Soca Warriors beat US, and face Canada in Copa America playoffs

Trinidad and Tobago will next meet Canada in March. Their win over the US by 2-1 despite an aggregate loss of 4-2 is boosting their confidence for the event. Their hopes to qualify for the semis have been dashed already; however, they have been guaranteed a spot in the Copa 2024 playoff.

Canada is in the 45th position, and Trinidad and Tobago are in the 99th position per FIFA. That being said, one must ask: Can a victory against the US truly assist Trinidad and Tobago in conquering their fear? Trinidad and Tobago won leg 2 of 2, but then suffered a 3-0 loss against the US in the first leg. They had only 24% possession, resulting in just one shot, none of which was on target. The US was stronger, with 76% possession of the ball, 26 shots attempted, and 8 of them going on target.

The US scored all three goals in the last 10 minutes of the 90-minute game in the first leg. Ricardo scored the opener in the 82nd minute, followed by Antonee and Reyna in the 86th and 89th minutes, respectively. All Trinidad & Tobago received was a red card before breaking for halftime.

Antonee backed his gameplan in the second leg, bringing the first net to the board in the 25th minute. That marked a solid opening to the game but was then challenged by Trinidad and Tobago.

As per the latest Canadian gaming news, Reon Moore scored a goal in the 43rd minute, and Alvin Jones found a way around the opponent’s defense in the 57th minute. This instilled a sense of victory, with only the defending line-up worried about not letting the US equalize the tally.

The other two teams with a confirmed spot in the playoff are Costa Rica and Honduras, both now destined to lock horns in March, just before Canada vs. Trinidad & Tobago.

The US will meet Jamaica after Panama and Mexico have settled their scores for the semis.

Mexico has cemented its position by beating Honduras in the penalty round and sporting an aggregate of 2-2. Jamaica beat Canada by 3-2 and an aggregate of 4-4.

Angus Eve, the coach of Trinidad & Tobago, and Aubrey David, the team captain, are confident that the result will favor them in the upcoming event. Eve has said that the result of their game with the US goes a long way in building confidence, adding that such wins only augurs well for the players for self-belief.

David stated that he is living his dream as he reflected on his journey. The 33-year-old Aubrey succeeded Kavin Molino as captain following the latter’s retirement on September 1st.

The upcoming events of the CONCACAF Nations League are semis and Playoffs, both scheduled to happen in March next year. The final lap will take place on March 24, 2024, along with a contest for third place.