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Haiti defeat Barbados to qualify for semi finals of Digicel Caribbean Cup

01-16-2007

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Haiti may have taken the longest route possible to get to the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals but they were the first team to qualify for the semi finals when they defeated Barbados by one goal to nil in the home of the Soca warriors.

Haiti, with only one change to their team from the opening game where they picked up maximum points against Martinique, knew that a win here would qualify them for the semi final stages.

This knowledge seemed to spur them on and from the kick-off they looked to take the game to Barbados.

With Captain Richard Bruny in fine form down the centre of the pitch and wingers Fucien Brunel and Stephane Guillaume looking to take on their respective full backs at every opportunity, the Haitians seemed to want to take the early initiative.

Indeed it took some good goalkeeping by the Barbudian netminder Morrison Taylor to keep the Haitians scoreless when Bruny first played the pacey Alexandre Boucicaut through, only for the lightning quick striker to be denied by the feet of Taylor, with only the keeper to beat on 13 minutes.

The second obvious save from Taylor came on 32 minutes when the influential Haitian captain Bruny had his thunderous 30 yard free kick beaten away by the fists of Taylor.

Barbados were not to be outdone and began to show a bit more constructive industry in their attacks going forward. First Parris and Williams combined well but had their play break down due to poor offensive movement from a lackluster Barbudian front line.

Haiti came out in the second half and were keen to pick up where they left off. On 54 minutes in an almost exact replica of their opening chance they finally took the lead.

Barbados had pushed up to try and limit the space that Bruny was relishing in the midfield only to leave a large space behind the back four. The clever Bruny was aware of this and from his through ball, the speed of Alexandre Boucicaut again left him well clear of the defence and through one on one on Taylor in the Barbados goal. This time the centre forward was coolness personified and simply passed the ball past Taylor and into the net to bring Haiti to a deserved one goal lead

However, as with Friday night?s opening game, Barbados showed their composure at the back and the apparent detail that coach Eyre Sealy had drilled into their organizational ability at the back.

Haiti wanted to test this resolve and pushed for the security of a second goal. Substitute Fritzson Baptiste caused trouble throughout and on 72 minutes his well positioned cross fell nicely to Eliphene Cadet who was unfortunate to see his well placed volley pushed away by Barbados keeper Taylor.

Haiti eventually did find their way past Taylor for a second time when on 91 minutes substitute Roody Lormera beat the offside trap and raced through to place the ball between Taylor?s legs when faced with a one on one situation.

Not much could stop Haiti going through at this point, and even when the floodlights failed for 10 minutes before engineers resolved the issue, this did not prevent the Haitians from having their day.

Barbados : Morrison Taylor, Jonathan Straker, Gregory Goodridge, Renaldo Fenty, Neil Harvey (Ryan Lucas 45?), John Parris, Rushida Williams, Norman Forde, Dyson James, Sheridan Groversnor, Romelle Burgess (Ramuel Miller 77?)

Haiti: Gabard Fenelon, Peter Jermaine (Fritzson Baptiste 32?), Stephane Guillaume, Fucien Brunel, Eliphene Cadet (Roody Lormera 80?), Alexandre Boucicaut, Richard Pierre Bruny, Ednerson Raymond, Mones Chery, Alain Vubert, Josue Mayard (James Marcelin 64?)