T&T

FIFA World Cup
Trinidad & Tobago’s World Cup qualifying climb gets steeper as it heads to US
Trinidad will still be without Dwight Yorke against the USA
3/30/2009 - By Michael Lewis

NASVHVILLE, Tennessee (USA) – With only two points from its first two final-round World Cup qualifiers, Trinidad & Tobago faces a rather daunting task against the United States on Wednesday night.

The Soca Warriors must find away to take home a point, if not three, to keep pace in CONCACAF qualifying.

It certainly won't be easy if history is a guide.

T&T has never won on U.S. soil, neither for qualifiers (0-1-6) nor overall (0-1-10), and has not scored a goal in its last six trips. The only time the Soca Warriors emerged with so much as a point was in a 1-1 qualifying draw on May 13, 1989. But that was 20 years ago, several World Cups in the past.

And the current American side is a much deeper, talented group than in 1989, when it qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.

Trinidad enters the game after a second consecutive draw. On Saturday night, the Soca Warriors had to rally against visiting El Salvador, getting a an 88th-minute goal by 19-year-old Khaleem Hyland for a 1-1 tie. In their first qualifier on February 11, they were on the other end of the rally, losing a two-goal advantage in the last eight minutes in Honduras on a pair of late goals by Osael Romero and settled for a 2-2 deadlock.

T&T coach Francisco Maturana of Colombia took a major gamble and pulled striker Kenwyne Jones, Saturday, saying that he was saving him for the U.S. encounter. Jones replaced Jason Scotland in the 61st minute.

“We felt it was a good option to have Scotland, who is playing very well abroad," Maturana said. "We gave Kenwyne the chance to rest for a very important game that is coming up on Wednesday."

Ricky Sbragia, Jones' coach at Sunderland in the English Premier League, admitted that Kenwyne was tired after playing many matches and that perhaps it was beginning to show in his performances, Maturana said.

That statement caused some controversy as Trinidad reporters wanted to know if Maturana was taking instructions from Sbragia.

“I don’t listen to none of them. I make judgments on my own," he said. “We have all the statistics about Kenwyne Jones. I see him every day."

Even with Jones in the lineup, Trinidad will face a team that gained a boost with a late rally of its own.

The United States (1-1-0) finds itself atop the hexagonal group with four points after overcoming a two-goal deficit in the last 13 minutes for a 2-2 draw in El Salvador. Frankie Hejduk scored a late equalizer after setting up another by second-half substitute Jozy Altidore on Saturday night.

"Any time you don't have your best game and come back and get a point on the road, it says a lot for the team," Hejduk said. "The guys really battled hard.

"We never gave up. The U.S. has a never-say-die attitude. Even at 2-0 . . . we knew the game wasn't over. We believe in each other."

The Americans, who beat T&T in the semifinal round at home in September, 3-0, will be bolstered by the return of regular goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was forced to sit out the match with a suspension due to two yellow cards. Brad Guzan looked shaky at times in the match. Defender Jonathan Bornstein, who plays for Chivas USA, joined the American side on Monday.