T&T Knocked Out of Concacaf Gold Cup After 1-1 Draw

Trinidad and Tobago’s hopes of reaching the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Gold Cup were dashed on Sunday night (June 22), after a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, USA.

Entering the match, the Soca Warriors were aiming to break a decade-long streak of group stage exits. To progress, they needed not only a win but also a favourable outcome in the simultaneous match between the United States and Haiti. While the U.S. edged Haiti 2-1 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, T&T failed to secure the needed victory despite holding the lead for much of the game.

Under the spotlight following reports of off-field partying during the tournament, coach Dwight Yorke’s squad took an early lead thanks to a moment of brilliance from Dante Sealy. In the 10th minute, the young forward received the ball wide on the right flank, cut inside onto his left foot, and unleashed a stunning strike into the top right corner of the net, arguably one of the finest goals of the competition.

Saudi Arabia nearly responded immediately. Just a minute later, Feras Albrikan found himself unmarked in the box but misdirected his header off a lofted cross from Abdulrahman Alobud, allowing T&T to breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite dominating possession early on, the Saudis failed to seriously challenge goalkeeper Marvin Phillip in the opening half. T&T, meanwhile, looked composed defensively and dangerous in transition. In the 15th minute, Sealy turned creator, switching play to Kevin Molino, who fed Levi Garcia for a first-time effort that forced a sharp save from Saudi keeper Nawaf Alaqidi.

Coach Yorke’s men took a 1-0 lead into halftime, a first for T&T in this year’s tournament.

After the break, Saudi Arabia came out more composed and nearly leveled the score in the 52nd minute when Saud Abdulhamid broke through on goal, only to push his shot wide with only Phillip to beat.

Their persistence paid off seven minutes later. Albrikan drove into the heart of T&T’s defense and played in Saleh Al-Shehri, whose powerful strike was pushed onto the crossbar by Phillip. In the ensuing scramble, the ball fell back to Albrikan, who made no mistake from close range, slotting it into an open net to make it 1-1.

From there, Saudi Arabia continued to press for the winner. In the 71st minute, Alobud curled a shot off the crossbar, and moments later his follow-up effort was cleared off the line by defender Justin Garcia. Garcia, filling in for the injured Sheldon Bateau, nearly turned hero in stoppage time, but his close-range attempt struck the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

With the draw, Saudi Arabia secured second place in the group and advanced to the quarterfinals, while Trinidad and Tobago once again exited at the group stage.