The Flat Back Four: CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group B: Haiti 2-0 Grenada

Thursday, July 9, 2009

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group B: Haiti 2-0 Grenada

Haiti's Fabrice Noel and James Marcelin both scored and gave Haiti a 2-0 victory over Grenada on Wednesday to revive its Gold Cup hopes.

Team List

Haiti:
Coach: J. Rios
J. Zephirin (GK), F. Bertin, F. Gilles, E. Raymond, J. Aveska, P. Bruny, B. Fucien (on R. Jerome 70'), J. Marcelin, V. Sirin (on M. Chery 51'), F. Noel (on P. Meceus 89'), L. Saint-Preux

Grenada:
Coach: Tommy Taylor
D. Noel (GK), A. Modeste, J. James (on R. Daniel 26'), C. Langainge, M. Marshall, P. Modeste (on D. Leo 68'), B. Bubb, R. Charles, S. Rennie, D. Facey, K. Bain (on M. Julien 72')

Match Commentary

Minute		Description
90' +4		Full time and Haiti open their account in group B with a scrappy 2-0 win over Grenada.
90' +3		A little pressure from Grenada, but it's too little too late.
90' +1		Corner to Grenada, kick taken way too long and it goes out for a throw in.
90'		3 minutes of added time
89'		P. Merceus enters the game and replaces F. Noel.
86'		R. Charles gets yellow.
86'		Haiti in full control of this one.
80'		J. Marcelin gets yellow.
79'		J. Marcelin has scored a goal for Haiti! Great assist by E. Raymond.
79'		A howler by the Grenada defender Modeste as he leaves the ball for Marcelin who scores. He has all the time in the world to clear the ball instead he dummies it and Marcelin says thank you very much. 2-0 to Haiti. Marcelin gets a yellow for taking his shirt off in celebration.
78'		Free to Grenada, cross comes in but Haiti clear with too much ease.
77'		'Les Grenadiers' looking steady here as Noel once again dribbles into the area but Grenada hold firm.

75'		Corner to Haiti, results in open play.
72'		M. Julien enters the game and replaces K. Bain.
70'		R. Jerome enters the game and replaces B. Fucien.
70'		A rare cross into the Haiti area and the whistle blows for off side.
68'		D. Leo enters the game and replaces P. Modeste.
67'		Saint-Preux once again is in a good position in the area and he completely misses his kick, the chances are stacking up for Haiti.
66'		Haiti really pressing here, you feel a second goal is coming.
64'		Free kick to Grenada, and it's straight at Zephirin, wasted kick there.
61'		It's Haiti v Grenada and I do believe we have a Mexican wave, good stuff from the crowd. Noel the busy Haitian forward steals the ball and tries a cheeky chip which goes over.
59'		The last time Haiti won a match in CONCACAF Gold Cup action was way back in 2002 in Miami when they beat Ecuador 2-0 at the group stage. Bruny and Gilles are the only survivors from that team playing tonight.
58'		Saint-Preux with an awful miss after some good work from Noel down the left flank.
57'		Nothing brewing here for Grenada, they must get the ball and have some extended possession, patience may be the operative word.
55'		Raymond with an effort that Noel saves well for a corner, the corner kick is taken and Noel catches cleanly.
52'		L. Saint-Preux gets yellow.
52'		Saint-Preux gets a yellow for deliberate hand ball.
51'		M. Chery enters the game and replaces V. Sirin.
51'		Haiti make a curious substitution as Sirin trudges off and Chery enters the action. Possibly tactical.
48'		Free kick to Grenada deep in their own half, results in open play.
46'		Grenada kick off this second half, a little more urgency from the 'Spice Boys' and they could make a game of it.
45' +2		Half time and Haiti take a slender lead into the second half. Somewhat of a scrappy game and Grenada by no means out of it.
45' +1		Free kick to Haiti. and Rennie gets a yellow for a high challenge. Showing his studs there and he can have no complaints.
45'		S. Rennie gets yellow.
45'		Free kick to Haiti as the clock runs down for half time. Results in open play. 1 minute of added time.
44'		Rennie with a long range effort, results in a goal kick.
41'		Noel once again breaks into the area but is crowded out, results in a corner. The Haitian forward is looking busy tonight. Corner results in open play.
39'		Noel with a break for Haiti and Fucien with a shot that is cleared by a Grenada defender. Grenada break and Facey is clear in the area, he stretches and the ball balloons over the bar. That should have been 1-1.
35'		The 'Spice Boys' need to spice up their act if they are to get back into this game!
33'		Cross comes in for Grenada and Bain heads back into the danger area but Haiti clear well.
32'		Corner to Haiti, and that's wasted as it goes out for a goal kick.
31'		Corner to Haiti, cross comes in and Aveska lines one up but Grenada clear.
30'		Vaniel Sirin and Ednerson Raymond both picked up bookings from their opening Group B match against Honduras, any shenanigans tonight and it’s a view from the sideline when they meet the USA in their final group game.
28'		Noel again for Haiti, it's a speculative effort that once again goes way over.
26'		R. Daniel enters the game and replaces J. James.
26'		James is going off for Grenada, the magic sponge obviously not working on this occasion.
24'		The top two countries, plus the two best placed third-place teams, will advance to the eight-nation quarter-final phase. Free kick to Haiti and Aveska once again with a long range effort that goes well over.
23'		Marcelin for Haiti with a long range effort that sails over.
20'		James is off the field for Grenada getting the magic sponge treatment. Play continues.
17'		Free kick to Grenada, takes a deflection for a corner. Results in a break for Haiti but a weak effort and Noel gathers.
14'		F. Noel has scored a goal for Haiti! Great assist by B. Fucien.
14'		Free kick to Haiti, and Haiti have scored. That's a scrappy goal, mayhem in the Grenada penalty area and it looks like the ball finally came off Noel's back for Haiti. 1-0
12'		Free kick to Haiti, its taken quick by facey and it's straight at the keeper.
11'		Free kick to Grenada. Results in open play.
10'		James almost puts through his own net, a great diving save from Noel.
7'		A great strike from Grenada's Facey, and an equally fine save from Zephirin.
6'		Free kick to Grenada on the half way line, results in open play.
5'		Free kick to Grenada, results in a goal kick to Haiti.
4'		Grenada with an effort just outside the area, keeper gathers well.
3'		A busy start by Haiti, a long ball comes in from Zephirin and the bounce nearly catches Noel out.
2'		Corner to Haiti, it's played short and results in open play.
1'		Haiti kick off the first half.
		Welcome to live commentary of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group B encounter between Haiti and Grenada at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. Haiti must feel they have a chance of getting back into this group after a disappointing 1-0 loss to Honduras in their opening group game. Grenada on the other hand has a lot to prove after the 4-0 humbling at the hands of the USA. So, a must win game for both countries if they are to progress in this tournament. We have truly been blessed with some beautiful weather for this tournament. Tonight we have game time temperatures around the 80 degree Fahrenheit mark and no sign of any precipitation. Your referee is Roberto Moreno from Panama and his assistants are Leonel Leal from Costa Rica and Hermenerito Leal, no relation, from Guatemala. Your fourth official is Marco Rodriguez from Mexico.