Trinidad and Tobago whip Bermuda 3-0 in World Cup qualifier

TRINIDAD and Tobago finally injected some life into the final round of their qualifying campaign for the Fifa 2026 World Cup when they got a much-needed 3-0 victory away to Bermuda at the Bermuda National Stadium, Devonshire, on October 10.

It was TT's first victory in Concacaf's final round of qualifying as they broke their goal-scoring duck to move up to four points in group B after three matches. TT's first game of the final round was a goalless draw at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, with Curacao, before a 2-0 loss away to the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica.

The group B leaders changed hands on October 10, as Curaçao (seven points) got a stunning 2-0 win over Jamaica (six points) at the Ergilio Hato Stadium, Willemstad, with the Reggae Boyz having a Richard King goal ruled out late on when a teammate was adjudged offside after a VAR check. Jamaica slipped to second, with TT consolidating third spot.

On October 14, coach Dwight Yorke's TT team will now have an intriguing test away to the new group B leaders, Curacao.

In what was hyped as a must-win clash for TT, first-half goals from in-form attackers Dante Sealy and Tyrese Spicer sent the visitors on their way, with TT putting the icing on the cake early in the second half when impressive centre back Kobi Henry headed in from close range after goalkeeper Dale Eve palmed away a dipping, long-range free kick from Sealy.

For the second straight game, TT were without the services of regular captain Kevin Molino, although the reason for his absence from the match day squad wasn't specified up to press time.

In the opening minutes, TT looked a little nervy at the back as veteran Luton Town striker Nahki Wells fashioned a few early chances. At 35, Wells isn't blessed with great pace, but his movement caused some trouble for the TT back line shortly after the opening whistle. In the sixth minute, Wells had an instinctive left-footed shot saved by goalie Denzil Smith after being found on the edge of the area by Keziah Martin, while the TT goalkeeper made a smart near-post save just two minutes later after Wells beat burly centre back Josiah Trimmingham to a long ball over the top from Dante Leverock.

Yorke's charges were unable to find the net in their opening games against Curacao and Jamaica, but the front three of Sealy, Spicer and stand-in captain Levi Garcia looked a threat whenever they had possession. In the tenth minute, via a counter, the trio showed their understanding and all played a part in TT's opener when Sealy easily tapped in from close range after the Russian-based Garcia squared from the right. Found in a bit of room down the flank by Spicer, Garcia dropped his shoulder and beat defender Harry Twite with ease before Sealy applied the finishing touches.

Since debuting for TT at the start of the second round of qualifying against St Kitts and Nevis in Mucurapo in June, the 22-year-old Sealy has been a revelation for Yorke as he scored a brace in his first international game before adding a world-class item at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup against Saudi Arabia in a 1-1 draw. And after scoring two sublime free kicks in his last two outings for Major League Soccer club CF Montreal, Sealy's goal against Bermuda would have seemed like taking candy from a baby.

Just three minutes later, Sealy bent a curler wide of the mark from outside the area, with Garcia and Steffen Yeates also wasting presentable chances from outside the area. TT may have taken a little time to settle in Devonshire, but once they did, they looked the much better outfit and quickly wrested control away as they racked up 12 first-half shots to Bermuda's five. TT ended the game with 22 shots, eight of which were on target.

On the half-hour mark, the hosts made an unforced error as substitute right back Justin Donawa was caught napping on the ball by a pressing Spicer, who then put Leverock on his back and calmly rounded Eve before rolling into an empty net to make it 2-0. It was Spicer's first goal in his young international career for TT, but a much-deserved one after a series of promising performances since his debut away to Cuba in a Gold Cup qualifying match back in March.

Bottom of the group on no points before this contest, Bermuda needed to have a perfect start to the second half to have any chance of staying in the contest. The hosts would have the worst possible start to the second half, though, as Henry gleefully headed past Eve after Sealy left the Bermuda goalkeeper stretching to his right with a left-footed free kick from about 27 yards out.

With a three-goal deficit, there was no way back in the match for Bermuda and they were lucky not to concede more goals as both Garcia and Crystal Palace right back Rio Cardines hit the upright in the second half.

In the 52nd minute, after getting the better of Twite yet again, Garcia agonisingly curled a left-footer off the post with Eve well-beaten. Garcia, who scored three offside goals against the Reggae Boyz in TT's previous match, thought he had rightfully put one in the net on this occasion, but it wasn't meant to be.

Late in the second half, Yorke had the luxury of giving a debut to Dutch-born right back Deron Payne, with Slovakia-based midfielder Molik Jesse Khan also making a cameo. With Payne's introduction, Cardines pushed up to right midfield and he had a glorious chance to make it 4-0 in second-half stoppage-time, but the latter crashed a right-footed shot off the post from a tight angle with substitute Justin Obikwu unmarked in the area.

In the end, TT finished the game three points and three goals to the good as Yorke's team delivered in part one of their two-game road trip. In Willemstad on October 14, TT will face a Curacao team that will be bouncing after their victory over Jamaica.

The goalless draw in September apart, Curacao will have good recent memories against TT as they earned a dramatic 5-3 victory over an Angus Eve-coached TT team in a Concacaf Nations League meeting in Willemstad in October 2023.

A victory for TT in this upcoming clash will most certainly tighten the race for Group B's automatic World Cup qualifying spot. Only the group winners will progress automatically to the World Cup, with the two-best second-placed teams from Concacaf's final round going into Fifa's intercontinental playoff.

Group B standings, final round of Concacaf World Cup qualifying:

Team*GP*W*D*L*GF*GA*GD*Pts

Curacao*3*2*1*0*5*2*3*7

Jamaica*3*2*0*1*6*2*4*6

TT*3*1*1*1*3*2*1*4

Bermuda*3*0*0*3*2*10*-8*0