President Bharrat Jadgeo with officials and members of the team after the victory on November 11
A capacity crowd converted the National Stadium into a yellow jungle on November 11 as the ‘Golden Jaguars’ roared their way to the next round of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers with a clinical 2-1 win over old nemesis, the ‘Soca Warriors’ of Trinidad and Tobago.
Buoyed on by a vociferous home crowd, which made the 300-odd T&T supporters look like a needle in a haystack, the ‘Jaguars’ undoubtedly brought their ‘A’ game to the Qualifiers when it mattered most.
The crowd erupted every time the Guyanese took control of the ball, and many must have left the venue with a hoarse throat, as the hosts dominated possession for most of the game, severely testing the defence of the twin-islanders.
The oesophaguses were put to work from as early as the 10th minute as the Golden Arrowheads started to flutter proudly when Ricky Shakes, with a scorching right foot volley, blasted the back of the net to put Guyana ahead.
That set the momentum for the remainder of the opening half, which ended 1-0, as Guyana maintained a stranglehold on possession.
Upon resumption, the visitors controlled the proceedings for the opening 10 minutes, but could not breach the defence of goalie Ronson Williams, who was impressive throughout the game.
Leon Cort squandered a golden opportunity, as he failed to tap in a smooth pass from Dwain Jacobs running down the right flank, but he made amends in the 81st minute when he received a pass inside the penalty box and fired it past the T&T custodian to put Guyana ahead 2-0 as the crowd erupted in a huge roar.
T&T pulled one back in the 92nd minute through Kenwyn Jones, but apparently their supporters had already left, as the Stadium was thrown into silence.
A minute later when the final whistle was blown, it was ‘Carnival in Guyana’; the DJ was called into action as the yellow supporters danced merrily in the stands, while hugs and high-fives were shared among the players and officials on the field.
Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz said it was not a win for the team, but for the country. Moving forward to the next round, Shabazz explained that while the ‘Jaguars’ will be up against much tougher oppositions, they have now gained a reputation, having beaten a team that has played in the World Cup, and that’s a massive advantage. Guyana will be up against Mexico, Costa Rica and El Salvador in the next round.
Before that though, the Guyanese will travel to T&T for the return match on November 15 in Port-of-Spain. The ‘Jaguars’ are now on 13 points, with T&T stuck on nine.
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