By Allan La Rose
Houston, Texas Compliments of; GFF, Oasis Water, Colours and ISOTONIX.
Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Soca Princesses’ underlined their status as the number one Women football nation in the Caribbean with a commanding and comprehensive victory over Guyana’s Lady Jags when the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers Final round continued yesterday at the BBVA COMPASS stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Group ‘B’ match up to determine the runners-up to Canada in the group ended in a lopsided result as the Tribagonians displayed superior speed and skills to secure a semifinal meeting this Friday with the world’s number one, the USA. The Jags played well within their limitations with flashes of brilliance at times but were outclassed by a hungrier ‘Soca Princesses’.
The Trinbagonians who entered the match in a must win situation began in an assertive and aggressive manner as the Guyanese tried to find a counter action which never came and by lemon time the contest was truly over . Goals by Kennya Cordner (7th), Maria Shade (10th), Alison Heydorn (17th, own goal) and Ankheela Mollon (21st) buried any hope the Jags had of reaching the last four.
Coach Mark Rodrigues in attempt to stop the flow of goals inserted Otesha Charles from Midfield to left defense as the dreadlocked and elusive Cordner proved to be more than a handful for the Jags. In the 26 th minute Rodrigues took out Ashlee Savona and in came Mariam El-Masri and thereafter the Jags looked more purposeful with Bria Williams, in her first start of the Tournament, being a force in the midfield. Three minutes from the half Williams pulled one back from thirty meters for the Jags but it would be the only consolation for the Guyanese. The strongly built showed great presence of mind a hit a first time lob into an open goal after goalkeeper Kimika Forbes was left helplessly out of her citadel.
The Jags put up a far improved performance in the second segment and limited the Trini lasses to a solitary goal scored in the 61st minute after the Jags’ custodian Chante Sandiford parried the ball to the feet of a lurking Cordner inside the 6 yards box. The diminutive Cordner gleefully accepted to double her tally and later she was named MVP of the game.
The Lady Jags in a spirited effort failed to find the back of the nets despite several threatening runs on the left by El-Masri. When the final whistle was blown, the Jags though beaten and disappointed left the pitch with their heads high and acknowledged the support of their fans by a big wave of hands
