A disappointed but not disheartened Terry Fenwick, coach of Trinidad and Tobago said the team failed to stick to the game plan which resulted in the 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the United States on Sunday night.
Two goals in the first 10 minutes from Johnathan Lewis and Jesus Ferreria paved the way from the heavy defeat played at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Lewis and Ferreria each added second goals in the match in which Paul Arriola also scored twice.
Miles Robinson also scored in the rout that had Fenwick and his team smarting at the end.
The USA had 12 shots on target and to run salt into the wound, Alvin Jones missed a 66th-minute penalty denying the Trinidadians a consolation goal.
The 61-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur defender said there were a number of factors that contributed to the loss.
“We were pulling a squad together in 48 hours to play the USA, who has had five to seven years playing together and who play for some of the biggest clubs in the world. It was going to be a tough task,” Fenwick told Sportsmax.TV earlier today.
Going deeper, he explained that he was only able to manage three sessions with the US-based players six of whom were included in the starting XI. The early pressure from the US, who scored two goals within the first 10 minutes of the game, saw his team abandon the game plan, Fenwick said.
However, he said the team performed better in the second half once the home-based players came on, players with whom he has been working for about a year. “They knocked the ball about better and got a penalty,” he said.
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Real Madrid keep run going as Rodrygo hits the target again
Rodrygo continued his red-hot form as Real Madrid returned to the top of LaLiga following a routine 2-0 win over struggling Granada.
The Brazil forward rifled home his seventh goal in his last five Real appearances to seal victory at Santiago Bernabeu following Brahim Diaz’s first-half opener.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men kicked off on Saturday evening having slipped to second in the table due to Girona’s 2-1 success over Valencia earlier in the day.
Yet they swiftly regained first place, above the Catalan club on head-to-head-results, following a straightforward success over the division’s second-bottom side.
England midfielder Jude Bellingham once again impressed but was unable to add to his 15 goals this season and picked up a first-half yellow card for dissent.
Victory for the hosts stretched their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 13 matches, dating back to the 3-1 derby defeat at Atletico Madrid in September.
Real were back in domestic action after maintaining their 100 per cent Champions League record with Wednesday’s 4-2 success over Serie A champions Napoli.
Their early dominance was rewarded with a 26th-minute lead.
Toni Kroos split the visitors’ defence with a fine first-time pass, allowing former Manchester City man Diaz to claim his third goal of the season by calmly lifting the ball over Granada’s substitute goalkeeper Andre Ferreira.
Bellingham wanted a penalty in the final minute of the half when he went down under a robust lunging challenge from Ignasi Miquel but his animated appeals were waved away by the referee.
Real initially looked content with their slender advantage during a fairly subdued start to the second period.
However, their slow, patient play was rewarded with a second goal in the 57th minute.
Bellingham looked certain to score following a cut back from the lively Diaz but Ferreira, who replaced the injured Raul Fernandez after 10 minutes, pulled off an impressive save, only to see the in-form Rodrygo emphatically lash home the rebound.
Granada’s sole success this season came at home to Mallorca back in August.
The away side never looked likely to set up a grandstand finish and did not manage an attempt on target as the hosts continued to monopolise the ball.
Federico Valverde went close to adding to Real’s advantage but he was denied by a superb one-handed save from Ferreira following a delightful pass from Bellingham.
Dwight McNeil fires Everton to morale-boosting win at Nottingham Forest
Dwight McNeil’s second-half goal clinched Everton a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest and lifted them off the foot of the Premier League table.
Everton had slipped to the bottom before the late kick-off at the City Ground after Burnley’s win against relegation rivals Sheffield United.
But McNeil lashed home the only goal to clinch Everton a morale-boosting victory one day after the club lodged their appeal against their 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules.
Everton, who have not lost at the City Ground since 1995, notched their third win in five league matches to climb to within two points of safety while Forest slipped to a third straight defeat and back-to-back home losses.
Wayward finishing and heroic defending ensured a goalless first half as both sides spurned scoring chances.
Everton should have broken the deadlock in the 23rd minute, with Beto blazing over an empty net when he looked odds-on to register his first Premier League goal.
Forest goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos dropped a cross after tangling with team-mate Willy Boly but Beto, back in the starting line-up for the first time since September in place of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin, fired off target.
Forest had made the better start but came under siege for a prolonged spell in the first period and were also indebted to Murillo. The Brazilian defender cleared McNeil’s angled shot off the goal line and needed treatment after falling awkwardly into the net.
Anthony Elanga had earlier pulled a low shot wide for Forest, who could have snatched the lead in first-half stoppage time through Morgan Gibbs-White but he fired into the side netting after being played in by Ibrahim Sangare.
Forest made a fast start to the second half, with substitute Felipe soon in the thick of the action.
His shot following a goalmouth scramble clipped a post and moments later the Brazilian was booked for hauling down McNeil outside his own area.
Ryan Yates had gone to ground under Doucoure’s challenge following the corner which had led to Felipe’s effort, but Forest’s penalty appeals were waved away and they fell behind soon after.
Jack Harrison’s cross from the right picked out McNeil at the far post and he took one touch before rifling his first goal of the season into the far corner.
McNeil raced in on goal shortly after but was thwarted by Serge Aurier’s last-ditch tackle and Forest went close to an equaliser when Elanga rounded Jordan Pickford only to shoot into the side netting from a tight angle.
Pickford rescued Everton in the 81st minute when racing out of his goal to deny Elanga and saved well again from Murillo’s fierce effort.
Forest poured forward in search of a late equaliser but Elanga’s shot curled inches wide and at the final whistle soon after, Everton’s travelling fans burst into a chorus of We Shall Not Be Moved.
Arsenal and Liverpool can challenge Man City in 'open' title race, believes Anderton
Both Arsenal and Liverpool are capable of pushing Manchester City close in what promises to be the most open Premier League title race in recent years.
That is the view of former Tottenham and England midfielder Darren Anderton, though he says Pep Guardiola's men are still the team to beat as they chase an unprecedented fourth successive English top-flight title.
Ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixtures, just two points separated leaders Arsenal and fourth-placed Aston Villa, with City and Liverpool nestled between that pair.
The 2015-16 season, when Leicester City stunned the football world by winning the title under Claudio Ranieri, is the only previous Premier League campaign to feature such a slender gap between first and fourth after 13 matchdays.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal moved four points clear at the summit, at least temporarily, by clinging on for a 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday, and Anderton believes they and Liverpool can keep things interesting at the top this season.
"Manchester City are going to be involved in it, there's no doubt about it," Anderton told Stats Perform when asked to name his title favourites.
"Arsenal are obviously still going well and Liverpool have come back this year, so I think it's going to be a little bit more open than it has been in recent years.
"If you had to ask me, I would expect that Manchester City are going to be the team to beat again. I love Pep, I love the football that they play.
"Obviously, with Haaland, they've got a goal machine and they're always going to create opportunities and they're always going to keep strengthening and getting better and better.
"Everyone's got to try and keep pace with them."
Some tipped Anderton's former club Spurs for a surprise title bid when new boss Ange Postecoglou led them to an unbeaten 10-game start to the season, but injuries to key men James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have taken their toll at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent weeks.
Tottenham approach Sunday's meeting with City looking to halt a three-game losing run, having gone down to Chelsea (1-4), Wolves (1-2) and Villa (1-2) despite opening the scoring in each match.
Anderton believes UEFA Champions League football should be the primary aim for Postecoglou's team this season, saying: "I think, with Spurs, we need to get that win to get us going again.
"If we do, then we can go on another run like we did at the start of the season. For Spurs, I'd love just to see them back in the Champions League. That's the first step.
"There's no reason why that's not achievable, in my opinion. You might need a little bit of luck and to get players back as soon as possible, but that's definitely a goal that can be achieved."
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