SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors suffered their second defeat in five days when they went down 3-1 to Honduras in their second game of the CONCACAF final round 2018 World Cup qualifiers here Tuesday night.
The visitors conceded first half goals through Romell Quioto in the 16th minute and Emilio Izaguirre in the 19th to be down 2-0 at the break, before pulling one back seven minutes following the interval courtesy of Carlyle Mitchell.
However, any hopes of a comeback were squashed when Eddie Hernandez netted in the 81st minute.
The defeat comes on the backs of last Friday’s 2-0 loss to Costa Rica at home and left the Trinidadians one form bottom of the six-nation group without a point.
“We gave up two early goals and allowed them to get on top of us. I thought both goals were preventable,” head coach Stephen Hart said.
“If I remember correctly, for one of the goals we were just physically manhandled. I am not pleased with the level of commitment. Maybe it’s the level of fitness, I would have to see the game again but we are not closing up space quick enough in the transition and getting back into our defending shape after we attack.
“When we do attack, we’re leaving people in isolation so our filling of space both defensively and offensively, we have to put way more physical effort.”
T&T fell behind when goalkeeper Marvin Phillips, a fifth minute replacement for Jan-Michael Williams, failed to keep out Quioto’s shot from just outside the box.
Three minutes later, Phillips found himself beaten again this time through Izaguirre’s left-footed volley.
The visitors hauled themselves back into the contest through Mitchell’s corner in the 52nd but T&T could not find the second goal to pull level.
There was disappointment for them nine minutes from time when substitute Hernandez, who had earlier struck the crossbar with a header, put the cap on the performance with a clinical close range finish.
