Soca Warriors to face USA in Nations League quarters

Despite falling to a surprise 5-3 loss to the relegated Curacao in Willemstad, Curacao on Tuesday night, the Trinidad and Tobago's men's football team were able to book a spot in the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League A campaign where they will meet Concacaf powerhouse, USA.

Needing only a point in their group A encounter at the Ergilio Hato Stadium to secure a quarter-final spot, TT were stunned by the hosts who managed their lone victory in this Nations League A campaign. Thankfully for coach Angus Eve and his Soca Warriors, third-placed Martinique weren't able to cash in on TT's slip as they played to a goalless draw away to El Salvador.

In the end, Panama (ten points), who recorded a 3-0 victory over Guatemala on Tuesday, finished atop the group to guarantee their quarter-final spot. TT had their three-game winning streak snapped and finished on nine points – qualifying for the Nations League quarter-finals for the first time. Martinique finished the group on seven points. Guatemala finished in fourth spot on four points. Curacao (three points) and El Salvador (one point) brought up the rear of the group and will be relegated to Nations League B for the next edition.

TT emerged as the best second-placed team in the Nations League A group stages, as Honduras amassed seven points in group B to run second to table-toppers Jamaica (ten points). In their Nations League A quarter-finals home-and-away tie on November 16 and 20, coach Angus Eve's TT team will face the US outfit which hammered the Soca Warriors by a 6-0 margin at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup on July 2. The first leg will be played in Austin, Texas, with the venue for the return leg in TT still to be determined. The US are ranked 11th in the Fifa rankings. TT are ranked 98th.

A total of six Concacaf teams will play in an expanded Copa America 2024 tournament – South America's marquee continental competition. The winners of the four Nations League A quarter-final ties will qualify directly for Copa 2024, which begins in June next year. The four losing Nations League A quarter-finalists will have a second chance at booking a prestigious Copa spot via a single-match playoff in March.

"We did our job. I think the campaign was a huge success," Eve told TT Football Association (TTFA) media after the Curacao match. "Nobody expected us to be where we were for the final game and now we have qualified to play in the quarter-finals of the (Nations League). This is a rebuilding process we're going through and there are going to be days where we will have our ups and downs."

In Willemstad, the TT team took their fans on an emotional roller-coaster on their quest to get to the quarter-finals. Similar to their dramatic 3-2 win over Guatemala on October 13, TT fell behind by a 2-0 margin in the first half versus a rampant opposing team. Eve tried to change the course of the game at the half, as he made three substitutions and changed from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a 5-3-2 shape.

Curacao added a third item before TT could find their proper footing in the contest though, as Kenji Gorre, son of Curacao coach Dean Gorre, capped a terrific display with an emphatic penalty in the 56th minute.

"It was difficult for some of the guys to play back-to-back (games). Some of the guys struggled and we looked a bit leggy playing on the turf which seemed to be a bit too much for some of the guys' legs. The turf didn't help at all but we still made a lot of simple mistakes in defence. We are basically known for defending properly and that part of it was lacking."

A wild second half saw a total of six goals being scored, with Honduras referee Said Martinez awarding two more penalties to the hosts in a frenetic five-minute span – one of which was saved by Denzil Smith. The visitors cut the deficit to 3-2 by the 74th minute before Curacao regained a three-goal cushion by the 81st minute.

"There were a lot of questionable calls by the referee. I haven't seen the tape. I'm not one to talk about referees much, but I thought (out of) the three penalties – maybe one was a good call."

The visitors did muster a third goal before Martinez blew his final whistle, with substitute Kareem Moses applying a finish from close range during a melee in the Curacao area in the 86th minute.

Eve was happy to clinch qualification after a tough night in Curacao.

"All in all, we had a very good campaign and we are still alive when other people are going home. We qualified. We're coming out of the group. Our league home isn't actually going on right now so credit to these guys who are not in season."

TT were spanked 5-3 by the relegated Curacao on Tuesday, but coach Eve and his team can now regroup and reflect as they look ahead to their Nations League A quarter-final duel with the US next month.

"I hope the country supports the boys because we did brilliantly to be here. We didn't win the last game but you saw the fight and the effort still."