PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Cornell Glen’s early first half strike was enough to earn Trinidad & Tobago’s Soca Warriors a 1-0 victory over El Salvador on Wednesday night, and keep alive the country’s slim hopes of reaching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Glen, who plays for American Major League Soccer club San Jose Earthquakes, produced a clinical finish in the seventh minute of their final round, CONCACAF zone qualifier to hand T&T their first win in six outings the six-team tournament.
T&T, aiming to reach the World Cup for a second successive time, had suffered three losses and two draws in their previous five matches.
The win, the first for coach Russell Latapy since he took over in April, put the Soca Warriors on five points with El Salvador who are ahead in fifth because of a superior goal difference.
The top three teams from the CONCACAF zone qualify for the 2010 World Cup with the fourth placed team entering a play-off against a team from South America.
With regular captain Dwight Yorke and newly-signed Wigan striker Jason Scotland on the bench, T&T started well with both Jones and Glen asking questions of El Salvador’s defence.
The 28-year-old Glen then turned the game on its head in the seventh minute. Sunderland winger Carlos Edwards collected a loose ball and played it forward to Glen who shook off two defenders before beating goalkeeper Miguel Montes with a superb finish.
Inspired by the early strike, T&T took the attack to El Salvador but despite their enterprise, entered the break without adding to their tally.
Latapy persisted with an unchanged team after the interval but the insurance second goal still proved elusive. El Salvador, meanwhile, started to slowly take control of the midfield and T&T found themselves under pressure.
In fact, El Salvador were denied their precious equalizer only by the good work in the uprights by goalkeeper Clayton Ince.
Latapy rang the changes, introducing Chris Birchall for defender Clyde Leon in the 62nd minute and Yorke for midfielder Keon Daniel nine minutes later, and this managed to bring some stability to the side.
While Glen and Jones wasted opportunities to put away the game for T&T, the back four marshaled by Dennis Lawrence defended stoutly to earn their side a precious three points.
The win atoned for the 2-2 draw back in February when T&T squandered a 2-0 lead to concede two goals in the last 11 minutes and concede a point.
