MIAMI, Florida (CMC) – Bermuda’s 8-1 humiliation of Barbados headlined three lopsided victories, as Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti joined in making bold statements in the opening round of the qualifying phase of the CONCACAF Gold Cup here Friday evening.
Playing at the DRV PNK Stadium, Bermuda’s England-based marquee forward Nakhi Wells lashed in a hat-trick in his return to the squad, to fire his side into the next round.

They will now meet Haiti after the French Caribbean outfit clobbered SVG 6-1 at the same venue, with experienced Belgium-based striker Duckens Nazon on target twice.
Embattled Trinidad and Tobago also flexed their muscle when they thrashed Montserrat 6-1, home-based midfielder Reon Moore capping his side’s dominant performance with a second-half double, after coming on as a substitute.

T&T will now clash with the winners of yesterday’s contest between Cuba and French Guiana, in the second round.
Yesterday’s other fixtures saw Guyana taking on Guatemala and The Bahamas mixing it up with Guadeloupe, with the winners meeting in the second round of qualifiers.
All second-round matches will be played Tuesday, with the winners all advancing to the group stage of the Gold Cup, which gets underway July 10.

The return of Bristol City striker Wells following a year’s absence seemed to inspire Bermuda and they were 2-0 up inside the first quarter of an hour, thanks to strikes by the 31-year-old.
His first goal was the fastest ever in Gold Cup history, coming after just 17 seconds with the first attack of the game when he stormed down the right unmarked to sweep home from six yards, after the United States-based Zeiko Lewis had raced down the left and squared a pass from inside the 18-yard box.

The goal was initially chalked off for off-side but overturned by VAR.
Wells doubled his tally again from close range after finding himself again unmarked in the box before strikes from Reggie Lambe (29th) and Dante Leverock (39th) fired Bermuda to a 4-0 lead.
Hadan Holligan scrambled one in off the post in first-half injury time to get Barbados on the scoresheet but the one-way traffic continued after the break.

With Barbados in disarray at the back, United Kingdom-based Krystian Pearce stuck Lewis’s left-sided cross into the back of his own net on the hour mark, and Kane Crichlow (66th) and Lewis (67th) scored in quick succession to bury the Eastern Caribbean unit.
Fittingly, captain Wells rounded off his side’s display with his third goal three minutes from the end, when he converted from the spot.

T&T, meanwhile, got their scoring underway through fit-again MLS-based winger Kevin Molino when he netted a 21st minute penalty, and Marcus Joseph doubled the lead with a brilliant long range effort in the 35th minute after spotting goalkeeper Corrin Brooks off his line.
Canada-based Ryan Telfer ensured T&T’s 3-0 lead at the break when he scored in injury time before Lyle Taylor, who plays for Nottingham Forest in England, pulled a goal back in the 55th minute.

There was no resurgence for the minnows however, as Judah Garcia added his side’s fourth in the 57th before Moore came off the bench to provide the finishing touches.
Haiti’s win came when Nazon netted in the 26th and 59th minutes, first opening the scoring before getting his side’s fourth, after Frantzdy Pierrot (33rd) and Derrick Etienne Jr (37th) had found the mark in the space of five minutes.
Kyle Edwards grabbed the lone goal for the Vincentians in the 42nd minute but Jahvin Sutherland’s 72nd minute own goal and Carnejy Antoine’s 90th minute strike further condemned minnows.