Eve rues chances after T&T suffer 2-0 defeat
Trinidad and Tobago conceded on the hour mark and then again in stoppage time, to slump to a 2-0 defeat to Canada and miss out on a place in the Copa America in June.
Playing at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago frustrated Canada to leave the game 0-0 at the break, but Cyle Larin broke the deadlock in the 61st minute before Jacob Shaffelburg added a second in the first minute of added time.
Canada qualified as the 15th of 16 teams with the victory, for the June 20 to July 14 showpiece in the United States of America.
Trinidad and Tobago, meanwhile, were left to rue a golden opportunity to feature on the big stage, after a period away from the top flight.
“I thought for the most part the game plan went well,” said T&T head coach Angus Eve.
“We created some good chances and for a team that is ranked 96th and is playing against a team that is ranked 40-something positions ahead of us, I think we acquitted ourselves well.
“We had some good chances and should’ve scored first – maybe it would’ve settled us down. I thought, all in all, it was a great performance.”
T&T should have been ahead in the 18th minute when Levi Garcia slipped behind the Canada defence, only to pull his low shot inches around the far post with goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau beaten.
T&T squandered another golden opportunity to take the lead just after the break when Andre Raymon stormed into the box and shot narrowly wide of the far post.
They were made to pay for their profligacy however. Larin finished off a slick passing move just outside the 18-yard box to slot into the far corner.
Garcia nearly found the equaliser when he was played through by 81st-minute substitute Real Gill, only to watch his rasping low drive saved by Crepeau.
With the game descending into an open affair, Canada grabbed their second through Shaffelburg, the MLS star finishing a flowing counterattack with a thunderous left-footed volley from seven yards out.
“We know that [Trinidad and Tobago] are a good team,” Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies said afterwards.
“Both teams had something to lose. We both wanted to make it through, but overall it was a good game.
“They fought well, they played well, and so did we, and we’re happy we came out with the win.”