The Soca Warriors trounced St Vincent 6-0 yesterday to go three points clear at the top of Group C in a 2018 World Cup qualifier at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
Goals from Sheldon Bateau (36th), Joevin Jones (49th), skipper Kenwyne Jones (60th), Kevin Molino (66th) and Trevin Caesar (86th, 89th) gave the T&T fans much to cheer about as the hosts took a giant step towards booking their place in the last round of qualification to Russia 2018.
After a sloppy showing on Friday in a 3-2 win in St Vincent, coach Stephen Hart called for an improved showing by his players and they did so in a match they could have easily won by a larger margin.
T&T , after a dominant start, got the first goal from Bateau as T&T had a 1-0 halftime advantage.
Bateau started a marauding run down the middle and, after being escorted by the St Vincent/Grenadines defence, he slipped a ball to Joevin Jones to his right. Joevin’s left-footed shot was saved by goalkeeper Lemus Christopher, but an alert Bateau got the rebound and slotted his right-footed effort to Christopher’s left.
Bateau was joined by his captain Kenwyne Jones and midfielder Kevin Molino in a celebratory dance, popularised by the local dancer “Uncle Ellis” during the 2016 Carnival season.
T&T coach Stephen Hart made two changes from the team who won 3-2 away to St Vincent/ Grenadines on Friday – double- goalscorer Levi Garcia came in for right-back Daneil Cyrus (with Justin Hoyte dropping to the wingback role) while Mekeil Williams replaced centreback Yohance Marshall.
The hosts had a chance to get going in the first minute, when Kenwyne Jones was fed a through ball down the right by Andre Boucaud but his low cross missed the outstretched Molino.
However, the visitors had a rare chance in the fifth minute, as Bateau was dispossessed by Oalex Anderson who raced on goal but was denied by T&T keeper Marvin Phillip.
Christopher was lucky that Khaleem Hyland’s freekick struck his right post in the ninth minute, while Molino got a return ball from Garcia but was blocked by an alert Christopher.
Kenwyne Jones forced a good save with a close-range header, in the 26th, while Joevin Jones’ low left-footer, on the stroke of halftime, missed the target by a few inches.
Immediately upon the resumption, St Vincent almost equalised after an errant pass by Joevin was intercepted and squared to Myron Samuel at the far post who stretched but was unable to steer it into the open net. Joevin would make amends for his error though, driving at the Vincey defence on a counter and lashing a low left-footer to the near post to make it 2-0.
TT were tearing apart the visitors and the skipper Kenwyne Jones had two gilt-edged chances to extend the advantage but it was third time the charm when midfielder Khaleem Hyland laid it on a plate for him with a low cross from the right in the six-yard box and the forward tapped it home.
Kenwyne’s profligacy in front goal continued, though, one-on-one with the goalie again but he flashed his shot wide on the half-turn.
The former Sunderland player switched to provider, however, turning smartly just outside the ‘D’ and slipping Molino through.
The Orlando City player, returning from an ACL injury, held off his marker before slotting the ball to the far post to finish off the contest.
T&T goalie Marvin Phillip’s clean sheet was almost spoiled by St Vincent, though, Oalex Anderson weaving his way into the box on a solo run down the left but his shot rebounded off the near and far post and back into play, much to the relief of the T&T supporters.
Substitutes Sean De Silva and Trevin Caesar combined to make it 5-0, the Central FC midifelder darting in from the right and piercing the visitors defence to find Caesar who struck his shot first time to the far post. Caesar would make it 6-0 soon after as the St Vincent defence was in disarray.
Group-C Results
Trinidad and Tobago 6 v St Vincent and the Grenadines 0
Bateau 36
J.Jones 49
K.Jones 59
Molino 66
Caesar 85
Caesar 89
United States 4 v Guatemala 0
Dempsey 12
Cameron 36
Zusi 46
Altidore 90
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago: 1.Marvin Phillip; 13.Justin Hoyte, 17.Mekeil Williams, 4.Sheldon Bateau, 2.Aubrey David; 8.Khaleem Hyland, 14.Andre Boucaud; 16.Levi Garcia, 10.Kevin Molino (20.Trevin Caesar 70th), 3.Joevin Jones (Yellow 34) (12.Sean De Silva 82nd); 9.Kenwyne Jones (capt) (6.Neveal Hackshaw 77th).
Unused substitutes: 21.Adrian Foncette (GK), 5.Daneil Cyrus, 7.Hughtun Hector, 11.Willis Plaza, 18.Yohance Marshall, 19.Shahdon Winchester, 23.Jomal Williams.
Coach: Stephen Hart.
St Vincent and the Grenadines: 1.Lemus Christopher; 14.Akeem Williams, 3.Roy Richards (capt), 5.Shawn Benjamin, 16.Jolanshoy McDowald (13.Brad Miguel 56th), 4.Jarrel McMaster, 6.Shemol Trimmingham, 17.Emerald George, 9.Myron Samuel (8.Dorren Hamlet 73rd), 10.Oalex Anderson, 12.Tevin Slater (7.Kyle Edwards 62nd).
Unused substitutes: 22.Kevan Henry (GK), 15.Kevin Francis, 19.Shandel Samuel, 21.David Pitt.
Coach: Cornelius Huggins.
Referee: Sandy Vasquez (Dominican Republic).
Standings
P W D L F A Pts
Trinidad and Tobago 4 3 1 0 11 3 10
United States 4 2 1 1 10 3 7
Guatemala 4 2 0 2 7 6 6
St Vincent & the Grenadines 4 0 0 4 3 19 0
Videos -
Hart's Post Match Comments after 6-0 win over St Vincent/Grenadines
Trinidad & Tobago vs St. Vincent/ Grenadines Highlights
RELATED NEWS
Soca Warriors whip St Vincent 6-0.
T&T Express Reports.
Trinidad and Tobago's (T&T) "Soca Warriors" inched closer to a berth in the CONCACAF six-team final round World Cup qualification tournament when they whipped St Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0 in their fourth stage CONCACAF Zone qualifying fixture at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on Tuesday.
After clinching an unconvincing 3-2 away win over the same opponents on Friday, head coach Stephen Hart expressed disappointment over the lack of effort from some of his charges and call on them to raise the level of their game. And raise the level they did as they dominated the opposition from the first blast of Dominican Republic referee Sandy Vargas' whistle.
The Warriors could have taken the lead in the opening minute when captain Kenwyne Jones raced down the right flank and squared the ball across the face of goal but the onrushing Kevin Molino failed to make contact. Six minutes later it was the speedy Levi Garcia's turn to skip past two defenders on the left flank and square across only for the ball to elude the attention of Molino and Aubrey David.
However, after a couple other missed opportunities, Sheldon Bateau gave T&T the lead in the 36th minute when he picked up the ball in the heart of the Warriors defence and ran almost the full length of the field before threading a pass to Joevin Jones. Jones shot was parried by St Vincent's goalkeeper Lemus Christopher but it rebounded to Bateau who slotted home.
Jones (J) doubled the Warriors' advantage four minutes after the break (49th) when he raced down the right flank before cutting inside to hit a powerful left-footed shot to Christopher's right. Skipper Jones (K) notched T&T's third goal in the 60th minute by side-footing a Khaleem Hyland backheel pass and the two Jones would combine for the fourth as Kenwyne played Joevin into the 18-metre box and he held off his marker well before hitting past Christopher.
Two goals in last five minutes of the match by substitute Trevin Ceasar, who replaced Molino, sealed an emphatic win for the Warriors, who stayed atop the group with 10 points. The United States, who defeated Guatemala 4-0, moved into second on seven, while the Central Americans dropped to third on six with St Vincent occupying the cellar position, yet to earn a point.
Here are some highlights of the match as they unfolded:
1': Trinidad and Tobago created a great chance in the opening minute as captain Kenwyne Jones squares the ball across the face of goal but an onrushing Kevin Molino is unable to make contact.
6': Oalex Anderson (St Vincent) forces goalkeeper Marvin Phillip to save with his body after he got behind T&T's defence to have a left-footed shot on goal.
7': Levi Garcia (T&T) skips past two defenders on the left to send a pass across the face of goal. Molino and Aubrey David could not get on the end of it and St Vincent breathes a sigh of relief as the ball is cleared.
10': Kenwyne Jones (T&T) goes down in the area under a heavy tackle from Roy Richards but referee Vargas ignores the appeals for a penalty.
12': Garcia (T&T) flicks the ball over St Vincent defence but Molino's shot is blocked by St Vincent's goalkeeper Lemus Christopher. Good reflex save by Christopher.
19': Kenwyne Jones (T&T) gets a through pass from Molino but he's flagged offside.
26': Justin Hoyte (T&T) picks out Kenwyne Jones with a neat cross but his header is safely held by Christopher.
28': T&T is awarded a free kick, which is taken by Khaleem Hyland, who sends his effort over the crossbar.
33': Kevin Molino (T&T) releases Levi Garcia into the 18-metre box but St Vincent's defence is alert to the threat and clears the ball
35': Roy Richards (St Vincent) finds Myron Samuel in front of goal but his acrobatic effort sails wide of the target posing no threat for goalkeeper Marvin Phillip.
36': GOAL! Sheldon Bateau (T&T) slots the ball home after Joevin Jones shot was parried by Christopher. It was a deserving finish for a move that began with Bateau as he ran the length of the field before picking out Jones on the edge of the 18-metre box. Trinidad and Tobago finally get the go ahead goal.
39': Joevin Jones (T&T) hits a cracking left-footed shot that bangs into the head of Roy Richards (St Vincent) and knocks him over. He is left lying prone and receives medical attention but is able to rejoin the action after a couple of minutes.
45': Great ball movement by T&T. Hoyte traverses the right flank before picking out Kenwyne Jones atop the 18-metre box. Jones in turn plays the ball into the path of Levi Garcia who hit a low shot that is just wide of the upright.
45+1': Referee Vargas blows his whistle to signal the end of the first half.
46': The second half gets underway and St Vincent almost scored to equalise the match. T&T had not even settled when Oalex Anderson raced down the left flank and crossed the ball to Myron Samuel, who shot inches wide with T&T's defence in disarray.
48': Another opportunity goes abegging for T&T. Joevin Jones send a pass in the direction of Kevin Molino but he fails to make contact with only goalkeeper Christopher to beat
49': GOAL! Joevin Jones scores to give T&T a 2-0 advantage. He picked up the ball at the touch line and made his way down the right flank before cutting inside to beat Christopher to his right with a powerful left-footed shot. An excellent finish by Jones.
52': Kenwyne Jones is bundled over in the area in the process of latching onto a pass but once again referee Vargas ignores T&T's appeal for a penalty. This time around the call for a penalty looked more valid as Jones would have had just the keeper between him and goal.
53': Kenwyne Jones (T&T) plays the ball to Levi Garcia but he drags his shot inches wide of the upright.
55': St Vincent make a substitution as Brad Miguel replaces Shemol Trimmingham. Coach Cornelius Huggins tries to inject some life into his team as Trinidad and Tobago have had full control of the game up to this point.
57': There goes another great chance at goal for T&T. Kenwyne Jones finds himself on the edge of the six-metre box with time and space after being played in by Joevin Jones, but somehow he manages to place his shot over the crossbar.
59': Good movement fo the ball by T&T but it comes to no avail. Khaleem Hyland finds Joevin Jones, who pushes square to Kevin Molino but he overpplays the ball in going past his marker, which gave Christopher enough time to leave his line and gather the ball.
60': GOAL! Kenwyne Jones notches T&T's third goal in nonchalant fashion. He clamly side-footed a cheeky backheel pass from Hyland that gave Christopher absolutely no chance of keeping out. T&T in total control now.
62': Oalex Anderson (St Vincent) has a shot at the near post but goalkeeper Phillip is equal to the task and collects easily.
63': Kenwyne Jones seems to have a soft spot for the opposition. He's picked out with his back to goal after Molino exchanged passes with Garcia. He spins deftly but shoots wide with the goal at his mercy.
67': GOAL! Kevin Molino is finally rewarded for his hard work all evening. He's played into the area with a pinpoint pass from Kenwyne Jones and he holds off his marker well to place the ball to the right of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. It's now 4-0 and probably the nail in the coffin for St Vincent.
69': Marvin Phillip (T&T) is alert to a threatening move by Oalex Anderson (St Vincent) and quickly smothers the attempt.
71': Substitution for T&T. Striker Trevin Caesar comes in and out goes Kevin Molin to a thunderous round of applause from the home fans.
72': St Vincent is definitely not having a good evening. They haven't had many chances and the one good opportunity they got failed to go in. Anderson did excellent work on the left to get inside T&T's area, but he looks on in dismay as his shot crashed onto the left post, then onto the right post before rebounding into play with goalkeeper Phillip well and truly beaten.
74': St Vincent make another substitution; Samuel is taken off and Dorren Hamlet enters the game.
76': Shawn Benjamin (St Vincent) is enduring a torrid time from Levi Garcia. The crafty T&T winger turns the Vincentian defender inside out to send him sprawling on the carpet before drilling a cross into the box for Caesar, however, St Vincent is spared further blushes as the striker misses the ball completely.
77': Levi Garcia (T&T) again gets around Benjamin (St Vincent) with relative ease to send another cross Caesar's way. His header from a tight angle is wide of the uprights.
78': Neveal Hackshaw (T&T) gets some playing time in front of his fans as he enters the game at the expense of his captain Kenwyne Jones. Jones passes the captain's armband to Khaleem Hyland.
80': Caesar (T&T) adds to Benjamin's misery by rounding him to get in a shot on goal. He's just wide of the target.
82': T&T make another substitution as midfielder Sean Da Silva, who plays professionally for local club W Connection, replaces Joevin Jones.
86': GOAL! Da Silva makes an immediate impact as he sets Caesar free with a defence-splitting pass that the striker latches onto and drills the ball into the far corner of Christopher's goal. T&T have not only proven to be a handful for St Vincent, they have also handed them a handful of goals.
89': GOAL! It;s 6-0 in favour of T&T. Caesar notches his second in the space of three minutes. He collects an incisive pass from Hyland and did enough to draw Christopher off his line before rounding him to slot into an open goal. What a composed finish by the striker.
90': There will be two minutes of time added on.
90'+1': Oalex Anderson (St Vincent) is still fighting for his country as he weaves his way between two defenders to get in a shot on goal. He could not keep it down so it sailed over the crossbar.
90'+2': Referee Vargas blows his whistle to bring the match to an end. And what a game it was for the host Trinidad and Tobago. A very important win as it allows them to keep pole position in the group.
CONCACAF Standings & Fixtures
Group-A Standings
P W D L F A Pts
x - Mexico 4 0 0 0 10 0 12
Honduras 4 1 1 2 4 5 4
Canada 4 1 1 2 1 5 4
El Salvador 4 0 2 2 2 7 2
Upcoming Matches
Sept-2
El Salvador v Mexico
Honduras v Canada
Sept-6
Mexico v Honduras
Canada v El Salvador
Group-B Standings
P W D L F A Pts
Costa Rica 4 3 1 0 7 2 10
Panama 4 2 1 1 4 2 7
Jamaica 4 1 1 2 2 6 4
Haiti 4 0 1 3 0 3 1
Upcoming Matches
Sept-2
Haiti v Costa Rica
Panama v Jamaica
Sept-6
Costa Rica v Panama
Jamaica v Haiti
Group-C Standings
P W D L F A Pts
Trinidad and Tobago 4 3 1 0 11 3 10
United States 4 2 1 1 10 3 7
Guatemala 4 2 0 2 7 6 6
St Vincent & the Grenadines 4 0 0 4 3 19 0
Upcoming Matches
Sept-2
Trinidad & Tobago v Guatemala
St Vincent v USA
Sept-6
USA v Trinidad & Tobago
Guatemala v St Vincent