SVG in upset 2-0 win over Guyana
…Guadeloupe stop Cuba 2-1
(From Isaiah Chappelle in T&T)
Guyana Chronicle
January 16, 2007
In association with Edward B. Beharry’s Champion products, Guyana Forestry Commission, Giftland OfficeMax and Keishar’s
THE unbeaten run of Guyana and Cuba came to a halt on Sunday, respectively going down to St Vincent & the Grenadines and Guadeloupe in the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Trinidad & Tobago.
Two costly blunders – one early and the other late - blemished the “tournament’s meanest defence” of favourites Guyana with a 2-0 loss against the underdogs of the Bobby Sookram Group, while two brilliant thrusts by Guadeloupe negated the superior play of Cuba, 2-1.
St Vincent & the Grenadine’s striker Shandel Samuel leaned into a volley to rock the net from close range, pouncing on the ball goalkeeper Jason Lloyd failed to hold on to, within five minutes of play.
Then four minutes from regulation time, the defence left the ball waiting for an offside whistle and substitute striker Sean Glynn collected it at the left of the goal and slotted in between Lloyd and the near post to effectively seal an unlikely victory.
Coach Zoran Vranes said his team did not go to play nice football but to win.
“The first victory is the most important. We made a great step up, but his is not the end. It was a very hard, very difficult game. I believe Guyana will go with us to the next stage.”
He said he liked to be the underdogs because nobody was talking about them, like in the Jamaica preliminaries and they surprised everyone.
“Now we have the advantage. I’m not satisfied how we played. The team could play better. We knew very well that Guyana were strong but we expected this victory. I’m not scared to play against any of the other opponents. Guyana have a very good team and I was scared a little.”
Captain Ezra Hendrickson said they came up against the hardest team and expected a tough match.
“Lady luck was on our side. The goalkeeper came out for us.”
Guyana’s Technical Director Jamaal Shabazz said St Vincent played with a lot of maturity and patience.
“Part of playing well, is scoring your chances.”
The team went into the match with the best record of tournament, winning all six preliminary matches with 24 goals to their credit and conceding just two and Digicel Caribbean Cup dubbed them “the tournament’s meanest defence.”
Shabazz said a blow hurt but would repair like injured muscles and they would face Guadeloupe today with a stronger mind.
“Our time is now, not because we made a blunder. We will be back.”
Captain Charles Pollard said: “Luck was not with us. We’ll come back stronger in the next game.”
Guyana went into the match with a new format – 3-5-3 and a new starting line-up, inserting Lloyd in goal and John Rodrigues in central defence, perhaps beefing up the mid-field to cater for the absence of the injured Shawn Bishop. Wingbacks Walter Moore and Leslie Holligan joined Shawn Beveny, Kayode McKinnon and Gregory Richardson.
The team created good chances and it seemed the equaliser was automatic, but they messed four clear chances, one in the 19th minute when Nigel Codrington carried the ball on left, crossed beautifully but Randolph Jerome bungled in front of a clear goal from three metres out.
Then SVG goalkeeper Melvin Andrews saved the match-determining goal in stoppage time. Shawn Beveny attacked on the right, powered a right footer from just inside the box, and Andrews flew to effect a super save. He was voted the man-of-the-match.
In the second half, play concentrated in St Vincent & the Grenadines’ half, yet Guyana could not find the equaliser. Carey Harris took Beveny’s place in the mid-field but the 63rd-minute substitute sent a series of bad passes and missed a goal, too. The opponents, also, made a change, two minutes later.
Richardson came off in the 68th minute with Collie Hercules and immediately Codrington ceased getting the ball.
Abrams was inserted in the 75th minute for Jerome and immediately the attacks came alive again. Nine minutes later, he broke away on the right, sent a super cross to Hercules, catching the goalkeeper flat footed, but Hercules headed the ball over the cross-bar from six metres. Shortly after, St Vincent & Grenadine put in the sealer.
Earlier, Cuba worked hard, but Steve Bizacene finished a beautiful cross from Lerry Hanany outside the six-metre box in the 31st minute. Cuba equalised in the 69th minute, with Osvaldo Alonso heading the ball to convert a pass from Lester More at left.
But three minutes to time, Jocelyn Angloma sliced a free-kick from 25 metres out, through the wall to beat goalkeeper Odelin Hernandez, and won the man-of-the-match award for his winning effort.
Like Guyana, Cuba went into the match with 24 goals and two against them, in five wins and a 0-0 draw with Haiti.
Tomorrow, Guyana take on Guadeloupe from 17:00 h and Cuba face St Vincent & the Grenadines from 19:00 h.