Trinidad and Tobago’s head coach, Dwight Yorke, beamed with pride as the Soca Warriors secured their spot in this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup, after they blanked Cuba 4-0 in a dominant second-leg performance at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Tuesday.
With a raucous home crowd behind them, the Warriors turned in a clinical display to seal a 6-1 aggregate win, and Yorke made sure to credit the fans who turned out in support.
“It’s cause for a bit of celebration. We haven’t done the double over Cuba for quite some time. Going forward now, we’ve qualified for a major tournament like the Gold Cup; we have a small matter to deal with in St Kitts and Nevis on the 6th of June and Costa Rica on the 10th. So, we have some work to do," Yorke said post-match.
The night belonged to the Soca Warriors, who came into the game with a 2-1 advantage from the first leg. Isaiah Lee netted a first-half brace (22nd, 37th), while captain Kevin Molino (51st) and substitute Nathaniel James (84th) added to Cuba’s misery as the visitors played much of the game with 10 men.
From the opening whistle, the hosts meant business, and their task became a lot easier just three minutes in when Cuban defender Romario Torres received a straight red card for a reckless studs-up challenge on Andre Rampersad.
Despite their dominance at the end, Yorke stressed that they are still some ways from being the finished product.
“From a tactical point of view, we felt that if we became resilient and hard to beat, these players would become desperate. Tactically, when a team goes down to ten men, we try to make the field really big. But we’re still a work in progress; some of these players have only been here 10 days, so it's not going to be perfect, but we continue to build," Yorke noted.
The breakthrough came when Tyrese Spicer, the 2024 MLS SuperDraft number one pick, provided a low cross that found Lee, who calmly slotted home for his second goal of the tie.
Lee doubled his tally 15 minutes later as he pounced on a defensive error from Cuban captain Yosel Piedra and passed the ball into an open net to put the Soca Warriors 2-0 up at the break.
Molino extended the lead six minutes into the resumption with a composed tap-in after Spicer weaved through defenders and saw his initial effort blocked.
James then delivered the final blow when he latched onto a clever through ball and calmly finished past the hapless Cuban custodian.
Yorke also took a moment to renew his call for national support, as he again highlighted the importance of a united front behind the team.
“I think support is crucial for us. Football is the number one sport in the world, and we want T&T football to be the number one sport in this country. We can’t do it on our own, so we are grateful for the tremendous turnout tonight, and long may it continue," the former Manchester United striker ended.
Photos: Concacaf Media.