The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas senior men’s national soccer team is slated to take on Puerto Rico at 7pm today at the Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium.

The CONCACAF Nations League match was supposed to be the final one of their November window but the collapsing of a highway wall, which resulted in the death of nine people, and inclement weather conditions in Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, resulted in their match against Guyana being postponed on Sunday.

The League B, Group D teams were initially scheduled to play the home game at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium but due to ongoing renovations at the venue it was moved to the Estadio Olímpico Fèlix Sànchez.

Despite not playing the last scheduled game, Team Bahamas will now face Puerto Rico in Bayamon, Puerto Rico in a critical match for determining their fate in the League B, Group D rankings.

Nesly Jean, head coach for Team Bahamas, talked about the men’s national team’s preparation for Puerto Rico after their last game was postponed with no new date in sight.

“It is an unfortunate situation that happened in the Dominican Republic but again we have to move on and try to get our mindset focused on different tactics for what we want to do against Puerto Rico,” Jean said.

Team Puerto Rico is currently second in the CONCACAF Nations League standings for League B, Group D with a 3-0-2 win/loss/draw record and 9 points. Their most recent victory (3-2) came against Antigua and Barbuda at the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association’s Technical Centre in Piggotts. The Benna Boys, of Antigua and Barbuda, were Team Bahamas’ last opponents in the October window, their match ended in a 2-2 draw. Team Bahamas remains last in the rankings with a 0-1-3 record and a lone point.

With the possibility of relegation to League C looming for the fourth ranked team, coach Jean said the team is ready despite the odds.

“I think any match we play at the moment is important. This is our last two matches so we want to get the points because we want to move up in the group stage. The guys were really anxious to play so let’s see what happens in Puerto Rico. They are ready so we are gonna go ahead and give 100 per cent and try to get the three points,” he said.

After participating in some practice sessions yesterday, Team Bahamas is looking to pull off a big win today.

The victor of the group will be promoted to League A, the second and third ranked teams will remain in the League B and the fourth team will be relegated to League C.