Vincy Heat no match for Soca Warriors in WCQ

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Vincy Heat was no match for the Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors and came away empty-handed in their two matches in Group C of the CONCACAF Zone of the World Cup.

Despite a spirited effort on Good Friday here at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, the encounter {{more}}still left the Vincentians trailing the Trinidadians 2-3.

The home side had taken a 1-0 lead in the 45th minute, when Myron Samuel converted a penalty kick, after Trinidad and Tobago’s goalkeeper Marvin Phillip was ruled to have fouled David Pitt inside the penalty box.

On the resumption though, the visitors brought parity to the match, when in the 57th minute, Joevin Jones was able to curl a left-footed corner into the St Vincent and the Grenadines’ goal.

Debutant Levi Garcia, who made his entry in the 65th minute, registered the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute, eluding his marker on the right side of the St Vincent and the Grenadines’ defence.

But six minutes later, Vincy Heat restored the contest, when substitute Shandel Samuel scored from close range, after receiving a square pass from Oalex Anderson.

Garcia had the last say in the 82nd minute, when he blasted a shot past Lemus Christopher, finishing a move over the top from his team-mate Neveal Hackshaw.

The Vincentians, who anchored the last place in the group, gave their best showing, following their 6-1 loss away to the USA (November 13) and a 4-0 drubbing at the feet of Guatemala, four days later at home.

Vincy Heat’s pluckiness, which they exhibited last Friday, was not existent in the return fixture last Tuesday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Trinidad in the reverse meeting with the Soca Warriors.

Unable to put passes together, St Vincent and the Grenadines was shot down six goals to nil, as the Soca Warriors ran riot in front of a partisan home crowd.

Goals by Sheldon Bateau (36th minute), Joevin Jones (50th minute), Kenwyne Jones (60th minute), Kevin Molino (66th minute) and Trevin Caesar, who came on as second half substitute, hit brace in the 86th and 89th minutes, did it for the hosts, who head the group and are unbeaten with 10 points from four matches.

Elsewhere in the group on the night, the USA rebounded from their 0-2 loss to return the compliments to Guatemala, by winning four-nil. USA sits on seven points; Guatemala – six and St Vincent and the Grenadines – no points.

The final round of the group is set for September 2 and 6. On September 2, St Vincent and the Grenadines host the USA here and meet Guatemala in Guatemala September 6.

The other group matches on those dates see Trinidad and Tobago hosting Guatemala on September 2, then travelling to the USA for a showdown four days later.(RT)