Trinidad and Tobago came within inches of scripting a dramatic entry into the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals, but their campaign ended in heartbreak on Sunday after a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia at Allegiant Stadium. The result sees Saudi Arabia advance from Group D, while the Soca Warriors bow out of the competition after a valiant but ultimately insufficient effort.
Knowing only a win would secure their place in the knockout stage, Trinidad and Tobago made a dream start when Dante Sealy unleashed a stunning left-footed strike in the 10th minute, rocketing the ball into the top left corner and giving T&T a deserved early lead. The Soca Warriors continued to press and showed urgency in possession, but a mixture of wastefulness in front of goal and resolute Saudi defending kept the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.
The Green Falcons clawed their way back in the second half, and in the 60th minute, Feras Albrikan pounced on a loose ball from close range to level the score. The equalizer came after Saleh Alshehri’s attempt was denied by the crossbar, only for Albrikan to finish the rebound and silence the T&T supporters.
Trinidad and Tobago pushed desperately for a late winner, knowing a draw would not be enough, but Saudi Arabia held firm to finish with four points (1-1-1) and claim second place in Group D. The Soca Warriors exit the tournament with two draws and a loss (0-2-1), narrowly missing out on progression after back-to-back deadlocks.
Meanwhile, over in Arlington, Texas, the United States secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Haiti to complete a perfect group stage record (3-0-0) and finish atop Group D. Malik Tillman opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a clever diagonal header off a Brenden Aaronson cross, before Louicius Don Deedson replied in the 19th with a well-placed strike to bring Haiti level.
The U.S. continued to press and came close through Patrick Agyemang, who was denied in the 24th, and Quinn Sullivan, who struck the crossbar in the 30th. The breakthrough finally came in the 75th minute when Agyemang produced the match-winner, evading Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide and finishing sharply from a tight angle.
Haiti, who needed a win to have any chance of advancing, finish bottom of Group D with one point (0-1-2), while the United States now await the second-place finisher from Group A in the quarterfinals.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the final whistle in Las Vegas marked the end of a campaign filled with near-misses and untapped promise — a reminder of how thin the margins can be in tournament football.
Photos: Concacaf.com