Trinidad and Tobago's senior men's team made the perfect start to their 2018 World Cup qualifying quest with a spirited 2-1 victory over hosts Guatemala at the Estadio Mateo Flores on Friday night.
The Soca Warriors were powered by second half goals from Belgium-based midfielder Khaleem Hyland and Captain Kenwyne Jones to capture their first three points of the CONCACAF semi-final round group.
The victory on the night would have left all T&T supporters with a proud feeling as Stephen Hart's Red Army battled through the 94 minutes of play, leaving everything on the pitch to come away with deserving victory after their gutsy display. The win was T&T's first in Guatemala in twenty six years dating back to the 1-0 shutout in 1989 by the Strike Squad. And the goal that paved the way for the win on Friday had a similar look to the one which Kerry Jamerson drove home in 1989 as Hyland drilled a right footer past a hapless Paulo Motta in the 67th minute.
Sometimes you can't always be playing beautiful football. You have to roll up your sleeves and do what is necessary to come away with a result. It was not pretty but we got the three points in a very difficult environment and I�m happy with that, Hart told TTFA Media after the win.
I was really pleased with the second half and the way in which we buckled down. We endured rough period with about five or six straight corners but we defended them well. We got the goal off a nice play with Khaleem and then the second goal was just beautiful to watch with the pass from Joevin, Hart added.
Jones item would turn out to be the winner when Joevin Jones floated a perfect delivery into his path from the left and the big man clinically volleyed home past Motta to the dismay of the partisan Guatemalan home crowd. The goal was Jones fourth in five outings for T&T,his 15th in 26 appearances since Hart took the helm and his 22nd overall.
Earlier the first half, T&T failed to settle against the Guatemalans who came hot out the blocks and intent on jostling the �Warriors.
Gerson Tinoco and veteran Carlos Ruiz seemed at ease in the first half and threatened to leave T&T trailing but solid goalkeeping by Jan Michael Williams kept the hosts at bay. Williams used his legs to deny Tinoco in the 12th minute and Ruiz tested the Central FC custodian on a couple of
occasions.