Trinidad and Tobagos Under-23s struck all their goals in the second half as they whipped Bahamas 3-0 in the opening game of its two-match Olympic qualifying first round tie on Friday night.
Substitutes Michael Lee-Celestine and Kendal Davis gave the visitors a 2-0 advantage, and Andre Toussaint added a third four minutes from the end as T&T triumphed in front of about 900 fans at the Bahamas FA National Stadium. The return game was set for the same venue yesterday afternoon.
Trinidad and Tobago was dominant from the start but had difficulty piercing an ultra defensive strategy employed by the Bahamians.
Celestine, a half-time substitute headed in a cross from the right side to give T&T a 62nd minute lead before Davis scored in the 78th minute, eight minutes after he entered the game. Toussaint of Joe Public, last years T&T Professional Football League (PFL) Player of the Year, completed the scoring in the 86th minute as the visitors claimed a handsome advantage going into yesterdays return match.
The Concacaf qualifying series has several other first-leg ties this weekend, including yesterday Panama was scheduled to play against Nicaragua in Managua and Grenada to host the Cayman Islands. The winner of this leg will face-off with T&T in November.
Today, Canada is away to the US Virgin Islands, Cuba plays Jamaica in Havana, the Dominican Republic tackles Haiti in Santo Domingo, Dominica entertains St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname at home to Guatemala, and Barbados plays home team Guyana at Blairmont.
The first round features 20 teams competing in a home-and-away series, while El Salvador, Honduras, St Lucia and the USA receive byes into the second round.
The second round series is set for mid-November with the seven winners from there joining the host Mexico in the final round of Concacaf qualification from February 2-12, 2004. Thirteen squads are in the womens preliminary round, which begins in October and must be completed by December 14, 2003.
Trinidad and Tobago:
Jan-Michael Williams, Corey Rivers, Lyndon Diaz, Ronald Primus, Denzil Theobold (Devon Caseman 80th), Josh Johnson, Glenton Wolfe (Michael Lee Celestine 46th), Nigel Daniel, Silvio Spann (capt), Devon Mitchell (Kendal Davis 70th), Andre Toussaint.
TnT Coach: Brian Williams.
Bahamas:
Dwyane Whylly, Daron Beneby, Mark Daniels (Jermaine Rolle 46th), Ethan Thompson, Mackinson Altidor, Gavin Christie, Cameron Hepple (Snemord Thompson 46th), Sean Neville, Ryan Moseley (Dalles Nassies 82nd), Nestle Jean, Happy Hall.
Bahamas Coach: Stephen Bellot.