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Originally Posted By: Hamilton Israel
Originally Posted By: Gwadaboyz72
Final result : Cuba 2 Trinidad 0 A big surprise!
Latapy using mainly local base players, out of his mind....
It takes more than talent on paper to be successful at international footall.....
latapy ah mad man . Grenada have Kerry Baptise who plays in england , Modeste who plays overseas , Sherey joseph from MLS , Kitson Bain and they are dominating Host Martinique .
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Miracles are for those who Belives in them .
Friday, November 26th 2010 – Pierre Aliker Dillon, Martinique: Cuba opened the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals here in Martinique in fine style by beating Trinidad and Tobago 2-0.
After comprehensively wining Group F, 2006 Digicel champions Trinidad and Tobago started brightly and after a well rehearsed short corner routine Keon Daniel worked his way to the edge of the Cuban box and smashed his shot across the goal and just wide.
Cuba then took the game to the Caribbean heavyweights and passed the ball with purpose, looking dangerous as they swept forward. Duarte Pla had managed to impress enough to keep his starting place in the Cuban team and was keen to justify his selection as he led the line well causing considerable trouble to Kern Cupid at the heart of the Trinidad defence..
It was the impressive midfield general and Captain Jaine Valencia who opened the scoring between these two giants when the ball broke kindly for him on the edge of the box and he smashed it past a flying Williams from 18 yards on the half volley to put the Cubans one up.
Rather than the expected immediate fightback the growing crowd expected, it was the Cubans who continued to dominate and looked more likely to increase their lead as the half wore on with Duarte Pla and Campanioni a constant thorn in the side of the Trinidad defence.
Half time saw coach Latapy ring out the changes as Cyrus and Gay came on to add more potency to the Soca Warriors attack.
The changes however seemed to have little effect as the Cubans steamrolled over the Soca boys in midfield and only for a previous infringement that ruled out a second goal for Cuba, things could have been a lot worse.
The game ebbed and flowed and two decisive changes from Cuban coach Triana paid dividends after only two minutes when the substitutes combined to score Cuba’s second and move the game beyond the reach of Trinidad.
After some neat build up play from the back, a lacklustre Trinidad defense was found missing when Balmaseda broke free and when left with a one on one with the keeper selflessly squared for Salor, whose initial shot, although blocked on the line by a retreating defender, was happily smashed into the roof of the net by a jubilant Balmaseda on the rebound.
Things turned from bad to worse for Trinidad after that as Peltier was given a straight red for an off the ball incident spotted by the watchful eye of the assistant referee Venton Mars.
With Cuban centre half Molina eating up any attempt of a Trinidad fightback, the Cubans were content to take the little that Soca Warriors had to offer and see out their opening Digicel Cup Finals game with a win.
For the Soca Warriors it would not have been the start they wanted or that their under pressure coach Latapy would have wished for but with the team looking less impressive and void of any real ideas in going forward, one worries for their future ambitions in the tournament.
The Digicel Cup Finals will be played from November 26 through to December 5 in Martinique with live television broadcast worldwide courtesy of Digicel as well as live radio coverage, images and updates on http://www.digicelfootball.com.
Trinidad &Tobago: 1 Jan Michael Williams 2 Clyde Leon (C) 3 Yohance Marshall (6. Daniel Cyrus 46 mins) 4 Kerry Baptiste (17Jamal Gay 46 mins)5 Kern Cupid 8 Trent Noel (7. Hughton Hector 67mins) 9 Devorn Jorsling 12 Julius James 14 Joevin Jones 15 Lester Peltier 19 Keon Daniel Coach: Russell Latapy
Current Champions, Jamaica, arrived in Martinique last night ahead of the first of their Group I matches which takes place tomorrow. The Reggae Boyz will face Antigua & Barbuda; Guadeloupe and Guyana in their attempt to retain their title.
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Confident Reggae Boyz face Antigua Published: Saturday | November 27, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions Dane Richards Luton Shelton 1 2 >
Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport
SAINTE-LUCE, Martinique:
JAMAICA'S Reggae Boyz are aiming to kick off their title defence for the Digicel Caribbean Cup with a victory over Antigua and Barbuda, when the teams clash in the feature encounter of a Group I double-header at the 3,600-capacity Riviere Pilote Stadium, Martinique, this evening at 7:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. Jamaica time).
The game will be preceded by a 5 p.m. (4 p.m. Jamaica time) match-up pitting the group's other competitors, Guyana and Guadeloupe.
They will play each other on a round-robin format with matches every other day. The top two in each group advance to the semi-final stage and importantly, the eight-nation tournament's top four to next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament to be held in the United States.
Four-time champs
Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Grenada and hosts Martinique, are playing in Group H.
Jamaica, on the strength of their players, their record of having qualified for the World Cup Finals (1998), and winning the regional championship on four occasions, are a regional powerhouse and favoured to claim one of those spots to the Gold Cup.
Nonetheless, their coach, Theodore Whitmore, says they cannot take anything for granted, even as they play opponents who have not made any serious mark in the region, yet world football.
"Everybody's been talking about Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago," Whitmore said, in obvious reference to the expectation that either country will win the championship.
It's a view generally shared among players, but Whitmore, whose team beat Grenada 2-1 in Kingston to lift the title in 2008, said they will not be taking the Antiguans lightly.
"We've prepared ourselves this week for that (complacency). I keep telling the players these games are going to be more difficult than playing against the Costa Ricas, the Argentinas, so it's something we've been preparing for and we'll be up for the battle come tomorrow afternoon," he stressed.
The Boyz have played Costa Rica twice in their build-up to this tournament, winning 1-0 in Kingston on a Ryan Johnson goal, before tying goalless in Fort Lauderdale last week Wednesday.
That was their last prep game, one that was missed by Johnson, the United States-based Major League Soccer striker who has been key among the 81st-ranked Boyz with goalscoring, since joining the team almost a year ago.
Johnson also scored in a 2-1 away loss against the mighty Argentineans and flew in to join the Jamaica team last night, after its only training session.
A number of other overseas-based professionals are also in the Jamaica starting line-up, adding strength to all departments of what appears a solid unit. They include prolific scorer Luton Shelton, who plays in Norway, top MLS attackers, the dangerous Omar Cummings, who won the MLS Cup at the weekend with Colorado Rapids and New York Red Bulls winger, Dane Richards, whose skill, pace and trickery are expected to provide a major influence.
Norway-based Rudolph Austin is expected to power the midfield with his energetic play and strong kicking, along with Shaun Francis and Lovel Palmer, while captain and central defender, Shavar Thomas brings MLS experience and quality to a defence with seasoned Jermaine Taylor and Adrian Reid and the outstanding goalkeeper, Dwayne Miller, who excelled to win top awards in his debut season in Norway.
Despite all that attacking quality and more from the local shores, headlined by Tivoli Gardens' creative midfielder Keammar Daley, Whitmore remains guarded and will not look past his opponents.
"What I want to take into consideration is it's our first game - against Antigua - and we've to get past Antigua if we want to defend our title," he pointed out. "You win your first game (and) you're in with a chance for the semi-final, so we want to give it our all. It's the first game and that will determine how far we go in the competition."
The Jamaican coach and one-time midfield maestro reckons the Antiguans are "decent", after getting a first-hand look while conducting a clinic and watching final-round qualifiers less than a fortnight ago in Antigua.
"I've seen the Antiguan team a couple weeks back ... based on what I've seen it's a pretty decent team, but any team playing against the Jamaica team it's gonna be tough," he said.
The 115th-ranked Antiguans, meanwhile, are anticipating a tough challenge.
"We understand and realise it's going to be a tough match for us, but we're as prepared as we can be and hopefully at the end of the day we can get a positive result," said Billy McEwen, their technical director, who has been with the team since February.
NOTE: Cuba surprised Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in last night's opening match. At press time hosts Martinique were in action against Grenada.
Martinique 1 - Grenada 1 Picture by: digicelfootball.com Friday, November 26th 2010 – Pierre Aliker Dillon, Martinique: Martinique fought bravely back to ensure an honours even result with Grenada in their opening Group H game in the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals 2010 on their own home ground in front of an energetic 6000 strong crowd.
Martinique, privileged hosts of the finals of the biggest Caribbean showpiece in football, were out of the traps early in front of their home fans. Steve Gustan looked a constant threat as he combined well with the front pairing and went close after only 14 minutes but to be thwarted by a confident Baptiste in the Grenada goal.
The spice boys seemed to soak up the early pressure well and they were lucky not to have conceded as the pairing of Gustan and the lively Percin threatened down the left flank.
Grenada, the runners up in 2008, were not to be discounted and only for a fabulous full length finger tip save from Herulie after a great strike from Charles they would have opened their account.
However it was the Grenadian super star Kitson Bain who did take that honour by turning his man on the edge of the box and firing an absolute scorcher into the corner of the net from all of 20 yards that would grace any finals.
Martinique were buoyed on by a large home crowd and it was Gustan again who led the charge, and, following a goal mouth scramble, the nippy midfielder blasted his shot inches over the bar for another close disappointment for the home side.
The half time team talk in the Martinique dressing room was obviously taking effect as the French side came out with all guns blazing and seemed odds on to score that elusive equalizer. After 54 minutes Reuperne sliced open the Spice boys down the right but when his cut back came, it eluded everyone who had rushed to the near post with no one dropping off to get the final touch.
It was all Martinique at this stage and as the crowd screamed louder accompanied by the carnival band the French boys grew in confidence. Grenada were hanging on at the back and coach Simpson astutely brought on some defending reinforcements as he looked to sure up a solid defence.
But Martinique continued to push forward and looked so close to scoring time and again but failed that killer instinct in front of goal. To add to this Baptiste made some fine saves from a number of good individual efforts from Suedile and Cesar.
Martinique coach Germe was forced into making a few changes but his were more of the attacking ilk and it was one of those who eventually broke the charmed life that Grenada’s goal lived.
After being taken down inside the box from a clumsy challenge, Goron stepped up to take responsibility and coolly side footed his effort into the bottom corner to make it honours even with 10 minutes remaining.
The home side demanded more from their heroes and the players did not disappoint in terms of effort as they pushed forward in search of a winner. They almost found that when Baptiste was yet again the saviour when he saved dramatically from another long range shot this time from Clement.
Honours even it ended and while Trinidad will be the happiest with that result, it means all teams in Group H still have it to play for as the curtain drew on the first opening days games of the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals 2010.
The Digicel Cup Finals will be played from November 26 through to December 5 in Martinique with live television broadcast worldwide courtesy of Digicel as well as live radio coverage, images and updates on http://www.digicelfootball.com.
