Costa Rica U-23s edge TT 4-3

STRIKER Kevon Carter had the personal satisfaction of a hat-trick on his national debut, but still the Trinidad and Tobago Under-23 footballers  succumbed to a second-half blitz by Costa Rica on Wednesday night, losing 4-3 in their friendly at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Tunapuna. Both teams used the game as a warm-up for their second phase of qualification from the CONCACAF region, for the 2004 Athens Olympics. Complacency crept into the Trinidad and Tobago team, who were 2-0 up after 35 minutes, with the Central Americans rebounding with four goals in the space of 19 minutes to steal the victory. Fans  numbering in excess of 2,000, saw the well-built Carter scoring in the 9th and 35th minutes, the second an impressive strike. Unmarked just outside the penalty area, Carter collected a pass from Kendall Davis, rounded goalkeeper Harry Morera and shot home from eight metres out.

But the key moment of  the match came in the 41st, when Trinidad and Tobago keeper Jan-Michael Williams was forced to stop a series of shots from Jairo Arrieta on the edge of the 18-yard box, then the follow-up from Ulises Morera and a left-footed rocket from Carlos Hernandez. The national team’s defence found itself under pressure from the rejuvenated Ticos,  with Morera making amends on the stroke of halftime, with a low left-footer past Williams after eluding stopper Lyndon Diaz inside the penalty box. A minute into the second half saw the equaliser, Warren Granados rounding Josh Johnson and squaring to Arrieta who tapped home from close range. With Trinidad and Tobago struggling to regain their momentum Costa Rica attacked again. From a left-side throw-in in the 63rd, captain Pablo Salazar waltzed through the middle and, with consummate ease, fired a 35-metre blast past Williams, who was blinded by a wall of leaden-footed defenders. One minute later, Hernandez saw his long-range shot deflected into his own net by substitute defender Errol Charles. The result was never in doubt, but Carter was rewarded for his determination with his third, a low right-footer past H Morera in the 86th.

Teams:  TRINIDAD and TOBAGO - Jan-Michael Williams; Lyndon Diaz, Ronald Primus, Julius James (Nigel Daniel 46th); Devon Caseman (Anton Joseph 84th), Silvio Spann (capt), Michael Celestine (Errol Charles 46th), Josh Johnson, Kerry Baptiste (Andre Toussaint 70th); Kendall Davis (Shelton Williams 84th), Kevon Carter.
COSTA RICA - Harry Morera; Pablo Salazar (capt), Gabriel Badilla (Michael Umana 42nd), Greivin Portugues, Jose Villalobos (Michael Rodriguez 89th); Pablo Brenes, Warren Granados (Randall Azofeifa 77th), Oscar Seravalli (Leonardo Araya 42nd), Carlos Hernandez; Ulises Morera (Daniel Jiminez 74th), Jairo Arrieta (Fibiany Garcia 89th).