T&T's Women Warriors got their campaign in the Caribbean Queen's Friendly Football Tournament off to a perfect start, pulling off a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Aruba at the Rignaal Jean Stadium in Curacao Wednesday night.
It was exactly what coach Richard Hood had been hoping for, as he expressed concerns about his players' fitness levels, coupled with a turf surface to which his charges were unaccustomed. Still, with a team stacked with youth and experienced players, the Richard Hood-coached team was competitive at the start, though the Arubans enjoyed the better of the possession earlier on.
But it was the Arubans who drew the first blood in the third minute. Aisse Gombs stormed down the left flank and found captain Soraya Verhoeve to the left of the T&T area. But though being pressured by a couple of defenders, Verhoeve still found room to unleash a thumping shot that sailed over T&T goalkeeper Mikaela Yearwood and into the back post for the 1-0 advantage.
The goal plunged the Arubans into wild celebrations which did not last too long.
A minute later Aruba custodian Bestzile Stampo committed the ultimate sin when she tried to find her defender with a feeble pass across her own goal area, but it was intercepted by striker Tori Paul who only had the privilege of firing the ball into an empty Aruba net for a 1-1 scoreline.
The teams went to the halftime interval with the scores leveled at one apiece and when they returned, Hood's charges looked more purposeful, despite uncomfortable underfoot conditions.
However, they got the winning goal in the 67th minute. Victoria Swift delivered from a right-side corner and overlapping defender Shauna Lee Govia bundled the ball inside, despite feverish attempts by the Aruba defenders to clear it.
The Women Warriors will today face Curacao in their second match of the tournament tonight at 7 pm at the same venue.
Trinidad and Tobago (4-1-4-1): 21.Mikaela Yearwood (GK); 15.Kanika Rodriguez (5.Anastasia O’Brien 78), 8.Victoria Swift (captain), 2.Shaunalee Govia, 4.Kaitlyn Darwent (3.Ariana Borneo 68); 6.Chrissy Mitchell; 7.Alexcia Ali (12.Cherina Steele 78), 10.Asha James, 14.Orielle Martin (19.Talia Martin 59), 20.Ke’die Johnson; 9.Tori Paul.
Unused substitutes: 1.Maya Figgener (GK), 11.Rasheda Archer, 13.Sonia Lamarre, 16.Hackeemar Goodridge, 17.Mariah Williams, 18.Tayeann Wylie.
Coach: Richard Hood
SOURCE: T&T Guardian