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The Trinidad and Tobago national senior women’s team already has one foot in the knock out stage of the 2014 CONCACAF Championship after United States-based Player of the Year, Kennya “Yaya” Corder struck the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over Haiti in Chicago.
(Courtesy TTFA Media)
Trinidad and Tobago finished the game with 10 players after goalkeeper Kimika Forbes, the hero in Wednesday’s narrow 1-0 loss to the United States, was ejected just after an hour.
However, the “Women Soca Warriors” held on for the result with central defender Arin King again oustanding.
Now, the United States can do Trinidad and Tobago a favour. The host nation whipped Guatemala 5-0 tonight and a similar high scoring win over Haiti would mean the Warriors can advance from the group on goal difference simply by not losing by more than than three goals against Guatemala on Monday.
A draw against Guatemala should be more than adequate to guarantee T&T’s progress with a spot at the Canada 2015 Women’s World Cup at stake. The top three teams from the eight nation tournament will advance automatically to the World Cup while the fourth team will enter a play-off against Ecuador.
No Caribbean nation has ever qualified for a FIFA competition before and Group A was always likely to be a fight between Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago for second place behind the US while Jamaica and Martinique are paired with Costa Rica and Mexico in Group B.
Karyn and goalkeeper Kimika Forbes are sisters.
(Copyright AFP 2014)
There was a bizarre moment last Wednesday when Trinidad and Tobago coach Randy Waldrum tweeted online for financial help to feed his team and the Haitian responded positively. The Haitian offer was eventually declined by Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Raymond Tim Kee while funding for the Women Warriors eventually arrived from the appropriate sources.
Was the Haitian effort a genuine humanitarian response? Or an effort to counteract the US media attention that went to the Warriors?
Either way, the Haiti team could not find the appropriate response when it mattered; even against ten players.
Cordner, who plays professionally for the Seattle Reign Reserves, grabbed the only goal of the game with a deft flick into the far corner and in off the inside of the post after a brilliant cross from Sweden-based winger Ahkeela Mollon, who was a constant menace down the right flank.
The Haitian team pressed Trinidad and Tobago hard though and, in an intense, physical encounter, the Warriors were more sinners than saints as the fouls racked up.
And the Warriors had to endure a nervous half hour after their goalkeeper appeared to strike Haitian player Samantha Brand, while trying to sprint back to her goal area, and was shown a straight red card.
(Courtesy TTFA Media)
It means that the teenaged Tenesha Palmer will have the job of steering the Warriors through to the semifinals when Trinidad and Tobago faces Guatemala on Monday.
Trinidad and Tobago: 1.Kimika Forbes (GK) [Red card]; 16.Brianna Ryce, 4.Rhea Belgrave, 5.Arin King, 15.Liana Hinds; 2.Ayanna Russell (11.Janine Francois 46), 14.Karyn Forbes (20.Lauryn Hutchinson 58); 12.Ahkeela Mollon, 9.Maylee Attin-Johnson, 19.Kennya Cordner; 3.Mariah Shade (21.Tenesha Palmer (GK) 61).
Unused substitutes: 6.Khadidra Debesette, 7.Dernelle Mascall, 8.Patrice Superville, 10.Tasha St Louis, 13.Anique Walker, 18.Khadisha Debesette.
Coach: Randy Waldrum
Women’s World Cup qualifiers
(Group A)
Fri Oct 17
Trinidad and Tobago 1 (Kennya Cordner 37), Haiti 0 at Chicago;
United States 5 (Tobin Heath 7, 57, Carli Lloyd 46, Whitney Engen 58, Megan Rapinoe 66), Guatemala 0 at Chicago;
(Courtesy TTFA Media)
(Group B)
Thu Oct 16
Jamaica 6 (Christina Murray 2, 74, Shakira Duncan 6, Donna-Kay Henry 22, 77, Alexa Allen 71), Martinique 0;
Costa Rica 1 (Carolina Venegas 8), Mexico 0;
Upcoming fixture
(Group A)
Mon Oct 20
Trinidad and Tobago v Guatemala, 5 pm, RFK Stadium, Washington;
USA v Haiti, 7.30 pm, RFK Stadium, Washington;
Editor’s Note: Click HERE for highlights of Trinidad and Tobago’s 1-0 win over Haiti.
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T&T senior women’s team star in the Hunger Games and almost 200 comments. They win a game to qualify and barely 20 comments for their Oscar Performance. Great go gals and to all of the true supporters!
Congrats T+T. hard fought… playing as a team. Proud of u all
Hahaha. Good point Melville.
The Captain has an objective viewpoint of her team’s performance. As long as they are honest with themselves and are motivated to improve upon every game, I am good.
And now the Football jefes can claim that starvation and $500.00 U.S is a great motivator for all future jaunts and competitions.
keep up the good work girls.
level headed assessment from the ladies about their performance… glad they have high standards…. great cover Lasana Liburd
Agreed. A team that says performance was good after losing a game is far different from a team who plays badly, wins and angry about it. The second team is much more worthy of lifting the World Cup in my book!
Best of times and the worst of times: T&T women players Maylee Attin-Johnson and Arin King hail Haiti win despite “poor performance” and eye W/Cup history
http://wired868.com/2014/10/18/nearer-to-history-tt-women-relieved-by-haiti-win/
I looked at that foul over and over, and I don’t think that foul was intentional.
Yeah fuh True Inno Nothing wrong with it that Ref need Licks
Wish I’d seen the game.
The women didn’t have control of the game as I am sure they would like. But they fought tooth and nail for the result. What you would want is for your team to be able to grind out a result even when they are not at their best.
And Haiti is no pushover team. If you saw them play at the Caribbean Cup, you would never think 10-0 would be on the cards.
Sure, T&T could have been better. And constructive criticism is good.
But I think it was a good win. There was nothing lucky about that result IMO.
Trinidad frustrates England and Sweden in the World Cup. Trinidad loses to Argentina 3-0. Women’s team frustrated the highly ranked US to a 1-0 margin. Although touted as scrappy, holding onto 1-0 margin for 30 plus mins against ‘no pushover’ is remarkable just as the fore mentioned matches. Unlike those, T&T got a result here. That assist and finish would have made a top ten list in any highlight reel.
Paula I hear you. It was not a perfect game. IMO they are not possessing the ball enough. Possession is both a defensive and attacking tactic. We are strong down the right with Mollon. But all in all it was a decent game. At least for me I am not burying my head and ignoring the weak areas but I also celebrate the strong ones.
Congratulation again to our girls and the improved management of the team
I am so glad we won but, damn, what a scrappy game! After that challenging game against the USA we should have beaten Haiti 10-0. We need to stop sweetening the feedback for fear of being accused of non-patriotism and offer up some honest non-subjective non-sweetened in-your-face feedback. On the other hand, we Trinis have a hard time with honest objective feedback; we prefer excuses. Yes, they had a tough time getting support from TTFA but only 7 shots of which only 2 on target. We lucky Haiti did not beat us 2-1! All yuh good, yes.
Congrats for a job well done.
Well done
So proud of these girls. .
Great result for T&T!
The #5 is a great defender. She reads the game really well. Still find we losing the ball to often and easily. But all in all the girls are playing really well.
They would be going through to the next round…….
#welldonegirls
The red card is unfortunate but this team has shown that it’s players are gutsy so congratulations are in order and they will give of their best in the Guatemala game. We must remember that they are warriors first and foremost.
A somewhat wider margin would have been nice but say what? A win is a win so we’ll take that and hope the girls work to put the other foot securely in the knockout stage when we come up against Guatemala on Monday.