Shade scores as Warriors lose 2-1 to Mexico in closing tour match

The Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team closed their overseas tour this afternoon with their fifth successive defeat, after a 2-1 loss to Mexico in the Natal Female International Tournament’s third place play off in Brazil.

Brazil defeated Canada 3-1 in the final to secure the invitational title.

But Trinidad and Tobago’s win-loss ratio is just one half of the story. Perhaps fans might find some solace in the sequence of score summaries.

The “Women Soca Warriors” lost their first tour match 11-0 to Brazil and then 6-0 to the United States, 4-0 to Canada and 3-0 to Mexico before finally keeping the Mexicans to within a solitary goal.

Maybe, despite the confusion over fatigued, injured and withdrawn players and disappearing coaches, the frantic tour of the United States and Brazil may actually be viewed as helpful in the not so distant future.

The Trinidad and Tobago women were led by technical director Kendall Walkes this afternoon in the absence of coaches Randy Waldrum, Ben Waldrum and Anthony Creece while playmaker Maylee Attin-Johnson again sat out the game due to a knock.

The Women Warriors were already without a host of first team regulars including goalkeeper Kimika Forbes, attackers Kennya “Yaya” Cordner, Dernelle Mascall and Anique Walker, midfielders Tasha St Louis and Khadisha Debesette and defenders Liana Hinds, Lauryn Hutchinson, Brianna Ryce and Danielle Blair.

Mexico, who are ranked 26th in the world, undoubtedly bossed the game and had the lion’s share of possession. But Trinidad and Tobago, who are ranked 48th, were well organised and defiant.

As the game neared the 90th minute mark, Mexico finally got their coveted insurance goal as a right side cross was inadvertently sliced into her own net by a Trinidad and Tobago defender to put the North American team ahead 2-0.

But then Mariah Shade finally got the Women Warriors’ first goal of their trip.

A long free kick into the box was headed into Shade’s path and she missed her first attempt but not the second, which was a crisp drive past the opposing goalkeeper.

The women have done their part. In the coming fortnight, it will be the turn of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) administrators to put things in place for their Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying series, which continues in February in the United States.

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