigoberto Rivas and Phillip were subsequently booked by the referee.
With the T&T players looking for an elusive equaliser, Honduras capitalised on defensive gaps to net their second item, in the 89th.
Once again, Cyrus was left twisting and turning by Elis, who squared the ball to an unmarked Martinez, to his left, and the substitute midfielder slotted the ball past Phillip.
Williams added salt to his team’s wounds with a lunging tackle on Crisanto, in the 90th.
Honduras will play their next two Nations League, League A Group C matches at home – against Martinique on Sunday and T&T on November 17.
