The T&T men’s senior football team suffered their joint heaviest defeat in international football when they were beaten 7-0 by USA in a friendly match at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.
Head coach Terry Fenwick making his debut after being hired a year ago got a rude awakening as Jonathan Lewis smooth finish gave the US an early lead in the second minute of the encounter. The Yanks doubled their lead in the 9th minute through Jesus Ferreira’s volley which had a hint of offside from the initial cross.
Paul Arriola scored the first of his two goals in the 22nd minute when he was unselfishly assisted by Ferreira as he got goalkeeper Adrian Foncette to commit early before passing to Arriola who calmly finish their third team goal.
Foncette was the busiest of the T&T players on the night and he made a valiant effort to save Arriola’s 42nd minute left foot shot but the pace was too much for him to handle. The score-line will not reflect the commendable performance of goalkeeper Adrian Foncette who made a few remarkable saves throughout the match with little to no blame for the goals conceded. The second half substitutes especially midfield trio of Duane Muckette, Mathew Woo-Ling and Michel Poon-Angeron showed some promise as they were able to effectively string some passes together and control the game in spurts.
The Yanks kept their feet on the gas in the second period as seven minutes after the restart defender Miles Robinson scored a low header for the fifth goal. Then, in the 55th, Lewis scored his second goal and his team’s sixth item on the night. He gathered the ball on the left side, cut unto his right foot and spanked the ball passed a hopeless Foncette.
The seventh and last goal was scored by Ferreira in the 62nd after he received a pass in the box from Arriola before calmly slotting it pass a diving Foncette. The visitors had a chance to pull a goal back after Ryan Telfer was fouled in the penalty area. However, Alvin Jones attempted penalty in the 66th was wrapped up by debutant goalkeeper Matt Turner.
T&T 22-Adrian Foncette; 3-Federico Pena (10-Duane Muckette, 58), 4-Josiah Trimmingham (Capt.) (2-Justin Garcia, 64), 5-Leland Archer, 12-Jamal Jack (6-Noah Powder, 82); 16-Alvin Jones, 18-Ajani Fortune 15-Neveal Hackshaw, 56), 8-Andre Fortune (13-Michele Poon Angeron, 58); 11-Jabari Mitchell, 17-Sean Bonval (14-Matthew Wooling, 56), 7-Ryan Telfer
Substitutes not used: 1-Marvin Phillip, 9-Brent Sam, 19-Jesse Williams, 20-Hashim Arcia, 21-Gary Griffith III, 23-Jonathan Jimenez
Head coach: Terry Fenwick
USA 1-Matt Turner; 2-Aaron Herrera (25-Tanner Tessmann, 78), 12-Miles Robinson, 3-Aaron Long (Capt.), 4-Sam Vines (21-George Bello, 64); 6-Jackson Yueill (15-Cristian Roldan, 64), 10-Kellyn Acosta, 17-Sebastian Lletget (8-Andrés Perea, 46); 7-Paul Arriola (11-Chris Mueller, 64), 9-Jesús Ferreira (19-Daryl Dike, 65), 14-Jonathan Lewis
Substitutes not used: 24-Matt Freese, 5-Walker Zimmerman, 16-Kyle Duncan, 20-Benji Michel, 22-Mauricio Pineda
Head coach: Gregg Berhalter
