PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, – Trinidad and Tobago head coach, Angus Eve, believes Monday’s shock win over powerhouse United States will be a massive boost of confidence for his side, as they continue their rebuild.
The Caribbean unit pulled off a 2-1 victory over the USA in the second leg of the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals at the Hasely Crawford Stadium here, the result coming just days after a 3-0 loss in the first leg in Austin, Texas.
“It goes a long way in building confidence. Every time we play, the guys get a little bit more confident, they get a little bit more belief,” Eve said.
“And when they play a game like this, against an opposition like that, and they come out with that type of performance and the result, it only augurs well for them to believe a little bit more.
“The more they play on this platform it is the more that the boys will feel confident at this level.”
He added: “Look at the quality all around the US team, you see the leagues that their players are opposite to the leagues our players are playing in, and most of our players are actually out of season.” Facing an uphill battle following the heavy loss in the first leg, T&T found themselves trailing after 25 minutes when Fulham’s Antonee Robinson nodded in the opening goal.
Handed a lifeline after PSV’s Sergino Dest received his second booking in the space of a minute and was sent off in the 39th, T&T made the man advantage count.
Reon Moore levelled four minutes to leave the contest square at the half, before Alvin Jones produced the winner in the 57th with a well-taken free kick.
“This is a fantastic result for us, where we are in our development,” Eve continued.
“We saw a lot of young players [come] out there and really showed their worth.
“We gave them the trust and this will really augur well for us going into the future, to give them more opportunities like this. This is a massive win for us.”
He continued: “I thought we played some really, really good football. We moved the ball around, we created a lot of chances and on another day, we probably might have scored the four that we needed to take the game a little bit longer.”
The result, even though not enough to take T&T to the semi-finals on aggregate, was enough to put them in a playoff against Canada for a spot in next year’s Copa America.
“It is not going to get any easier … but we’re still alive when other teams are not so we’re just grateful to be here,” Eve said.
