8008: From InternetSoccer: More on Copa Caribe (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Max Blanchet <maxblanchet@worldnet.att.net>

Martinique shocks T&T; Jamaica out
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21 May 2001 (TEAMtalk) - Patrick Percin's late game-winner gave Martinique
an upset victory against host nation Trinidad & Tobago and an unlikely berth
in the semifinals of the 2001 Copa Caribe.
The victory left Martinique, T&T and Jamaica all level on six points in
Group A. But Jamaica, who able to defeat Barbados only by a 2-1 margin on
Saturday, finished with the poorest goal differential among the group and
out of the elimination round.

Rodolphe Rano gave Martinique a shock lead after just eight minutes, but
Trinidad & Tobago, one of the two Caribbean nations to reach the final round
of World Cup qualifying in the Confederation, equalized through Dennis
Lawrence just before the half-hour.

Yet 11 minutes from full time, Patrick Percin hit home to advance Martinique
into Tuesday's semifinals against the winner of Group B.

In the first game, Wolde Harris scored from the spot on 14 minutes and
Fabian Taylor grabbed a second in the 27th minute as Jamaica looked to be on
the way to a have victory and seal their spot in the semifinals.

But Llewellyn Riley pegged a goal back for Barbados just two minutes later,
and the Reggae Boyz, the other Caribbean entrant in the Final Round of World
Cup qualifying, was unable to increase their advantage and eventually saw
their advancement hopes ended cruelly.

Cuba saw their advancement hopes threatened a bit, but managed to hold on in
a grim scoreless draw with Haiti as both countries advanced to the
semifinals on Sunday night.

In Sunday's first match, St. Kitts & Nevis hammered Suriname 4-0 to force
Cuba to guarantee advancement with a draw or a victory, a loss leaving them
with a poorer goal differential.

But Cuba and Haiti played out a cautious 90 minutes in the scoreless draw,
both teams moving on in the competition with five points each. St. Kitts &
Nevis ended with four points, while Suriname finished last in Group B with
one point.

St. Kitts & Nevis got goals from Sereste Cannonier, Austin Huggins, Keith
Gumbs and Sheldon Doynin in the victory against Suriname.

Haiti finished atop the group on goal differential, and will play surprise
Group A runner-up Martinique in the first of Tuesday's semifinals at the
Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain. Cuba will take on host nation
Trinidad & Tobago in the second match.

The semifinal winners will play for the Caribbean Football Union
championship on Friday night, having already secured two of the zone's three
automatic berths for the 2002 Gold Cup. The semifinal losers will meet
Thursday night in the third-place match, the winner gaining the final Gold
Cup place, the loser moving into a playoff against the fourth-placed team in
the UNCAF Copa de Naciones.