TRINIDAD and Tobago skipper Russell Latapy believes his team can still achieve its dream of reaching a first ever World Cup Finals.
"T&T was dealt a severe blow on the road to Japan and Korea after being shut out by Costa Rica 3-0 in a second round CONCACAF Zone qualifier on Wednesday night.
"The loss, the team's second in as many matches, left T&T at the bottom of the CONCACAF Zone table-now being led by the United States (six points)-with no points.
"More importantly, it now means T&T must shoot for full points in its remaining eight matches starting here on April 25 against Mexico.
However, despite realising that there is now little room for error, Latapy still feels his team is in with a chance.
'"We are still in it and we just have to look at the positive side of things from here on," Latapy said after the match.
'"It was really a disappointing result for us. Not that we played badly or anything but they surely aren't three goals better than us. We did everything according to plan in the first half and we were able to contain them.
"Just that one chance early in the second half gave them the advantage they wanted. There's no one to fault. Everyone played their hearts out." Latapy's teammate, England-based Dwight Yorke, was also disappointed but was hopeful the team could bounce back.
"The lads are very disappointed with the kind of result we got. Now we've just got to take it home and do well against Mexico," Yorke said.
"There's eight games remaining so there are a lot of points to play for still. The one thing in this group is everyone is capable of beating each other.
"So I don't think being beaten last night is (a disaster), I mean yes it was disappointing but hopefully we'll be able to bounce back."
The 29-year-old striker felt his teammates dropped their heads after the opening goal and simply could not rebound after this.
"I don't think that Costa Rica is by any chance better than us by three goals," he said. "But on the night you've got to give credit to Costa Rica, they did their homework and they took their home advantage well and at the end of the day they got three goals against us. But that's just how it is at times and hopefully we can come back."
C. RICA: Erick Lonnis, Harold Wallace, Jervis Drumond, Reynaldo Parks, Gilberto Martinez, Carlos Castro, Steven Bryce (Mauricio Solis 76th), Rodrigo Cordero, Wilmer Lopez, Rolando Fonseca (William Sunsing 71st), Hernan Medford (Paulo Cesar Wanchope 60th).
T&T: Shaka Hislop, Cyd Gray, Marvin Andrews, Ian Cox, Anthony Rougier, Reynald Carrington (Brent Rahim 64th), Ronnie Mauge, Angus Eve, Russell Latapy (Evans Wise 79th), Nigel Pierre (Stern John 64th), Dwight Yorke.