Tridents hold out for 1-0 loss to Panama
It was a late goal from Panama’s Jair Catuy Arosemena that gave the 78th-ranked team a 1-0 win over the Barbados Tridents in their first international outing in over a year. After holding out for most of the match, Barbados crumbled under constant pressure of the Concacaf juggernauts in the dying minutes of their first 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier at the Felix Sanchez Stadium in the Dominican Republic.
After being afforded two practice matches against the Turks and Caicos Islands during a two-week camp that was organisedto give the team some manner of preparation after not kicking a ball in two months, the local lads were forced to let it all hang out from the first whistle of the game on Thursday night. The defense was pressed into action from the outset as the Panamanians were searching for a goal inside the first 100 seconds of the game.
The first 45 minutes saw the Bajans doing their best to stay in the game as hefty goal margins were predicted. Goalkeeper Kishmar Primus and his defensive line were kept extremely busy as they were able to thwart several opportunities. Primus came up big several times in the period, with two crucial saves coming just seconds apart in the 36thand 37th minutes.
After the break, Panama continued to bang at the door, showing why they made it to the 2018 Russia World Cup. However, Barbados came close to scoring in the 49th when Omani Leacock capitalised on an error by Panama custodian Orlando Mosquera. Stripping him of the ball at the corner as he failed to shepherd it out of play, Leacock searched in vain for a cross and was forced to take a shot of his own to see the danger comfortably averted.
Panama’s Edgar Barcenas wore #10 on the night but had a terrible day at the office as he squandered several of their chances at goal, keeping the Barbadian hopes alive that much longer with each error. The ball made it into the Barbadian nets in the 60th minute but offside was the call. Three minutes later, Miguel Camargo had a looping shot on target but it fell just behind the crossbar.
Barbados came close a second time when Leacock created something special and sent a cross into the box that was just a bit too long for Keon Atkins who came in to replace Niall Reid-Stephen. Ten minutes later in the 80th, Leacock was involved once again when he headed down a corner kick from debutante Ryan Trotman, but was unable to find the nets.
Panama kept the pressure on as Barbados became even more frantic to pull out a result, and right after a shot came off the upright Arosemena got his first national team goal when the ball found him unattended at the back post from a cross into the area.
Speaking about the game during a media conference yesterday, Head Coach Russell Latapy said that it was a good game for Barbados given that we were expected to concede a number of goals.
“I think, for both teams, it was a fantastic game of football. They had most of the ball and they were attacking but I thought for us, it was a great performance defensively- closing down people, closing down spaces, having them play in front of us and not behind us and in between us. I’m so proud of what the boys achieved last night,” he said.