The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT WAS certainly not the start Team Bahamas wanted in the Caribbean Football Union Men’s Under-17 Qualifier and they now face an uphill battle if they hope to become one of the top qualifiers in the current group stage.

The Bahamas was defeated by Bermuda 4-0 in yesterday’s nightcap in the Roscow Davies Soccer Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

Despite the loss, national team head coach Dion Godet said his staff viewed the loss as a learning experience as they move forward for the remainder of the tournament.

“We learned quite a lot from this game. For a few of those plays it would not have mattered who was on the field, Bermuda scored two quality goals and overall they just played a good brand of football. We had a few opportunities but we were not able to respond with quality possessions and goals of our own. We knocked far too many passes back to Bermuda, whereas theirs went through the gaps and corridors and ended up being well placed through balls,” he said.

“With what we learned it prepares us well for Martinique. We have to improve our passing, diagonal running and our overall spacing. We need to go out and win on Friday and from I saw we are certainly capable of beating Martinique.”

Bermuda controlled the time of possession for much of the first half and kept the Bahamas continuously on the defensive.

The Bahamas failed to manage a shot on goal in the first half and goalie John Bostwick III, under constant pressure, eventually surrendered a strike to Jarane Bailey in the 42nd minute.

Bermuda took a 1-0 lead at halftime.

The Bahamas showed signs of aggression for the first early in the second half with two shots on goal within the first two minutes of the second half.

Bailey added his second goal of the game midway through the second and Asagi Bascombe tacked on another goal on a penalty kick in the 77th minute.

Milan Butterfield brought about the game’s final margin with a free kick in extra time.

Bermuda head coach Andrew Bascombe said his team simply executed the game plan well on opening night.

“We knew we would have to come out fast and be aggressive. We were able to do that and once we got on top we tried to defend and counter. We knew the Bahamas would be hard to beat, but the guys were able to execute the gameplan well tonight, control the time of possession and defend,” he said. “Moving forward our biggest concern will be the heat and recovery and overall just keeping the team focused.”

Twenty teams will compete in this first round of the CONCACAF qualifier and the Bahamas’ group will include Bermuda, Martinique and Puerto Rico. The additional top two teams in the draw, Haiti and Jamaica, will receive first round byes directly to the final round, hosted in Haiti.

Other opening round hosts at the group stage include Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Cuba. Winners in each group and the top-ranked second place finishers will advance. Group four will also involve Puerto Rico and Martinique.

The regional event also serves as a qualifier for the Under-17 World Cup. The Bahamas is slated to face Martinique at 7:30pm on Friday, July 26.