Haiti win 2007 Digicel Caribbean Championship Cup Haitians clinch title in 2-1 thriller in Port of Spain Haiti Champions Tuesday, January 23rd, 2007 – Hasely Crawford Stadium, Trinidad: After the toughest route to the final, playing more qualification games than any other team, Haiti lifted the Digicel Caribbean Cup after defeating Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 in a thrilling final. Watched by an expectant crowd of 18,000, Wim Rjisbergen’s Soca Warriors could not break down a stubborn home defence, expertly marshaled by Digicel Man of the Match Richard Pierre Bruny, as Luis Amelia Garcia’s side took their chances to bring the Digicel Caribbean Cup back to Port-au-Prince for the very first time. A cagey opening 20 minutes saw few chances created before the game burst into life on 21 minutes when the Haitians silenced the noisy home crowd by opening the scoring. Cadet Elphine made a surging run down the right before squaring the ball for Brunel Fucien. Fucien’s first time shot was pushed away by Williams in the Trinidad & Tobago goal but Boucicaut Alexandre was on hand to turn the ball home. Trinidad struggled to come back into the game but showed their first real threat in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Kerry Baptiste fired just wide 1 minute into stoppage time and Kerwin Jemmott came even closer seconds later, Gabard in the Haiti goal blocking his long range shot. But Rjisbergen’s side couldn’t keep their momentum after the break and on 52 minutes Haiti seemed to have one hand on the Digicel Caribbean Cup. A goalmouth scramble resulted from a Williams’ fumble and Brunel Fucien turned the ball home to give the Haitians a two goal lead. With the crowd silenced, Haiti seemed comfortably on top but the game changed with a set piece. Trinidad earned a free kick fully 35 yards out on 66 minutes giving Nigel Daniel a sight of goal. Daniel’s vicious right foot strike, a real contender for goal of the tournament, left Gabard with no chance and brought the game alive again. With the crowd performing an enthusiastic Mexican wave, the Soca Warriors poured forward in search of an equalizer. Substitute Joel Bailey almost found the net on 76 minutes, his header from Power’s long cross well held by Gabard. As the crowd grew increasingly tense, the Soca Warriors threw 4 up front in the closing minutes and goalkeeper Gabard became the Haitian hero. He denied Glasgow after a flowing move, tipped over a Theobald free kick and then with only 2 minutes left on the clock brilliantly saved from Darryl Roberts after a mazy run. Despite 4 nail biting minutes of stoppage time, Haiti held on for a famous victory which will be celebrated long into the night in Port-au-Prince. Trinidad and Tobago: Jan Michael Williams, Makan Hislop (Joel Bailey 64), Osei Telesford, Leslie Fitzpatrick ,Kerwin Jemmot, Darryl Roberts, Gary Glasgow, Kerry Baptiste, Seon Power, Nigel Daniel, Densill Theobold Haiti: Fenelon Gabard, Gilles Frantz (Dacius Gilles 90), Guillaume Stephane, Brunel Fucien, Cadet Eliphene (Lormera Roody 90), Boucicaut Alexandre (Raymond Ednerson 63), James Marcelin, Richard Pierre Bruny, Chery Mones, Vubert Alain, Maynard Josue
Amazing. I thought T&T were going to walk over them. I only saw the first half, but from what I saw T&T was easily the better team. But Haiti was the hardest working team out there and the few chances they got near the goal they took it.
Haiti claims Caribbean title 24.1.07 - Haiti claimed the 2007 Digicel Caribbean Cup after defeating the hosts, Trinidad & Tobago by a score of 2:1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on Tuesday evening. Alexandre Boucicaut and Fucien Brunel gave the Haitians a 2:0 lead with goals in the 23rd and 52nd minutes, respectively. Nigel Daniel answered for the soca warriors in the 66th minute, but the Haitians held on for their first-ever Digicel Caribbean Cup title. This is also the first tournament crown won by Haiti since capturing the 1973 CONCACAF Campeonato de Naciones which also gave them the Confederation’s qualification berth to the FIFA World Cup™ West Germany 1974. In the Digicel Caribbean Cup Third-Place encounter on Tuesday, Cuba posted a 2:1 win over Guadeloupe. Alain Cervantes scored in the 24th and 49th minutes for the cubanos, while Fabian Raddas had the only goal for Guadeloupe in the 53rd minute-mark. Cuba, Guadeloupe, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago are also the Caribbean qualifiers to the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ from 6-24 June in six venues across the USA and will consist exclusively of 12 CONCACAF teams that also comprise of the previous champions (Canada, Mexico, USA) along with five teams qualifying from Central America (8-18 February in El Salvador). 2007 CONCACAF GOLD CUP™ QUALIFICATION Caribbean Zone – Digicel Cup Final Round Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO; Hasely Crawford Stadium Third Place 23.01.2007: CUBA – GUADELOUPE 2:1 (1:0) Alain CERVANTES 24’, 49’ – Fabian RADDAS 53’ Championship 23.01.2007: TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – HAITI 1:2 (0:1) Nigel DANIEL 66’ – Alexandre BOUCICAUT 23’; Fucien BRUNEL 52’ CARIBBEAN ALL-TIME CHAMPIONS YEAR - WINNER - VENUE (S) - (GOLD CUP QUALIFIERS) 1989 – Trinidad & Tobago – Barbados 1991 – Jamaica – Jamaica – (Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago) 1992 – Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago 1993 – Martinique – Jamaica – (Jamaica, Martinique) 1994 – Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago 1995 – Trinidad & Tobago – Cayman Islands, Jamaica – (St. Vincent & Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago) 1996 – Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago 1997 – Trinidad & Tobago – Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis – (Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago) 1998 – Jamaica - Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago 1999 – Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago – (Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago) 2001 – Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago – (Cuba, Haiti, Martinique, Trinidad & Tobago) 2003 – No Winner* – Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago – (Cuba, Jamaica, Martinique^) 2005 – Jamaica – Barbados – (Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago) 2007 – Haiti – Trinidad & Tobago – (Cuba, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago) * No Caribbean champion was crowned as the two respective CFU Final Round Qualification Group Winners from Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago (Jamaica & Cuba) qualified to the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ ^ Martinique qualified from 2003 CFU/UNCAF Interzone Playoffs
Congrats to Haiti, Could anyone tell when the new Haiti league season starts? and a good source for schedule and results? cheers, si
at one point chec .. Haiti was the top of CONCACAF ... that was late 1960' with local clubs & 1970' with National team ..... but Yeah Haiti will reach the top of CONCACAF again onces the Economic situation gets resolved ..
You mean "rising again"? Yes, I feel this time Haiti is going all the way. Our youth football is strong by concacaf standard and we have some good and young players in the senior national team. We have a good chance to become one of the best in CONCACAF. But, we won't be alone. Other Caribbean teams are also 'rising'. TnT, for example, is becoming a better team than it was. their influence will be felt outside of CFU. Jamaica seem to slow down a bit (I love Jamaica), but will remain a tough customer in the next 4 years with young talents like Shelton and Hue. Cuba may also put itself on the map. My prediction for WC 2010 is that two Caribbean teams may make the trip to grandma's house.
It is getting tougher for the second-tier teams . . . Costa Rica, US and Mexico basically have their way with teams. But after that . . . Honduras, Guatamala, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Canada, Trinidad and Tobego and El Salvador are all clearly capable of ruffling some feathers if the draw breaks in the right direction for them.