Soca Warriors advance to Concacaf's final round despite 2-1 loss to 'Los Ticos'

The Soca Warriors have advanced to the final round of Concacaf qualifying for the Fifa 2026 World Cup qualifiers despite falling to a 2-1 loss to Costa Rica in their final second-round group match in San Jose, Costa Rica on June 10.

The win saw "Los Ticos" topping the group with a flawless 12 points from four matches, with the Soca Warriors, who ended the game with ten men, wrapping up the group in second on seven points. Third-placed Grenada also finished on seven points, but their +4 goal differential paled in comparison to Trinidad and Tobago's healthy goal difference of +9.

On the eve of the game, coach Dwight Yorke said his defence needed to improve and be sturdy enough to keep clean sheets in these types of games. For the first 15-20 minutes at least, the Soca Warriors had little to worry about on their defensive end as they did most of the hard running early on. CF Montreal flanker Dante Sealy, who scored a brace in the 6-2 thumping of St Kitts and Nevis on June 6, flashed well wide in the second minute, while veteran defender Sheldon Bateau headed just wide from a corner in the fourth minute. TT striker Levi Garcia also banged a free kick over bar in the tenth minute as the Soca Warriors started firmly on the front foot, particularly with the wide play of wing-back Tyrese Spicer.

Despite their early pressure and confident play, TT fell behind in the 23rd minute when Costa Rica had their first real attack on Marvin Phillip's goal. After a set piece, Feyenoord defender Jeyland Mitchell stayed lurking in the area and made the Soca Warriors pay with a bullet header from a left-side cross from Francisco Calvo. The 40-year-old Phillip, who stepped in for Denzil Smith who picked up a knock in training on June 9, again showed his worth between the sticks as he made a number of timely saves to keep his team in the contest.

In the 27th minute, Phillip made a brilliant double-save to deny efforts from Josimar Alcocer and Warren Madrigal, while he made a low save to keep out a header from a set piece just seconds later. In the 38th minute, though, Phillip could do nothing to stop Madrigal, who fired into the top corner after Alejandro Bran squared from the right flank.

In a game that started with the Soca Warriors showing bright enthusiasm in the attacking third, Yorke was forced to retreat somewhat at the start of the second half as the pair of Noah Powder and defender Darnell Hospedales entered proceedings for Sealy and Rio Cardines, who started at right wing-back. TT's mission was simple: don't lose by more than six goals.

Powder's first meaningful involvement saw him forcing veteran Keylor Navas into a fine low save from distance, with Alvin Jones also testing the goalie with a long-range bomb in the 56th minute.

Cutting an isolated figure for most of the match, Garcia showed his strength and precision in the 58th minute when he latched onto a smart through pass from Molino before firing a right-footer past the reach of Navas.

As the game progressed, TT's fate became clearer, but that didn't stop Phillip from making a string of fine saves which ensured his team wasn't on the end of a lopsided scoreline.

For the visitors, any hope of salvaging a draw was dashed in the 76th minute when Jones was shown a second yellow card after leaving a boot in on Madrigal just outside the area. Jones' lapse didn't hurt TT in the final equation, though, as the one-goal margin of defeat was enough for Yorke's charges to progress to Concacaf's final phase.

The result mirrored TT's last visit to San Jose, but Yorke and company may just be able to crack a smile before they head to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup which runs from June 14 to July 6.