Ataullah Guerra celebrated his birthday in fine-style when his seventh minute goal for the Soca Warriors was enough to steal a 1-0 victory over Caribbean rivals Jamaica at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Trinidad and Tobago last defeated Jamaica 2-1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in May 2001, a CONCACAF Copa Caribe Championship game with goals coming from midfielders Brent Rahim and Angus Eve. However, according to the Soca Warriors Online (SWO) database, Trinidad and Tobago last defeated Jamaica in Jamaica- May 1949, a 2-1 victory over the Reggae Boyz at Sabina Park.
Ataullah Guerra meanwhile, only turned 26 on November 14th, a day before his historic goal sealed the victory over Jamaica in what is dubbed as the 'Caribbean Classico'. The first of two matches to be played between both nations with the second-leg scheduled for November 19th (next Tuesday), the "Red Day' at the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 8pm.
The former San Juan Jabloteh midfielder only got his second start under new T&T head-coach Stehpen Hart. Guerra, now based in Finland and ply his trade with Rovaniemen Palloseura (RoPS) crashed his shot off the underside of the crossbar after captain Kenwyne Jones initial shot was blocked.
Guerra now has 27 caps for his country and a total of 3 goals, his first were against St. Kitts and Nevis, then Cuba and now Jamaica, all of which T&T has won.
Final Results
T&T 1 v 0 Jamaica
Guerra 7'
Highlights: - T&T vs Jamaica
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago 4-4-2: - 21.Jan-Michael Williams; 2.Aubrey David, 3.Justin Hoyte (16.Curtis Gonzales 59th), 4.Sheldon Bateau, 12.Daneil Cyrus; 5.Kevan George, 10.Ataullah Guerra (8.Joevin Jones 66th), 14.Andre Boucaud, 11.Lester Peltier (18.Densill Theobald 85th); 13.Rundell Winchester (6.Radanfah Abu Bakr 90th), 9.Kenwyne Jones (capt).
Unused Subs: - 1.Cleon John; 19.Carlyle Mitchell.
COACH: - Stephen Hart.
Jamaica 4-3-3: - 13.Richard McCallum; 3.Dicoy Williams (9.Jason Johnson 72nd), 4.Montrose Phinn, 5.Alvas Powell, 20.Kemar Lawrence; 10.Kemmar Daley, 15.Je-Vaughn Watson (capt), 16.Omar Daley (12.Brian Brown 72nd); 18.Jermain Anderson (8.Michael Seaton 49th - Yellow 59), 17.Deshorn Brown (2.Upston Edwards 72nd), 11.Darren Mattocks (21.Kheasanio Hall 87th).
Subs: - 23.Gariece McPherson; 7.Ricardo Morris, 6.Jermaine Woolencroft, 14.Andrew Vanzie, 19.Adrian Reid, 22.Isamnia Cohen.
COACH: - Winfried Schäfer.
Venue: - Catherine Hall Stadium, Montego Bay.
Attendance (APPROX): - 4,000.
Referee: - John Patti (Panama).
Guerra's goal in enough... T&T defeats Jamaica 1-0.
By Shaun Fuentes (TTFA).
Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s team timed the occasion of this country’s eight-year World Cup qualification anniversary with a gritty 1-0 victory over Jamaica at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay on Friday night.
Today, November 16th , skipper Kenwyne Jones and his teammates will return to Port of Spain where they will be joined by Carlos Edwards and Christopher Birchall on the unforgettable date of the 1-0 victory over Bahrain which qualified T&T for Germany 2006. Friday’s win was also the first win for T&T over the main Caribbean rivals since May 28th 2001.
It took a 5th minute goal by Finnish-based midfielder Ataullah Guerra to separate the teams in what turned out to be a highly competitive encounter which had been dubbed a friendly international.
T&T came out the blocks quickly and almost grabbed the lead inside the first minute when Justin Hoyte ran onto a through ball from Lester Peltier after a neat dummy by Kenwyne Jones on the right of the penalty box but his effort was deflected over for a corner.
That close shave silence the 4800 Jamaican fans at the venue and the sound of Soca could have been heard in the stands emanating from an earphone four minutes later when Jones neatly slipped behind the defence to pick up a pass by Andre Boucaud and shot against goalkeeper Richard McCallum but Guerra ran into power the rebound over the goal line off the underside off the crossbar.
Jamaica, with seven US-based players in their squad, settled midway through the first half and began to come into their own and tested the T&T backline of Daneil Cyrus, Aubrey David, Sheldon Bateau and Hoyte as head coach Stephen Hart rested Carlyle Mitchell and Radanfah Abu Bakr who eventually made a late entry into the game. Columbus Crew midfielder Kevan George also made his first start for T&T.
Winchester had a couple good looks at goal, one a header which he mis-timed from a Lester Peltier right side delivery after the Slovakia-based player left his man for good on the right flank. The Central FC forward later blasted over bar from close up on a one time effort from Joevin Jones’ ball from the left. Before the break, T&T goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams advanced well off his line to deny Deshorn Brown.
T&T were forced on the backfoot more times than they would have liked in the second half as the Jamaicans pressed for the equalizer. And as the match progressed, the Jamaicans became more physical and were robust in their challenges.
Defender Daneil Cyrus also cleared Michael Seaton’s attempt off the line in the closing ten minutes.
T&T dug deep to maintain a clean sheet and will look to maintain their winning ways in Tuesday’s return friendly at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.