After a relatively good start to the game in the first five or so minutes, the "Warriors" backline began to look sluggish and invited the Cubans onto them. The Cuban front trio of Yoandir Puga, Ariel Martinez and Armando Curoneaux linked up to dangerous effect and the latter came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. First in the 8th minute Curoneaux was played in on goal by Puga after some nice play down the the left hand side but the speedy attacker failed to bend his shot around the big frame of Jan-Michael Williams. He forced Williams into action again eight minutes later after receiving a ball over the top of the two T&T central defenders but his stinging shot was palmed away for a corner.
Curoneaux and Cuba could count themselves really unlucky for not being awarded a penalty in the 22nd minute as Curoneaux again found himself beyond the defense but this time he was impeded in his progress by T&T defender Carlyle Mitchell; no foul given (it should have been though). This was just a small part of the shaky showing by Mitchell and his defensive partner Yohance Marshall on the night as the pair was prone to errors for much of the match.
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| Taking no prisoners: Mitchell in Caribbean Cup action in 2012. Photo credit: Allan V. Crane |
T&T's first real chance of the game, and quite possibly the best one fell to captain Kenwyne Jones in the 33rd minute. The burly Cardiff City striker was however unable to direct his header on goal after meeting a Cordell Cato corner. Kenwyne's namesake Joevin Jones had a crack at goal himself just moments later but the utility player failed to cap off his neat one-two with Ataulla Guerra with a shot on target.
The second half was far less exciting than the first as both teams dropped their tempo considerably and seemed to be playing for a draw, a result which would see both through to next year's Gold Cup. Cuba's danger trio weren't as menacing as before, and that could be understood given that it was the third game the teams were playing in five days.
Referee Trevor Taylor probably had a tougher job than most in the second half as he tried his utmost it seems to keep 22 players on the pitch. Cuba's Alberto Gomez was a fortunate man to stay on the field following his dangerous sliding tackle that left T&T's diminutive Leston Paul riving in agony in the 63rd minute. Taylor had to have his wits about him again in the 75th minute as things threatened to escalate between T&T's skipper Jones and defender Renay Malblanche after the Cuban defender was a bit too aggressive for Jones' liking. No cards were shown in this incident.
As the game drew closer to an end both teams looked to have settled for the nil all result and were just casually knocking the ball around, but maybe a bit too casual. Mitchell under hit a back pass to Williams in the T&T goal and Martinez looked certain to get on the end of it but was tugged back by the "Warrior" just outside the box. With Mitchell being the last man this surely had to be a red card, but to Mitchell's relief the card that flashed before him was yellow.
Highlights of T&T's victory over Curacao in the Caribbean Cup opener.
Video by: TTFA
With the game already into stoppage time Martinez was left with a glorious chance to win in it all for his team but his left-footed free kick was easily dealt with by the composed Williams. Goalless it finished then and the "Warriors" had ousted the defending champs, though not convincingly.
Will coach Stephen Hart go with this same centre-back pairing in the final come Tuesday? I highly doubt it.
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