Haiti win Digicel Caribbean Cup
Haitians clinch title in 2-1 thriller in Port of Spain
Posted on January 24, 2007
Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007 ? Hasely Crawford Stadium, Trinidad: After the toughest route to the final, playing more qualification games than any other team, Haiti lifted the Digicel Caribbean Cup after defeating Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 in a thrilling final.
Watched by an expectant crowd of 18,000, Wim Rjisbergen?s Soca Warriors could not break down a stubborn home defence, expertly marshaled by Digicel Man of the Match Richard Pierre Bruny, as Luis Amelia Garcia?s side took their chances to bring the Digicel Caribbean Cup back to Port-au-Prince for the very first time.
A cagey opening 20 minutes saw few chances created before the game burst into life on 21 minutes when the Haitians silenced the noisy home crowd by opening the scoring.
Cadet Elphine made a surging run down the right before squaring the ball for Brunel Fucien. Fucien?s first time shot was pushed away by Williams in the Trinidad & Tobago goal but Boucicaut Alexandre was on hand to turn the ball home.
Trinidad struggled to come back into the game but showed their first real threat in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Kerry Baptiste fired just wide 1 minute into stoppage time and Kerwin Jemmott came even closer seconds later, Gabard in the Haiti goal blocking his long range shot.
But Rjisbergen?s side couldn?t keep their momentum after the break and on 52 minutes Haiti seemed to have one hand on the Digicel Caribbean Cup. A goalmouth scramble resulted from a Williams? fumble and Brunel Fucien turned the ball home to give the Haitians a two goal lead.
With the crowd silenced, Haiti seemed comfortably on top but the game changed with a set piece. Trinidad earned a free kick fully 35 yards out on 66 minutes giving Nigel Daniel a sight of goal. Daniel?s vicious right foot strike, a real contender for goal of the tournament, left Gabard with no chance and brought the game alive again.
With the crowd performing an enthusiastic Mexican wave, the Soca Warriors poured forward in search of an equalizer. Substitute Joel Bailey almost found the net on 76 minutes, his header from Power?s long cross well held by Gabard.
As the crowd grew increasingly tense, the Soca Warriors threw 4 up front in the closing minutes and goalkeeper Gabard became the Haitian hero. He denied Glasgow after a flowing move, tipped over a Theobald free kick and then with only 2 minutes left on the clock brilliantly saved from Darryl Roberts after a mazy run.
Despite 4 nail biting minutes of stoppage time, Haiti held on for a famous victory which will be celebrated long into the night in Port-au-Prince.
Trinidad and Tobago: Jan Michael Williams, Makan Hislop (Joel Bailey 64), Osei Telesford, Leslie Fitzpatrick ,Kerwin Jemmot, Darryl Roberts, Gary Glasgow, Kerry Baptiste, Seon Power, Nigel Daniel, Densill Theobold
Haiti: Fenelon Gabard, Gilles Frantz (Dacius Gilles 90), Guillaume Stephane, Brunel Fucien, Cadet Eliphene (Lormera Roody 90), Boucicaut Alexandre (Raymond Ednerson 63), James Marcelin, Richard Pierre Bruny, Chery Mones, Vubert Alain, Maynard Josue
Trinidad and Tobago 1 - 2 Haiti
22 Shots 11
9 Corners 6
5 Fouls 5
2 Yellow cards 5
0 Red cards 0
5 Offsides 2