Soca Warriors blank Haiti 2-0

BY NIGEL SIMON
THE “Soca Warriors” continued their 2010 South Africa World Cup preparations with a 2-0 shut-out of reigning Digicel Cup Caribbean champions, Haiti, 2-0 in a friendly international at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, yesterday.
After a less than inspiring first 45 minutes, second-half strikes from defender Keyeno Thomas and forward Cornell Glen secured a second straight win for T&T over the Haitians, who had earned a 2-1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in the Digicel final last year.
However, the match did not get off to a good start for the host, as minutes before the kick-off, captain Aurtis Whitley, who was expected to make a return from injury after missing the last two matches had to be replaced from the starting 11.
Whitley, picked up an ankle injury while warming up on the artificial turf surface and his place in the team was taken by winger Kevaughn Connell while the captain’s band was handed to Cyd Gray.
Seconds into the match, the Haitians were almost gifted a goal by a lethargic T&T defence, however goalkeeper Marvin Phillip was able to recover in time while at the other end the first real sign of life of attack from T&T came in the ninth minute, when Connell began a counter-attack down the left flank.
After reaching just over the half line, Connell picked out an over-lapping Gray racing down the centre of the Haitians defence, but with goalkeeper Fenelon Gabart
to beat he fired straight into the legs of the keeper.
Apart from that, the visitors enjoyed the better of the first half, stroking the ball around the field without much pressure from a very relaxed T&T midfield but with no real positive effect on the scorecard.
The Haitians should have gone ahead in the 26th minute, but striker Leonel St Preux, managed to head wide of the target from less than six yards out from a pin-point Alcenat Sony right-sided cross.
T&T’s only other real threats of the first period came via some long range free-kicks taken by England-based Christopher Birchall, and aimed at Thomas at the far post, which were all handled by the Haitians.
Speedy forward Glen also looked to be coming into his own and on a few occasions had the Haitian defenders snatching at air with his quick turns and change of pace.
But being the lone striker employed by T&T coach Francisco Maturana, he found the task too much to carry against the no-nonsene Haiti defenders.
At the intervention, Maturana seemed to have had a much needed pep talk with his players who looked much more purposeful, but the Haitians were still enjoying much of the ball with their quick and crisp inter-passing.
Against the run of play though, T&T went ahead when Thomas rose high above the Haitian defence, not for the first time in the match, to head in another well flighted Birchall free-kick.
The goal seemed to knock some wind out of the Haitians, and six minutes later, Birchall and Thomas were both involved in T&T’s second goal, scored by Glen.
From another Birchall free-kick, Thomas headed the ball back across the face of the goal from on the bye-line where an unmarked Glen chested the ball into a gaping goal.
When the final whistle came it was yet another win for coach Maturana against a Caribbean opponent and a third straight 2-0 win at Macoya, following on the heels of recent wins over Guyana and Netherland Antilles as they look ahead to the Concacaf Semifinal Round Group A World Cup Qualification home-and-away matches versus Cuba, Guatemala and USA beginning on August 20, in Havana.
The Haitians are also fine tuning their preparations for Concacaf matches against Suriname, Costa Rica and El Salvador in Group C while Group B comprises, Jamaica, Canada, Mexico and Honduras.
T&T will now journey to Port-Au-Prince to face Haiti on August 10 and then face El Salvador in Washington in another friendly on August 14 before heading to Havana for its opening Semifinal Round fixture.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/sports1.html