Trinidad and Tobago's Brent Sancho reacts after the ball went off him for an own goal during their Group B World Cup match against Paraguay in Kaiserslautern yesterday. Paraguay won 2-0. - REUTERS
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (CMC):
TRINIDAD AND Tobago's dream of reaching the second round of the FIFA World Cup evaporated yesterday when they slumped to a 2-0 loss to Paraguay.
Defender Brent Sancho turned a header past goalkeeper Kelvin Jack after a set piece to give the South Americans a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute and Nelson Cuevas put the game out of Trinidad and Tobago's reach with the second goal of the game in the 85th minute.
The result left T&T with no wins in their three Group B matches, after drawing with Sweden in their opening match and losing 2-0 to England in their second match. They finished bottom of Group B with England topping the standings and Sweden finishing second, ahead of Paraguay. The game, a high tempo affair, saw both teams create chances, but they both squandered chances to score.
Russell Latapy, who replaced Aurtis Whitley in the 67th minute, added imagination to the T&T attack in the second half as he begun to pull the strings for the Caribbean side in midfield.
In his first taste of action for the tournament, he unleashed some great touches, but his teammates were unable to conjure up the requisite magic to find the elusive goal. The 37-year-old veteran set up Yorke in the 74th minute, but the former Manchester United striker failed to finish.
THREAT NULLIFIED
Two minutes later, he put through Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones whose threat was nullified by the Paraguayan defence.
Latapy, who led Falkirk from the Scottish Division One to the top flight, then had a crack at goal in the 77th minute but his shot went wide of goal.
Earlier, T&T, needing a win to give themselves a chance of reaching the second round, started nervously and Jack was forced to make two outstanding saves within the first three minutes to keep his side from falling behind.
T&T also threatened early on with Cornell Glen forcing a save from Paraguayan custodian Aldo Bobadilla after Yorke had whipped in a cross.
With action continuing from end to end, T&T fell behind when from a free kick, Sancho accidentally knocked the ball into his own net, as he attempted to clear a Julio Dos Santos header.
Head coach Leo Beenhakker showed his attacking intent when he inserted Jones for defender Avery John in the 31st minute.
The move almost paid immediate dividends when the player's free-kick narrowly missed its target.
Trinidad & Tobago suffered a big blow in the closing stages of the first half when they lost striker Cornell Glen to injury in the 40th minute.
Jack, who returned to the starting line-up in place of Shaka Hislop for his first minutes of the World Cup, then pulled off a brilliant save from close range to keep Nelso Valdez's powerful header out in injury time.
