Trinidad Survive Hurricane Season Intact: Trinidad & Tobago 0 Sweden 0

Home: World Cup Finals: Germany 2006: 1st Round: Match Schedule: Trinidad vs Sweden

Saturday, 10th June 2006
Trinidad Survive Hurricane Season Intact

Previous Encounters:
Trinidad and Tobago vs Sweden is a fixture cruising into somewhat unknown territory, unless some of the Swedish players have holidayed in the Caribbean and kicked a football around on a Tobago beach.

OK, the two countries did play a friendly on 16th November, 1983; which Sweden won (5:0).

The Match:
Sweden knew they needed the three points to keep up with England, who held on to an early goal during a hot 90 minutes in Frankfurt, while Trinidad and Tobago would probably be happy with a draw; happy is an understatement, they were ecstatic.

Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden started furiously in Dortmund, with Trinidad & Tobago lucky not to be a goal down in the second minute, as Shaka Hislop completely missed a cross and left his goal invitingly open; the shot blocked.

Sweden had another chance to go in front in the 5th minute when they were awarded a free-kick in the penalty D. Henrik Larsson blasted wide of the wall and the goal.

While Sweden made most of the running, after their long balls, Trinidad & Tobago were equally prepared to chase after everything and move the ball up swiftly towards Stern John.

For all the mileage on the park though, neither team had a goal to show for their high-octane, energy output; after 35 minutes of play.

Hislop wasn't prepared to let things change as he parried a drive from Christian Wilhelmsson over the crossbar shortly before half-time.

Well, who said scoreless draws are boring?

No snore-bore here. The fans from the Caribbean even celebrated when the teams went into the break, as if they were two goals up.

Half-time: (0:0).

Drama in the first minute of the second-half as Avery John is shown his second yellow card for turning over Christian Wilhelmsson on the edge of the area.

Henrik Larsson's free-kick was driven straight into the wall.

Naturally, Sweden continued with their high-tempo, direct approach but ten.man Trinidad were equal to it; substitute Cornell Glen hitting the post shortly after coming on for Collin Samuel.

Straight away, at the other end, Shaka Hislop was again called into action again to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic; from point-blank range.

Again Hislop held firm, with fifteen minutes left on the clock, from substitute Marcus Allback's rushed attempt at goal from near the penalty spot.

A double substitution from Sweden, with a little over ten minutes to go, was a last ditch attempt to alter the balance against the ten men from the Caribbean.

Then Hislop's display in the six-yard box again thwarted Sweden's attempts to break the deadlock.

An amazing display by the Soca Warriors as the Swedish fans looked on in disbelief; Hislop continued to ride the hurricane waves of assault upon assault.

Henrik Larsson finally entered the referee's book in the 90th minute, not for a goal.... but for a challenge made out of pure frustration.

Final Score:
Trinidad & Tobago 0 - Sweden 0

Our Man of The Match:
Shaka Hislop, without a doubt.

Teams

Trinidad & Tobago: (Captain Dwight Yorke)
1 Shaka Hislop; 3 Avery John, 5 Brent Sancho, 6 Dennis Lawrence, 8 Cyd Gray; 7 Christopher Birchall, 11 Carlos Edwards, 18 Densill Theobald, 19 Dwight Yorke; 12 Collin Samuel, 14 Stern John.

Sweden: (Captain Olof Mellberg)
23 Rami Shaaban; 3 Olof Mellberg, 4 Teddy Lucic, 5 Erik Edman; 6 Tobias Linderoth, 7 Niclas Alexandersson, 8 Anders Svensson, 9 Fredrik Ljungberg, 21 Christian Wilhelmsson; 10 Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 11 Henrik Larsson.

Referee:
Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)

Substitutions:
53 Mins (Trinidad) - 13 Cornell Glen in for 12 Collin Samuel
62 Mins (Sweden) - 20 Marcus Allback in for 8 Anders Svensson
67 Mins (Trinidad) - 9 Aurtis Whitley in for 18 Densill Theobald
79 Mins (Sweden) - 18 Mattias Jonson in for 21 Christian Wilhelmsson
79 Mins (Sweden) - 16 Kim Kallstrom in for 6 Tobias Linderoth