18948: (Hermantin) Sun-Sentinel-Haiti ready to finish job vs. Turks and Caicos (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Haiti ready to finish job vs. Turks and Caicos



By Jeff Rusnak
Special Correspondent

February 21, 2004

The odds of Haiti being eliminated from 2006 World Cup qualifying by the
Turks and Caicos Islands were prohibitive before the teams played the first
game of a two-leg series on Wednesday.

The number now approaches a mathematical improbability after the Haitians
routed the Turks 5-0 before about 5,000 fans at the Orange Bowl. The Turks
must do one goal better tonight in Hialeah to advance to the next round, but
failing an alien body snatching of the Haitian team, it will be Haiti that
plays Jamaica in June, not the tiny British colony.

Behind three goals by Johnny Descollines, Haiti routed a slower and less
skilled Turks side that has lost the three World Cup qualifiers it's played
by a cumulative 19-0 score. After Wednesday's game, TCI technical director
Paul Crosbie looked on the bright side when he noted that the 5-0 loss was
an improvement on the 8-0 and 6-0 defeats to St Kitts and Nevis in 2000.

Haiti coach Fernando Clavijo was relieved and encouraged. The only fault
Clavijo found was missed chances.

"The idea was to play our game and we executed that part," Clavijo said.

"One of the issues we have is finishing. In a different game you might only
get a few chances and you've got to take them."

The Turks and Caicos will be the home team tonight, but the 5,500-seat Ted
Hendricks Stadium is expected to be packed by Haitian fans.
Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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