BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A great strike in the second half forced Trinidad and Tobago to split the points in a 1-1 draw with the Puerto Rican manners while low-ranked Montserrat stunned Central American giants El Salvador with a late goal to earn a point in another 1-1 position, in the opening round of the CONCACAF qualifying matches for the 2020 FIFA World Cup on Sunday.
While playing in Group F at the Mayagüez Athletic Stadium, T&T was lucky to escape into the half-time break without giving up after Puerto Rico missed a plethora of chances to get on the score sheet.
However, things changed quickly in the second half as Joevin Jones put the visitors ahead in the 54th minute from close range.
Canadian-born Ryan Telfer rocked a left-field cross into the box where Levi Garcia won a header challenge for Jones to slot in from six yards.
Garcia came close to doubling his side’s advantage shortly after when his curling corner hit the far post but Puerto Rico, ranked 76 spots below T&T at the FIFA rankings in 179th, then struck back in the 72nd minute through substitute Ricardo Rivera.
On the pitch for just 10 minutes, the 23-year-old wrapped his head around a Raul Gonzales pin cross point into the box to beat goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup from close range.
The result left T&T second in the group at four points behind St Kitts and Nevis who have won their opening two matches.
There was also some sort of upset in Group A where captain Lyle Taylor struck in the 89th minute to steal a share of the honors for the 18th position at Montserrat, ranking 113 spots lower than El Salvador in the world rankings.
David Rugamas put El Salvador ahead at Ergilio Hato Stadium in Curacao when he hit a clinical through ball and scored with a fine finish to the keeper’s left.
But failing to add to the score line, El Salvador were penalized with the end of the game in mind when Taylor, who plays for Nottingham Forest in the English Championship division, produced a brilliant landing header from Jamie Allen’s cross.
The result was Montserrat’s second straight tie and left him third in the group while El Salvador was second at four points, behind Antigua and Barbuda also at four points but ahead courtesy of a higher difference- goal.
In Group D, great long-range equalizer left substitute Audel Laville against the run of the Dominican play dreamed of 1-1 in the 82nd minute but substitute substitute Jose Fajardo Torres scored three minutes later to give Wales a 2 -1 to Panama at the Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo.
In the other game played, Curacao beat Cuba 2-1 at Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City, with the three goals coming in the first half of the Group C competition.