From Isaiah Chappelle in New York
(In association with EZjet, comfortable direct flight to the Big Apple)
TEAM Guyana USA inflicted a 4-1 thrashing on Trinidad & Tobago USA in the Caribbean Cup USA at the Thomas Jefferson High School Sports Complex in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday. Guyana’s leading international goalscorer Nigel Codrington opened Guyana’s scoring for a 1-0 lead at lemon time, with former National striker Zevon Atkinson, Menzie De Lawrence and Kevin Beaton adding to the second victory in as many matches.
The consolation goal for Trinidad & Tobago came off the head of Errol McFarlane, their second loss in as many matches.
Coach Sam Bumbury was ecstatic: “It was a close game, but the guys were resilient and were able to change the 2-1 scoreline with ten minutes to go. We are ready for any team. It was a nice game.”
The game began with the Trinidad & Tobago side of young college players controlling the mid-field run of play, getting about ten shots to goal and goalkeeper Adrian Alfred belied his size, diving for saves to keep the score card clean.
Some 12 minutes in, a striker latched onto a loose ball on the left flank, raced into the box, faced Alfred alone, but could not get past him. Five minutes later, Guyana survived another close call but the shot from inside the box passed the outstretched Alfred outside the last post.
But Team Guyana continued passing the ball around and wore down T&T midfield and 19 minutes in, got in the first real shot to goal. Forward Marlon Pollard received a high accurate pass from the right flank, volleyed to goal, beating the defence and goalkeeper, but the ball crashed on the right post.
Guyana had to take off the injured former National player, Jermaine Scott, in the 22nd minute, replacing him with another former National player – Orlando Gilgeous.
Five minutes later, Menzie de Lawrence sent a high pass from the right flank and Codrington volleyed, the ball zooming over the defence and goalkeeper into the net. Just before the half-time whistle, T&T got a yellow card.
A stern team talk from coach Bumbury at half-time, saw an attacking Guyana go 2-0 up, just three minutes into the second stanza, as the T&T defence fumbled and Atkinson sent a high one from just within the edge of the box, the goalkeeper tapping the ball into the net.
Fifteen minutes in, T&T inserted young Andrew Revaules to their strike line, but his speed was negated by a quick-reacting defence.
He did force a telling corner, and McFarlane rose magnificently above the defence to plant a nice headshot into the net to finish the right corner-kick which turned out to be the consolation, 18 minutes into the second half.
Guyana, now running with the breeze, were in full control with some ten minutes left in the 35-minute-per-half game. And de Lawrence collected the ball on the left flank, raced into the box and sent a flat shot that beat the goalkeeper for the third goal.
A minute later, Beaton took a long 25-metre shot from the left flank – the sudden attempt beating the goalkeeper to seal the game.
Earlier, St Lucia USA beat Barbados USA 1-0, and St Vincent & the Grenadines USA humbled Haiti USA 4-2.
In the tournament opening fixture last week Sunday, Beaton found the net twice for Guyana’s 2-0 victory over St Kitts.
Trinidad & Tobago went down to Antigua USA 2-0, and Grenada USA and Panama USA played to 0-0 stalemate.
Guyana will not be back on the field until June 17, but next week at the same venue, St Lucia come up against Panama, Antigua & Barbuda face St Kitts and Grenada battle with Haiti.