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Maybe the tide really is turning for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team.
The “Soca Warriors” qualified for next month’s Caribbean Cup finals in Antigua and Barbuda with a game in hand after Suriname shocked St Vincent and the Grenadines 1-0 today at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago.
It meant that Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba, whose fixture already kicked off, were through to the next stage before their 6 pm clash started this evening.
St Vincent and the Grenadines was left to rue the departure of its coach Cornelius Huggins who led “Vincey Heat” to successive 1-1 draws against Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba but left the technical area to his assistant yesterday.
Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) technical director Anton Corneal is staging a coaches’ symposium in St Vincent today and Wired868 confirmed Huggins left Tobago to attend that course. His absence from today’s crucial game might spark debate in his homeland but it was well received here.
The Vincentian team was a shadow of itself without him and Suriname won comfortably despite resting its best player, midfielder Emilio Limon.
Suriname captain and ex-Tobago United goalkeeper Ronny Aloema did the honours with a successful penalty kick in the 42nd minute, which was Suriname’s only goal at this stage of the competition.
It turned out to be a vital goal for Trinidad and Tobago’s football.
(Teams)
St Vincent and the Grenadines (4-4-2): 1.Kenyan Lynch; 22.Keith James, 18.Reginald Richardson, 6.Shemol Trimmingham, 16.Jolanshoy McDowald; 11.Wendell Cuffy (13.Romano Snagg 66), 8.Darren Hamlet (vice-capt), 21.Theo Gordon (capt) (5.Nical Stephen 61), 17.Emerald George; 7.Cornelius Stewart (15.Azinho Solomon 79), 9.Myron Samuel.
Unused subs: 20.Dwaine Sandy, 2.Wesley Charles, 3.Roy Richards, 10.Nazir McBernette,
Suriname (4-2-3-1): 1.Ronny Aloema (capt); 15.Naldo Kwasie, 8.Giovanni Alleyne, 13.Joel Baja, 5.Guno Kwasie; 2.Jurmen Vallei, 16.Romano Stekkel; 7.Giovanni Waal, 17.Wilfried Galimo (6.Stefan Baneti 77), 11.Giovanni Drenthe (3.Furgill Ong A Fat 89); 12.Iwaan Pinas (14.Evani Esperance 71).
Unused subs: 22.Obrendo Huiswoud, 4.Jetro Fer.
2012 Caribbean Cup qualifiers
Sunday November 18
Suriname 1 (Ronny Aloema 42 pen), St Vincent and the Grenadines 0 in Bacolet
[standings league_id=6 template=extend logo=true]Editor’s Note: Wired868’s 2012 Caribbean Cup semi-final coverage is sponsored by DirecTV
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.