Haiti equalise late to deny Young Boyz

Howard Walker @ CFU U-20 World Cup QualifiersSaturday, January 10, 2009

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent - Jamaica and Haiti battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the opening game of the Under-20 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) World Cup qualifier here at the Victoria Park in Kingstown, St Vincent yesterday.
The prolific Dever Orgill gave Jamaica the lead against the run of play in the 55th minute with his sixth goal in his last three games.
But just when Jamaica began to impose themselves on the game, Haiti struck in the 88th minute, courtesy of Fitznel Louis, who fired through the hands of the Jamaican goalkeeper to level the scores.
Jamaica missed an opportunity in the 90th minute when Alanzo Adlam failed to make contact with an Orgill pass that rolled agonisingly across the mouth of the goal.
Both Jamaica and Haiti, considered to be the top teams in the four-team group, are on one point apiece and goal difference will be crucial in the following two games against St Vincent and Dominican Republic.
Head coach Donovan Duckie said he was surprised by how good this Haitian team was. "I have never seen anything like this in the Caribbean. I have never seen this in the Caribbean from any of our rivals. You could have seen the experience from the last World Cup."
Haitian coach Tchahy Eleazard, was visibly upset and thought his team wasted too many goalscoring opportunities.
"My players keep missing the goals, but we got one late on and nearly got another. We were ready for Jamaica. This is the first game anybody scored on us. I am not used to it. I am used to winning," he said.
In front of approximately 8,000 spectators, including a number of Jamaicans, it was Haiti who dominated the early proceedings and eventually the entire first half.
Jamaica took just one shot on goal in the 13th minute, a ferocious shot by Orgill, which was parried by Haitian goalkeeper Chedlyn Pierre.
Other than that, it was the Jamaican custodian Andre Blake, who was the busier of the two goalkeepers, as the half ended 0-0 with Haiti having the bulk of the possession.
But 10 minutes into the second half, the young Reggae Boyz finally put some passes together and broke down the Haiti backline to open the scoring in the 55th minute.
The sweeping move all started with Jamaican captain Andre Darby, who passed to Evan Taylor, then Davion Thorpe, who slipped a delicate through ball into the path of Orgill. The Canadian-based player then rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into an empty goal.
At one point it looked as if Orgill's first touch took him too wide, but he was able to regain his composure to slot home from an acute angle.
Orgill was notching his sixth goal of the qualifiers after scoring five times from two games in Aruba in November.The Vancouver Whitecaps striker had scored once in Jamaica's 4-1 win over Antigua & Barbuda, then netted all four goals in a 4-0 win over Aruba.
But Francis Vorbe levelled the scores just when it seemed Jamaica were in full control, firing through the arms of goalkeeper Blake.
The Reggae Boyz got the game to win in the 89th minute, but Adlam failed to make contact with Orgill's cross, which rolled across the goal.
Up to press time last night St Vincent & the Grenadines were leading Dominican Republic 1-0.
Jamaica will next turn their attention to the Dominican Republic tomorrow.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/html/20090109T200000-0500_144652_OBS_HAITI_EQUALISE_LATE_TO_DENY_YOUNG_BOYZ_.asp