The Golden Jaguars, Guyana’s flagship men’s football program, got off to the worst possible start in their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers campaign, as they were routed 3-0 by Caribbean rival, Trinidad and Tobago, yesterday at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic.
It was an abject performance from the Golden Jaguars in what was the 23rd meeting of the teams, as the Twin Island Republic relegated the Guyanese to their 15th loss in competitive engagements. The contest was over in the first half, as three unanswered goals earned the deserved three points for Terry Fenwick’s side.
It was also Guyana’s largest defeat against Trinidad and Tobago since September 2008 which mirrored the score-line. Remarkably, the last meeting of the teams, which occurred in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, ended 1-1.
Guyana’s lineup for the fixture consisted of Akel Clarke, Miguel Scarlett, Matthew Briggs, Sam Cox, Kadell Daniels, Trayon Bobb, Terrence Vancooten, Daniel Wilson, Callum Harriott, Keanu Marsh-Brown and Emery Welshman.
For a team coached by a Brazilian native in the form of Marcio Maximo, the Golden Jaguars could not string together a series of passes, as they consistently opted for long passes from the defensive third. Ironically midfield dynamo, Neil Danns, who was unexpectedly left out of the squad, was certainly missed as Guyana laboured in the midfield third. They lacked the creativity ability and overall guile to provide the required service for the frontline.
As such, it only took the Trinidadians seven minutes to record their first conversion as Levi Garcia scored. Stealing the ball between two defenders before it went out of play on the right side of the field, Garcia raced into the box unchallenged and placed a flat left-footed effort past the advancing goalkeeper Clarke. Further misery was heaped onto the hapless Guyanese, as Ryan Telford recorded his first of an eventual double in the 16th minute.
Another dismal defensive display led to the conversion, as a speculative low cross from the right side of the field 28 yards from goal, was allowed to drop into the penalty area and settle into the back of the left corner.
Guyana would eventually record their first of two noteworthy moments in the half, as Welshman uncorked a flat right-footed strike which crashed onto the right upright, after racing onto a through pass inside the right of the 18-yard area.
On the opposite end, a clumsy challenge from Bobb on Telford inside the left of the box, gifted the ‘Soca Warriors’ a penalty kick in the 36th minute. However, a casual attempt from the distance by Joevin Jones was denied by Clarke to his right, who subsequently thwarted Jones once more from the rebound.
March-Brown almost reduced the deficit two minutes later, as his powerful attempt from the right of the box was denied smartly by custodian Nicklas Frenderup. However any attempts of staging a comeback was quickly extinguished, as Telford etched his name on the scorer’s sheet once again in the 43rd minute.
A goalkeeping blunder by the onrushing Clarke gifted Telford his second of the night, as a long pass from 40 yards in the center of the field, slipped through the grasps and legs of the Guyanese shot-stopper at the top of the box, allowing the forward to slot the ball unchallenged into the empty net. The second half presented another uneventful and dull display from Golden Jaguars, with their only notable attempt on goal occurring in the 69th minute, as Harriott rifled a shot from the top of the box, wide of the left corner. With the outcome already decided, the quintet of Job Caesar, Omari Glasgow, Bayli Spencer-Adams, Pernell Schultz, and Kelsey Benjamin, were given substitute appearances by the management team in the 68th, 68th, 69th, 71st and 76th minute respectively.
Guyana will continue their group ‘F’ campaign against the Bahamas on March 30 at the same venue. In their third match, Guyana will travel to St Kitts and Nevis for Friday June 4 before ending their group round at home on Tuesday June 8 against Puerto Rico. Only the group winner will progress to the second stage of the qualifiers.
The complete Golden Jaguars squad reads: Kyle McKenzie-Lyle, Miguel Scarlett, Matthew Briggs, Kadell Daniels, Bayli Spencer-Adams, Terrence Vancooten, Nathan Moriah-Welsh, Sam Cox, Callum Harriott, Keanu Marsh-Brown, Emery Welshman, Akel Clarke, Shawn Adonis, Nikkoloi Andrews, Nicholas MacArthur, Kelsey Benjamin, Jeremy Garrett, Ryan Hackett, Daniel Wilson, Pernell Schultz, Trayon Bobb, Job Caesar and Omari Glasgow.