Trinidad and Tobago fall 5-3 to Panama at Concacaf Beach Soccer Champs

FOR the second straight day, TT suffered a heartbreak loss at the 2025 Concacaf Beach Soccer Championships as they were beaten 5-3 by Panama in a keenly contested group B matchup at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Facility, Nassau, Bahamas on March 12.

Coming off a 4-1 penalty shootout loss to reigning champions US on the previous day, the Chad Appoo-coached team needed a victory to bolster their chances of finishing in the top two and advancing to the next round. Again, TT showed great fight and grit, and a close-range header from attacker Kevon “Showtime” Woodley equalled the scores at 3-3 just before the end of the second period.

In the third and final period, though, things unravelled for TT as Woodley was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 31st minute before Panama iced the game late on with strikes from the impressive Alfonso Maquensi and Eliecer Garcia.

The result took Panama to four points from two matches after their penalty shootout victory over hosts Bahamas on March 11, with TT staying rooted to the foot of the table with no points to show from two matches.

After press time on March 12, USA (one point) met the Bahamas (no points) in another crucial Group B match. A US victory would send them through to the semifinals alongside Panama, with both Bahamas and TT being eliminated.

Maquensi was a handful for TT all game, and he forced goalkeeper Jabari Gray into a fine save in only the second minute, with Woodley crashing an acrobatic effort off the bar just two minutes after.

In a wild first period which featured five goals, Panama took the lead in the fourth minute with a bicycle kick from Garcia. TT responded a minute later with a close-range strike from Jayson Joseph, but Panama restored their one-goal edge when Maquensi scored his first of three goals.

Woodley scored his first of two goals in the tenth minute when he converted a penalty after Panama skipper Alberto Kelly was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Akinola Gregory.

Just a minute later, Maquensi gave Panama a 3-2 lead just before the end of the first period as he sent a volley into the sand which agonisingly looped over TT’s Shane Hospedales on the goal line.

Hospedales was involved for TT at the other end in the second period, and he somehow missed at point-blank range in the 18th minute when Gregory flashed a shot across the face of the goal. Six minutes later, Hospedales had a more telling contribution as Woodley headed in the former’s right-side corner.

After Woodley committed a needless foul on Maquensi just past the half-hour mark, the latter dusted himself off to score on the second attempt after Gray made a save from a free kick.

With the TT players tiring, Garcia scored Panama’s fifth and final goal with a header in the 35th minute.

With back-to-back losses to their name, TT will need the Bahamas to avoid defeat in regular time against the US to keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the semis alive.

TT will play their final group game against Bahamas from 8 pm on March 13.