Monday, January 22, 2007

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: Haiti, who have played more games than other country in this year's Digicel Caribbean Cup are now close to the end of their journey, as they qualified to meet Trinidad and Tobago in the Digicel Caribbean Cup final on Tuesday, January 23.

Haiti, who have kept a virtually unchanged team throughout the finals, started impressively and took the game to Guadeloupe early. Indeed the French West Indies side had netminder Fabrice Mercury, their usual replacement keeper, to thank for keeping the score level.

Alexandre Boucicaut showed why he is so highly rated at the moment as his incisive runs and movement was proving to be more than a headache for the Guadeloupe defense.

Fucien Brunel and Raymond Ednerson on the wings were tearing their respective full backs apart as time and time again in the first half they seemed to cut by them producing tantalizing crosses which were simply not been taken advantage of by the Haitians.

On 31 minutes the best chance of the game was created when again Ednerson cut down the left and cut the ball across goal for the onrushing Boucicaut, who somehow managed to put his shot wide form 7 yards out and the goal at his mercy.

4 minutes later and Mercury was finally beaten. The post on this occasion was the savior for Guadeloupe. Eliphene Cadet picked up the ball with his back to goal, spun and shot. The diving Mercury was relieved as the ball came off the inside of his right post and rolled harmlessly across his unguarded net.

It was not until the 42nd minute when Guadeloupe laid their first attack on the Haitian goal. After Raddas’ corner kick was only half cleared, the waiting Dominique Mocka had a left footed drive from the edge of the box just clear the bar of Fenelon Gabard’s goal.

Right on half time Haiti again had the opportunity to open the scoring. Fucien Brunel was through on goal, cutting in from the right, and just as he was about to pull the trigger full back Onesta Marving recovered well for Guadeloupe with a magnificent last ditch sliding tackle to deny the Haitian.

The opening of the second half continued in the same vein and Haiti were finally rewarded on 56 minutes with the opening goal which their play so richly deserved.

Fucien Brunel made another incisive run and cross from the right and on this occasion Eliphene Cadet, who was virtually on the penalty spot, met it with a glorious looping header which just reached over the fingertips of the despairing Mercury in the Guadeloupe goal.

4 minutes later and Brunel thought he had made it 2-0 but his shot over the dive of Mercury in the Guadeloupe goal when through in a one on one situation rebounded off the post.

Brunel was not to be outdone however and on 66 minutes he got Haiti’s second. A quick free kick released Chery Mones whose cut back across the face of goal was stabbed home by Brunel who showed his joy with a well earned exuberant celebration.

Haiti made sure of the game on 76 minutes when a beautiful interpassage of play saw Eliphene combine with Chery Mones who cut the ball across the face of goal when confronted by the French West Indies keeper for substitute Fritzson Baptiste to have the simplest of tasks by knocking the ball into the empty net from 6 yards

Frtizson Baptiste was so close to making it embarrassing for Guadeloupe as on 81 minutes he rounded Mercury but from a tight angle could only manage to hit the Guadeloupe post.

One minute later on 83 and Guadeloupe replied. A fine cross from the right found Lean Luc Lambourde whose header back across goal looped over everyone and into the back of the Haitian net to make it 3-1 and add more respectability to the score line.

That is the way the score remained and Haiti now go into the Digicel Caribbean Cup Final which is set for January 23 in the Hasely Crawford stadium in Port of Spain and await either Trinidad and Tobago or Cuba.

Guadeloupe: Fabrice Mercury, Onesta Marving Mickael Laurent, Alain Vertot, Dominique Mocka (Constant Theresine 78’), Fabien Raddas (Gerald Gavarin 74’) Jocelyn Angloma, Jean-Luc Lamourde, Lerry Hanany (Wilfrid Loiseau 52’), Cedric Vanoukia

Haiti: Gabard Fenelon, Frantz Gilles, Peter Germaine, Stephane Guillaume, Fucien Brunel (Baptiste Fritzson 71’), Eliphene Cadet, Alexandre Boucicaut (James Marcelin 66’), Richard Pierre Bruny, Raymond Ednerson (Chery Mones 42’), Alain Vubert, Josue Maynard

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