Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s team made the perfect start to their 2018 World Cup qualifying quest with a spirited 2-1 victory over hosts Guatemala at the Estadio Mateo Flores on Friday night.

The “Soca Warriors” were powered by second half goals from Belgium-based midfielder Khaleem Hyland and captain Kenwyne Jones to capture their first three points of the CONCACAF semi-final round group.

The victory on the night would have left all T&T supporters with a proud feeling as Stephen Hart’s “Red Army” battled through the 94 minutes of play, leaving everything on the pitch to come away with deserving victory after their gutsy display. The win was T&T’s first in Guatemala in 26 years dating back to the 1-0 shut out in 1989 by the “Strike Squad”. And the goal that paved the way for the win on Friday had a similar look to the one which Kerry Jamerson drove home in 1989 as Hyland drilled a right footer past a hapless Paulo Motta in the 67th minute.

“Sometimes you can’t always be playing beautiful football. You have to roll up your sleeves and do what is necessary to come away with a result. It was not pretty but we got the three points in a very difficult environment and I’m happy with that,” Hart told TTFA Media after the win

“I was really pleased with the second half and the way in which we buckled down. We endured rough period with about five or six straight corners but we defended them well. We got the goal off a nice play with Khaleem and then the second goal was just beautiful to watch with the pass from Joevin,” Hart added.

Jones’ item would turn out to be the winner when Joevin Jones floated a perfect delivery into his path from the left and the big man clinically volleyed home past Motta to the dismay of the partisan Guatemalan home crowd. The goal was Jones’ fourth in five outings for T&T, his 15th in 26 appearances since Hart took the helm and his 22nd overall.

Earlier the first half, T&T failed to settle against the Guatemalans who came hot out the blocks and intent on jostling the ‘Warriors”.

Gerson Tinoco and veteran Carlos Ruiz seemed at ease in the first half and threatened to leave T&T trailing but solid goalkeeping by Jan Michael Williams kept the hosts at bay. Williams used his legs to deny Tinoco in the 12th minute and Ruiz tested the Central FC custodian on a couple of occasions.

T&T had one look at goal, an effort from midfielder Keron Cummings which sailed over bar. The visitors had not found proper footing and would have been contented with a 0-0 scoreline at the break. But as is the case in such tough away encounters, resilience is a key and that was proven at the end of the affair.

Hart introduced midfield steel Kevan George and nippy winger Cordell Cato in the second half at the expense of Cummings and Lester Peltier. But still it seemed to be all Guatemala and at one point, shortly after the 55th minute, the hosts won five consecutive corner kicks and had the T&T defense laboring. But the backline of Radanfah Abu Bakr, Mekeil Williams, Sheldon Bateau and Daneil Cyrus held out well to keep the opponents at bay.

T&T didn’t dwindle and unlike the 2005 squad which conceded heavily in the 5-1 loss, Hart’s men came into their own and spoilt any plans of a Guatemalan party. Substitute Carlos Mejia pulled a goal back on a Ruiz assist but T&T would hold their composure in the closing four minutes of added on time to leave with maximum points.

The result was certainly not an easy one for the Guatemalans to digest as the T&T team bus, under advice of the Police, had to remain inside the stadium for at least 25 minutes before exiting at the risk of angry home fans stoning the team bus. The Police escort eventually led the bus out through another exit and safely to the Vista Real hotel. The team returns home at 4:27 pm yesterday on Copa Airlines via Panama City. The United States team is also scheduled to arrive around the same time on a charter.

The US trounced St Vincent/Grenadines 6-1 in their opener on Friday night in St Louis. A double by Jozy Altidore and one each from Bobby Wood, Geoff Cameron and Gyasi Zardes gave the US the win after the had fallen 1-0 behind in the 5th minute.

In Group A, Mexico won 3-0 at home against El Salvador on goals by Andres Guardado, Hector Herrera and Carlos Vela, and Canada beat visiting Honduras 1-0 on a 38th-minute goal by Orlando City’s Cyle Larin. In Group B, Panama won 2-0 at Jamaica as Armando Cooper and Alberto Quintero scored, and Costa Rica defeated visiting Haiti 1-0 on Cristian Gamboa’s 29th-minute goal.

Team Line Ups

Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 21.Jan-Michael Williams ; 5.Daneil Cyrus, 6.Radanfah Abu Bakr, 4.Sheldon Bateau, 17.Mekeil Williams; 8.Khaleem Hyland 14.Andre Boucaud; 23.Lester Peltier (13.Cordell Cato, 63’), 20.Keron Cummings (19.Kevan George, 61’), 3.Joevin Jones; 9.Kenwyne Jones (10.Willis Plaza, 84’).

Subs not used 1.Marvin Phillip (GK), 7.Jonathan Glenn, 18.Yohance Marshall, 16.Justin Hoyte, 12.Carlyle Mitchell, 15.Neveal Hackshaw, 11.Trevin Caesar.

Coach: Stephen Hart

Guatemala (4-4-2): 12.Paula Motta (GK); 4.Hamilton Lopez, 3.Elias Vasquez (6.Carlos Mejia, 54’), 13.Dennis Lopez, 11.Moises Hernandez, 18.Stefano Cincotta (7.Henry Lopez,74’), 15.Fredy Thompson, 10.Jose Contreras, 16.Marco Papa, 9.Gerson Tinoco (22.Mynor Lopez, 83’), 20.Carlos Ruiz (captain),

Coach: Ivan Sopegno

Referee: Mathieu Bourdeau (Canada)

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T&T’s Olympic bronze medal swimmer George Bovell III just missed out on a medal in the men’s 50m freestyle A-final at the Arena Pro Swim Series when he ended fourth at the Jean K Freeman Aquatic Centre, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, on Friday night.

A two-time World Championship bronze medallist as well, the 32-year-old Bovell got to the wall in 22.44 seconds, behind Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian (21.56), Canada’s Santo Condorelli (22.24) and Brad Tandy (22.27).

The others in the final were Geoff Cheah (22.71), Marcelo Chierighini (22.75), Joao De Lucca (22.82) and Elvin Burrows (22.86).

On Friday morning, in the preliminary heats, Bovell, a former five-time NCAA champion at Auburn University was fourth in the seventh of 13 heats in 22.81 seconds to trail  the same trio of Adrian (22.39), Condorelli (22.44) and Tandy (22.66) to the wall. The other finishers in Bovell’s heat were Michael Andrew (22.85), Darian Townsend (23.53), and Carl Weigley (23.82)

The time by Bovell III was the seventh fastest overall as the trio of  Chierighini (22.74), Burrows (22.76) and  Cheah (22.76) were also faster while De Lucca (22.83) was the final qualifier. Yesterday, Bovell ended his participation at the meet with a slow 59.19 clocking in the men’s 100m freestyle for eight spot and 119th overall.

On Thursday, Bovell III, competing in his first meet since the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, in July where he captured bronze in the men’s 50m freestyle final, was 39th overall in the men’s 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:05.56 minutes for seventh in heat.

Also on Friday night, World Youth Olympic silver and bronze medal swimmer Dylan Carter had to settle for eighth in the men’s 100m backstroke B-final in 56.97 seconds.

Those finishing ahead of the Carter were Paul Le (55.78), record Olympic medal haul winner Michael Phelps (56.12), Daryl Turner (56.13), David Nolan (56.19), Bryce Bohman (56.48), James Wells (56.64) and Yuri Kisil (56.79) In the heats on Friday morning, Carter ended fifth in the seventh of nine men’s 100m backstroke heats to qualify for last night’s B-Final in 13th spot

The winner of the heat was David Plummer, who won in a pool record time of 52.83 to be the top qualifier overall while Gregory Tarasevich (54.33) and Bobby Hurley (55.48) followed in the heat ahead of Bryce Bohman (56.63), and Carter (56.82) while Phelps who has won 22 Olympic medals qualified as the 15th best in 56.97, the same time by Carter in the B-final.

On Thursday night, the 19-year-old Carter, a University of Southern California All-American—who is sitting out of the coming NCAA season in order to prepare for next year’s Olympic Games in Brazil was seventh in the men’s 200m freestyle B-Final in one minute, 52.01 seconds.

Markus Thormeye won the B-final in 1:50.28 ahead of Phelps (1:50.39) and Yuri Kisil (1:51.00)

In Thursday’s morning heats, Carter touched the wall in one minute, 50.84 seconds, an Olympic Qualifying standard time and the ninth best overall, which was ahead of Phelps’ 1:51.34 in his heat. Conor Dwyer won the A-Final in 1;47.88 ahead of Ryan Lochte 1:48.66, and Joao De Lucca (1:49.06).

A silver medal winner in the men’s 50m butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Junior Championship, Carter was expected to conclude his involvement in the meet last night in the Men’s C-Final for the 100m freestyle. This after Carter clocked 51.24 seconds in the 15th of 17 heats behind Marcelo Chierighini (49.08), Ryan Lochte (49.64), Geoff Cheah (50.32) and Bruno Ortiz (50.84).

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Trinidad and Toba­go swimmer Dylan Carter ended his Arena Pro Series campaign in Minneapolis, Minne­s­o­ta, USA, with a fourth-place finish in the Men’s 100m freestyle C Final on Saturday night.
The 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic silver and bronze medallist sprinted a 51.32 second timing for the two-lap event to finish fourth behind Club Wolverine’s Bruno Ortiz (50.56), UBC Dolphins’ Stef Milosevic (50.82) and Swim Atlanta’s Karl Krug (50.98). Indie Swimming’s Michael Andrew (51.41), Giovanni Lima (51.56) North baltimore Aquatics Club’s Tom Kremer (51.65) and Danny Tucker (52.01). USA Olympic gold medallist Nathan Adrian won the A Final in 48.49.
Earlier, on Saturday, in the Men’s 100m free preliminaries, Carter posted the 21st fastest time (51.24) to earn a spot in the C final, which was toCondorelli had the fastest qualifying time with a 48.94 second clocking.
On Friday night, T&T’s top swimmer George Bovell splashed to a 22.44 seconds effort for the one-lap sprint, finishing fourth behind USA Olympic gold medallist Nathan Adrian, who pos­ted a fast 21.56 seconds. Canadian Santo Condo­relli placed second in 22.24, with USA’s Brad Tandy third in 22.27.
On that night, Carter also placed eighth and last in the Men’s 100m backstroke B final when he registered a 56.97 second effort. Missouri State’s Paul Le won that race in 55.78, ahead of US superstar Michael Phelps (56.12), with University of Minnesota’s Daryl Turner (56.13) third.
Phelps’ North Balti­more Aquatics Club team­mate David Nolan was fourth in 56.19, followed by Bryce Bohman with 56.48. James Wells (56.64) and Yuri Kisil in 56.64, in that order.
The meet ended Saturday night and the T&T swimmers will now return to their bases to resume their preparation for the 2016 Rio
Olympics.

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The funeral service for former national netball legend Janet Bailey will be held tomorrow at Day Break Assembly, Coconut Drive, Morvant, from 10 am. Bailey died at her daughter’s residence in the United States last Friday night. She was 80 years old.

Bailey, who was inducted into the Netball Hall of Fame, was a member of the national netball team at the first-ever World Netball Championship in Eastbourne, England, in 1963. She went on to represent her country in two more world tournaments 1971 and 1975.

Among her team-mates on that first world series were Marjorie John, Judy Francis, Enid Browne, Phyllis Pierre-Walker and the late Jean Pierre. The powerfully-built Bailey was a stalwart goal-keeper, and many goalshoots and goal-attacks feared that big left hand.

After one game between a men’s team and the nationals in a practice match at the Eddie Taylor Court, later the Lystra Lewis Court, Princes Building grounds, legendary West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall, who was in the men’s team said “she beat me more than my mother.” Bailey and a cadre of top netballers, Pierre-Walker, the late Pearl Francis and John entered the Police service and made that netball team champions.

Always flashing a broad smile, “Jay” as she was popularly called by her peers was the mother of three girls—Jacinta, Jeanne and Jessel. Only Jeanne followed her footsteps into the top flight of netball, becoming one of the country’s elite goal-shoots.

After her playing days, Bailey entered into administration and became president of the Port -of-Spain Netball League for two consecutive terms. The T&T Netball Association extended a heartfelt condolences to the family.

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World Youth Olympic silver and bronze medal swimmer Dylan Carter continued his 2016 Rio Olympic Games preparations with an impressive swim in the men’s 200 metres freestyle at the Arena Pro Swim Series, yesterday, even faster than record Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps.

Competing at the Jean K Freeman Aquatic Centre, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, the 19-year-old Carter, a University of Southern California All-American—who is sitting out of the coming NCAA season in order to prepare for next year’s Games—touched the wall in one minute, 50.84 seconds, an Olympic Qualifying standard time.

The time by Carter, who was the only T&T swimmer to make a semifinal at the 16th FINA World Championship in Kazan, Russia, in July/August where he placed 15th in the 50metres butterfly was the ninth best overall, and ahead of Olympic all-time leading medallist (22 medals), Phelps, who touched the wall in 1:51.34 in his heat.

Carter, who lined up in the B-Final last night was followed home in his heat by Chase Kalisz (1:52.12), Marcelo Acosta (1:52.36), Michael Flach (1:52.88), Alex Cohen (1:53.64), Nicholas Sweetser (1:53.84), Walker Higgins (1:54.43) and Ryan Feeley (1:54.95).

The top eight qualifiers for the A-Final were Cono Dwyer (1:48.95 mins), Joao De Lucca (1:49.68), Ryan Lochte (1:49.69), Trevor Carroll (1:49.70), Michael Weiss (1:49.78), Ma Lindenbauer (1:49.97), Bobby Hurley (1:50.02) and Giovanny Lima (1:50.81), all of whom attained  Olympic Trials qualification standard time.

Also, a silver medal winner in the men’s 50m butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Junior Championship, Carter will be back in action in the men’s 100m backstroke from noon today (Friday), while tomorrow he competes in the 100m freestyle heats at 1.15 pm.

T&T Olympic bronze medal winner George Bovell III, in his first meet since the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, in July where he captured bronze in the men’s 50m freestyle final, also failed to get to the A-finals of the men’s 100m breaststroke.

This after the 32-year-old, also a two-time World Championship bronze medallist and five-time NCAA champion ended seventh in heat four in 1:05. 56 minutes for  39th overall. The six-time  Pan American Games medal winner and four-time Olympian returns to the pool with the hope of much better fortunes in his pet event, the 50m freestyle from 11.43 am today.

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T&T’s Soca Warriors  will be looking to capture maximum three points in their opening match of the Russia 2018 World Cup qualification when they face off with hosts Guatemala at the Estadio Mateo Flores from 7.06 pm (9.06 pm T&T time) tonight.

The match will be one of several throughout CONCACAF as semi-final round action gets on the way with fellow group rivals United States hosting St Vincent/Grenadines in St Louis in the other match of interest for the “Soca Warriors”.

The T&T team arrived in Guatemala City just around 3 pm local time on Wednesday and were greeted by a barrage of Guatemala media outside the La Aurora international airport.

Stephen Hart conducted a light session at around 6 pm at a nearby artificial surface pitch which was the only one made available to the visitors with lights. And the temperature dropped to 20 degrees Celsius  the evening progressed.

Hart, however, did manage to oversee a more impactful session yesterday morning on a natural grass surface before putting his team through a short session at the match venue  in the evening period. “We landed here and it’s been a bit of a hike to get to the training facilities but they were decent. The main thing now is to keep our minds focused on the game and not let little things affect us,” Hart said.

Hart said he held an  important discussion with the players and told them that everything they did at the Gold Cup and in the past was no longer relevant.  “This is a brand new Guatemala, this is a brand new scenario and I just put them in that frame of mind,” Hart added.

Skipper Kenwyne Jones has been a big talking point in the Guatemalan press, with several queries from them about whether he is fit to play. The Cardiff City forward said he’s feeling fine and ready to lead his team. “Things are running smoothly. We are trying to iron out the final bits before we go into the game. We had two great sessions and just trying to get a feel for over here, “ Jones said.

“This is a totally different competition. It’s not going to be easy for us here in Guatemala. We know what to expect when we come to these Central American countries and they are going to have that twelfth man surely rooting for them. And they are going to come hard at us seeing that we beat them in the Gold Cup.  

“It’s a bit more technical and tactical for us especially when we come away from home. We are going to try to do the things we plan to and try to come away with the three points.

“I feel great at the moment. The players are all training very hard and keeping each other on their toes,” Jones added.

Defender Radanfah Abu Bakr is also keen ahead of the encounter. “I’m looking forward to it and the camp is quite positive and we are confident we can do well in this hostile environment. It’s World Cup qualifiers and it’s a different animal this time around,” said the former Caledonia AIA defender.

The Guatemalans are smelling blood and will be gunning for Jones and his men after being blown away in the first half in July at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“We have more knowledge of T&T now, they've grown a lot since the Gold Cup, but we also have our own growth, we will now look at who is better able to face them. I know more or less how they attack, we have also seen them at least in the last five games. We have to win, play well or badly, but we have to try to win, not here but everywhere, to go to the World Cup you have to beat everyone,” said their head coach Ivan Sopegno. The hosts will look to veteran Carlos Ruiz and Marco Papa to lead their attack on the night.

T&T have not won a World Cup qualifier in Guatemala since 1989 when the Strike Squad defeated the homeside 1-0 on a Kerry Jamerson winner. Hart will have all 22 players at his disposal today with 11 reserves allowed to sit on the bench.

Squad
 Jan-Michael Williams (Central FC –T&T ), Marvin Phillip (Morvant Caledonia United- T&T);Daneil Cyrus (Chicago Fire—USA), Justin Hoyte (Dagenham & Redbridge—England), Carlyle Mitchell (Seoul E-Land—South Korea), Sheldon Bateau (FC Krylia Samara—Russia), Radanfah Abu Bakr (HB Koge—Denmark), Yohance Marshall (Murcielagos FC—Mexico), Mekeil Williams (Antigua GFC—Guatemala), Aubrey David (Shakhter Karagandy—Kazakhstan), Andre Boucaud (Dagenham & Redbridge—England), Khaleem Hyland (KV Westerlo—Belgium), Kevan George (Columbus Crew—USA), Neveal Hackshaw (North East Stars), Trevin Caesar (Austin Aztex—USA), Cordell Cato (San Jose Earthquakes—USA), Joevin Jones (Chicago Fire—USA), Lester Peltier (Slovan Bratislava—Slovakia), Keron Cummings (North East Stars – T&T);
Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City—Wales), Willis Plaza (Central FC – T&T), Jonathan Glenn (Breioablik—Iceland).

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