The CONCACAF's third round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup started last night with all teams of the region playing their first match out of three round-robin, home-and-away games in four-team groups (similar to the UEFA Champions League group stage format). Caribbean island Haiti kicked off the night by staging a dramatic comeback at the Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince to draw 2-2 against Suriname.
The home team grabbed the bull by the horns from the opening whistle, putting themselves in attack-mode straight away. Faced with a relentless onslaught early on, Suriname decided to defend and counter on the break. Though Haiti dominated the half with nice passing plays, speed along the wings, and great technical skills, it was Suriname who found themselves in the lead at half-time with two goals from striker Wensley Christoph. The first goal, scored at the 33rd minute, was the result of poor defensive play by Wagneau Eloi's troops. After goalkeeper Fenelon saved the initial shot, the rebound was let loose inside the penalty box with no Haitian player picking it up. When a defender finally tried to clear it after a few frantic seconds, Christoph managed to steal the ball from him and fire it past Fenelon. The goalkeeper had no chance to stop the close-range shot, and received no support from his defense. Initially, when the ball was loose, Haiti's right-back had the right reflex to protect the near post while Fenelon returned to his position. But once Christoph had the ball, I think that the right-back could've challenged the striker by stepping right in front of him. Instead, the defender stayed on the line, giving enough time to Christoph to look up, see where the defender was posted and shoot between both the defender and the goalkeeper. Those two defenders (the right-back and the one who failed to clear the ball) weren't the only one at fault. The midfielder also failed to pick up Christoph, thinking that his teammate had full control of the ball. In short, this was one colossal breakdown by the Haitian defense who conceded a goal in Suriname's first real attack. Later on, in the first half's extra-time, Christoph would score his team's second on a counterattack. It was only the second time Suriname had penetrated Haiti's 18-yard box, and it was the second time they scored. While Haiti had bombarded Aloema's net - coming close several times - Suriname had two opportunities, two goals.
In the second half, the Grenadiers' attacks intensified. It seemed like Suriname's two goals had procured a greater sense of urgency rather than breaking down mentally. Still, they couldn't penetrate Suriname's defense. When they did, they couldn't seem to score. They tried everything close-range shots, long-range shots, headers, backheels, nothing worked. In that sense they were like the USL's Montreal Impact – dominating the game but unable to find the back of the net. Then, when all hope had been lost, the home team's right-winger made a brilliant move at the edge of the box, near the goal line. His dribble destabilized his marker who subsequently lost his balance. Free of any challenge, the winger crossed the ball to the far post where Bertin's header finally made its way past Aloema. It was the 90th minute of play. After the kick-off, Haiti reclaimed possession of the ball and made their way up the field under the crowd's shout to attack. By that point, Suriname had six players inside their own box, trying to repel the menacing offense. Using short passes, the Grenadiers entered the box where the home team striker was severely tackled to the ground. To the commentator's surprise and disbelief, the referee awarded a penalty to the home team. Midfielder Brunel Fucien then stepped up to the spot and fired a shot to the left of the goalkeeper. Aloema blocked the shot but, in a rush of desperation, Fucien raced after the rebound and blasted the ball into the net, giving his team their second goal of the night at the 94th minute of play. The stadium exploded after that goal, chanting "Ole, Ole, Ole Ole..." while the commentator could not believed what had just happened.
All in all, this was a great display of heart, passion, and determination by the Grenadiers. They should've won the match – by double digits, at least; a shooting practice should be in order – but the tie is quite satisfying especially after being down 2-0.
Haiti's line-up: Gabard Fenelon; Gilles Frantz (Fritzson Jean Baptiste, 54th), Peter Germain, Jean Jacques Pierre (Lesly Fellingo, 74th), Mackorel Sampeur; Jean Alcenat, Frantz Bertin, Brunel Fucien, Chery Mones; Ricardo Pierre-Louis (Peterson Jospeh, h-t), Noel Fabrice.
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