Haiti outclass Guadeloupe
Sunday, January 21st 2007
AFTER resting half of their starters against Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti's footballers dominated Guadeloupe from the opening whistle to come away comfortable 3-1 winners of the first of the Digicel Caribbean Cup semi-finals yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Having also struck the Guadeloupe upright on three occasions, Haiti look a formidable opponent for whichever team they meet in the final on Tuesday.
Guadeloupe, missing Sheffield United defender David Sommeil from their line-up, were  pinned back for most of the first half. Haiti should have had at least a one-goal lead at the half and were given an excellent opportunity on the half hour through Alexandre Boucicat. As he bore down on Raymond Ednerson 's low cross at the back post, many thought Boucicat had scored, but instead he turned his shot inches wide. Scrambling to cover his far post, goalkeeper Fabrice Mercury had little chance had the shot been on target.Â
Even before then, Haiti were wasting their chances. Lerry Hanay, a defensive midfielder, overlapped and met the ball with a good header that looked a sure goal, until a good save from keeper Mercury in the 14th minute.
Ten minutes later, centre-forward Eliphene Cadet looked a clearly frustrated man when Boucicat broke clear up the right, but instead of finding his teammate, forced an angled shot which the Guadeloupe keeper tipped wide.
Haiti's Raymond Ednerson did the same up the opposite flank minutes later, when scooping the ball over the Guadeloupe goal. Cadet also struck the post in the 36th when collecting Fucien Brunel's pass atop the six-yeard box and hitting a curling left-footer away from the dive of beaten keeper Mercury.
Guadeloupe's chances were few and far between, but striker Fabien Raddas got closest with a fierce shot on goal, which Haiti keeper Gabard Fenelon treated with disdain. First he parried the ball, then took it on his chest.
Haiti finally took the lead in the 55th through Cadet's looping header into Guadeloupe's goal, and doubled their tally at 2-0 in the 64th with Brunel's close-up finish to Money Chery's right crossball.
Between goals, the Haitian keeper saw rare action when making a double save,  first at the feet of  striker Fabien Raddas and then plucking down Wilfrid Louseau's follow up.
Haiti's Brunel also struck the Guadeloupe post in the 60th minute after outpacing the Guadeloupe defence. But that miss mattered little when Fritzon Baptiste finished a brilliant move in the 77th minute to put Haiti into a 3-0 lead.
The build-up saw Man of the Match Cadet play a diagonal pass inside the left back to Chery, who squared the ball to centre-field  for Baptiste to bundle into the Guadeloupe goal.
Afterwards, Haiti's Baptiste rounded keeper Mercury and struck Guadeloupe's upright, before Guadeloupe got a late consolation goal.
But, by the time big midfielder Jean LucLamourde planted a header past the Haitian keeper in the a 83rd minute, Guadeloupe were already well-beaten.
Trinidad and Tobago were playing Cuba in the second semi-final after press-time last night.