The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE being outsized and eventually outmanned on the pitch on Saturday, the Bahamas men's team held off Trinidad & Tobago 5-2, highlighted by two impressive goals from captain Gavin Christie and one each from tournament leading scorer Lesly St Fleur and Gary Joseph, in the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

With the win in the playoff round at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Facility at the foot of the Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, the Bahamas clinched a match against the United States at 6.45pm on Sunday in their final game of the week-long tournament for fifth and sixth places in the standings in the field of 16 nations.

The US - who won the title in Nassau in 2013 - enjoyed a 6-1 rout of Jamaica, who will play Trinidad & Tobago in the seventh place playoff game.

Bahamas Coach Alexandre Soares, assisted by Stephen Bellot, said the team is coming into its own and performing at the level that he expects them to, going into the FIFA World Cup in Nassau in April as the host of the 16 nations coming in.

"Every day, every game is important for the ranking," Soares said. "Every game we win, it's important for us as we prepare for the World Cup."

Soares said they face a very competitive team on Sunday in the US, who they defeated during a trip to Europe when they prepared for this tournament, but he admitted that they will have to perform at their best if they intend to come out on top again.

The game with Trinidad & Tobago started as a defensive battle as neither team was able to capitalise on numerous attempts to score in the scoreless first period. Just before the break, the Bahamas received a scare when Dwayne Forbes was clipped on his head by Trinidad & Tobago's Lemuel Lyons and he needed medical attention after he came off the field by team physician Eugenia Patton.

Three and a half minutes into the second period, Joseph's shot hit the outside of the right post. With the goalkeeper pulled out of position midway through the period, Joseph tried to get a quick pass into Christie, but the keeper managed to get back in time to prevent the Bahamas from scoring.

However, with 5min 45sec remaining in the period, Joseph broke away from his defender and fired in the first goal and the celebrations began. Shortly after, the crowd went wild as St Fleur broke away from his defender, got a pass into Forbes and with Christie anxiously waiting in front of the post, he slipped a shot into the corner of the net to make it 2-0.

Forbes came back to start the final period and just over four minutes in, Christie powered past a defender and after drawing the goalkeeper out, was able to boot in his second goal to push the Bahamas lead to 3-0. However, in the build up, Forbes got another head injury and had to leave the game.

The game got physical halfway through the third period when goalkeeper Torin Ferguson attempted to snatch the ball from Trinidad & Tobago's pesky David McDougall. He got a little roughed up and Nesly Jean came to his rescue, but both received a yellow card from the referee.

A minute later, Ferguson sent a long pass to St Fleur, who found the back of the net on a reverse kick to make it 4-0. It was St Fleur's tenth goal of the tournament, the most by any player.

Trinidad & Tobago eventually got on the scoreboard thanks to Jesse Bailey's shot up the middle against Bahamas' number two keeper Ferguson, who was given the start over Ivan Rolle.

With 1min 38sec left, Lyons fired a free kick up the middle to make it 4-2 as Ferguson was unable to stop the shot.

As the game started to wind down, one of Trinidad & Tobago's coaches was ejected for arguing the calls.

Then with 50 seconds left, Williams was ejected after Trinidad & Tobago's Lyons was awarded a free kick. Williams had attempted to defend what he felt was an aggressive foul on Jean. The Bahamas ended up with just three players on the field of play. With 33 seconds left, Forbes was fouled and had to leave the game as Joseph came in and from the free throw, he drilled the ball past Trinidad & Tobago's goalkeeper, completing a 5-2 win.

Mexico and Panama will contest the final on Sunday night. Defending champions Mexico saw off Guadeloupe, who had beaten the Bahamas in the quarter-final on Friday night, 3-0 while Panama turned the tables on El Salvador, winning on penalties after a 2-2 draw. In the group stage, El Salvador had beaten Panama on penalties after a 4-4 tie.

Saturday's results

Turks & Caicos Islands 4 US Virgin Islands 1

Belize 6 Barbados 2

Canada 6 Antigua & Barbuda 1

Costa Rica 5 Guyana 2

United States 6 Jamaica 2

Bahamas 5 Trinidad & Tobago 2

Panama 2 El Salvador 2 (Panama win 2-1 on penalties)

Mexico 3 Guadeloupe 0

Sunday's programme

11.15am: Barbados v US Virgin Islands (15th-place playoff)

12.30pm: Belize v Turks & Caicos Islands (13th-place playoff)

1.45pm: Antigua & Barbuda v Guyana (11th-place playoff)

3pm: Canada vs Costa Rica (9th-place playoff)

4.15pm: Jamaica v Trinidad & Tobago (7th-place playoff)

5.30pm: El Salvador v Guadeloupe (3rd-place playoff)

6.45pm: Bahamas v United States (5th-place playoff)

8pm: Mexico v Panama (Championship match)