TT advance to Concacaf Beach Soccer quarters

TT advanced to the quarter-final stage of the Concacaf Beach Soccer Championship yesterday after a 7-2 spanking of the US Virgin Islands, in a Group B fixture at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Kevon “Showtime” Woodley scored a hat-trick, while Jesse Bailey and Hakeem King chipped in with two apiece for TT.

Rakeem Joseph and Joseph Leto were the goal-scorers for the US Virgin Islands.

This is TT’s second win on the trot, after they blanked Turks and Caicos 6-0 in their opening match on Monday.

TT are assured a place in the last eight, and will be looking to seal top spot when they meet defending Concacaf title-holders Panama tomorrow from 7 pm.

Panama, who trounced US Virgin Islands 8-1, on Monday, hammered Turks and Caicos 8-1 time last evening.

Woodley opened the scoring in the second minute of play. The lanky attacker got in front of Joseph and slotted a right-footed shot, high to the left of goalkeeper Michael Vollmer.

Joseph atoned for his mistake a minute later, when he placed a left-footed shot past the advancing TT goalie Zane Coker, though Chad Appoo tried in vain to block the shot off the line.

TT restored their lead in the ninth minute when Bailey slotted a right-footed shot to the left of Vollmer, after Woodley failed to connect with a bicycle kick.

Leto levelled the scores at 2-2 in the tenth minute, with a powerful right-footed shot past Coker.

TT reclaimed the lead, this time for good, in the 11th, courtesy of a penalty-kick by King.

In the 17th, King got his second goal, with a right-footed shot to the left of Vollmer, following a back-heeled pass from Woodley.

Woodley netted his second goal a minute later, with a right-footer which was parried by Vollmer into his own net. And Woodley, who plays for Cunupia FC in the TT Super League, completed his treble with a penalty in the 20th.

Bailey completed the scoring in the 30th, with a freekick which rolled past the reach of Vollmer.

The quarter-finals will take place on Friday, followed by the semi-finals on Saturday and the final, and third-place match, on Sunday.

The finalists will be the Concacaf representatives at the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay.