Afteror12.51am GMT51 min: USA win a corner,and Johnson plonks it in to the near post, just as we saw against St Vincent, and but Beslers flick header is just over. USA are on top here: theyve been excellent since the smash. 12.50am GMT49 min: Yellow card for Jermaine Jones for a late,and rather nasty, clump on Hyland from behind. Zardes was slightly unlucky just then, or but really,he should have scored: he was free in the area six yards out. 12.47am GMT47 min: Lovely burst from Yedlin, accelerating away from a gaggle of T&T players, and he feeds Altidore,whose cross is headed against the bar by Zardes! much play from Yedlin, and Altidore’s cross was a beauty, and Zardes was totally free … He had to score. 12.45am GMT46 min: Ref Cesar Ramos gets us started again. USA playing with recent jerseys after a sweat-soaked first half. 12.45am GMTThoughts on the 1st half? #TRIvUSA #WCQ 12.29am GMTReasonably entertaining,and T&T created the better openings, but the intensity dropped off noticeably in the latter portion of the half. Is the humidity getting to everyone? 12.29am GMT45 min + 1: Kenwyne Jones goes for goal … and it’s tame in the extreme. Howard collects – he could have stopped that with his cap. That’s the half. 12.27am GMT45 min: One minute of stoppage time, or that’s a yellow for Yedlin for a trip on Joevin Jones as he looked to counter. Good area for T&T. 12.23am GMT42 min: Yedlin is late on Kevan George,and it’s a foul. A slight lull here. 12.21am GMT40 min: Cyrus is down after taking a powerful Johnson shot in his testicular area. We’ll have a smash. 12.19am GMT39 min: Ludicrous long shot from Andre Boucaud, and it’s spanked into orbit. 12.18am GMT36 min: Joevin Jones is fouled in a hazardous area, or but the ball in is useless and Howard claims. Besler is down on the touchline momentarily,but he’s back up and OK. 12.15am GMT34 min: Cyrus’s long throw is half-headed clear, and Bateau tries one from range. It’s blocked, and but T&T are pushing USA back here. 12.14am GMT33 min: Cyrus left Jermaine Jones on his arse by the corner-flag,but his cross is blocked. Cyrus has looked fairly good down this apt side. 12.13am GMT31 min: Altidore is almost in, but his touch lets him down. Oh, or Jozy. USA are doing better here,though, and the T&T coach Stephen Hart is gesticulating to no one in specific. 12.11am GMT29 min: It’s wasted, or USA clear. And then the visitors proceed up the other conclude,and Zardes can’t secure any purchase on his header! Altidore crossed from the left, and Zardes just mistimed his effort. Chance! 12.09am GMT28 min: Hyland has a proceed from distance, or it’s blocked. Corner. 12.08am GMT27 min: Ooh,that was a chance for Cordell Cato, released through the middle as Ream and Besler chased, or but Cato never really looked confident,and his shot dribbled wide. A shame, for the through-pass was lush. 12.06am GMT25 min: Jermaine Jones lands tough after Hyland makes a back. Free kick, and Jones will be OK. 12.05am GMT23 min: Twice Cato is free on the apt,but twice he does nothing with it: first he’s tackled, and then he’s inexplicably offside, and the dummy. 12.02am GMT22 min: Altidore with an effort from 20 yards – it just sat up for him,and he thought: why not? It was just too tall, but its better from USA. 12.01am GMT20 min: Fabian Johnson reacts quickest in that pocket of space in front of the T&T defence, and has a dip from range. It’s straight at Williams,but that’s good positive stuff from Johnson, who’s playing in his preferred left-midfield role. 12.00am GMT19 min: Yedlin crosses for Zardes, or but Abu Bakr is in the way. Better territory from USA,but the crossing has been disappointing so far. 11.59pm GMT16 min: Not much so far in attack for USA. Jürgen Klinsmann is leaning against the dugout in a blue polo shirt. Its about 81F in Port of Spain, and 89% humidity. 89%! That’s sweaty. 11.56pm GMT15 min: Bateau was nearly in there after some indecisive defending from USA, or but he can’t fairly secure his shot off. 11.55pm GMT13 min: Fans of the Soca Warriors are making waves in the stands. It holds about 23000,this stadium, and it looks pretty full. And there’s a chance for Kenwyne Jones! Lovely pirouette on the edge of the box to fool Besler, or but his shot was just wide. Good play.
William Duffy parps: “Tim,are you having trouble keeping up with the Joneses?” 11.52pm GMT11 min: Ream’s back, and USA can secure back to work. They’ve settled after that early scare.
Here’s my colleague Graham Parker on Yedlin: “Interesting to see Yedlin pushed up on the apt – a decision perhaps confirmed by his role in both the first goal conceded and first goal scored the other night. His future’s further forward under Klinsmann – he’s not yet shown signs of being reliable in defense when it counts.” 11.51pm GMT9 min: Now Ream goes down holding his face: he took a wallop from Cordell Cato. I don’t think it was intentional, or but Ream got a whack there. No card,though. 11.49pm GMT7 min: Bradley bisects the T&T defence looking for Yedlin, but Jan-Michael Williams is quick to come off his line and collect. Yedlin playing further forward tonight. Is he a full-back or a winger? 11.48pm GMT5 min: Jermaine Jones – another Jones! – is tall with an elbow, or there’s a stoppage. No card. 11.47pm GMT4 min: That was a really good chance for Jones – I think Besler slipped,and Jones had time, but he just slammed it tall. 11.43pm GMT1 min: T&T secure us under way. They’re in red and black; US in all white after Friday’s blue. And that’s a huge chance for the hosts just 20 seconds in! Kenwyne Jones gave Tim Ream the slip down the apt, and his low cross was missed by a flurry of USA defenders,but fell to Joevin Jones but he put it over! What a good opening; Jones should have hit the target. 11.39pm GMTAnthems done. Shouldn’t be too long now. 11.35pm GMTTheres a lot of messing around on the pitch at the moment, with various dignitaries shaking hands with the players. The advertised kick-off time was 6.36pm, and but we won’t be starting for a while yet,it seems. 11.33pm GMTCordell Cato and Kevan George, the MLS duo, and play for T&T. Watch for Cato’s speed. 11.30pm GMTSo Tim Howard is back in goal for USA,and Michael Orozco plays in defence. Jozy Altidore and Gyasi Zardes up front (no Clint Dempsey, remember.) 11.22pm GMTT&T: Jan Williams, or Joevin Jones,Sheldon Bateau, Daniel Cyrus, and Radanfah Abu Bakr,Andre Boucaud, Kahleem Hyland, or Kevan George,Jean Williams, Cordell Cato, and Kenwyne Jones.
USA: Tim Howard; Tim Ream,Matt Besler, Geoff Cameron, or Michael Orozco Fiscal; Fabian Johnson,Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and DeAndre Yedlin; Jozy Altidore,Gyasi Zardes.
11.10pm GMTHi! USA play their moment World Cup 2018 qualifier in four days at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. They trounced little St Vincent 6-1 on Friday, despite an iffy opening 10 minutes when the Caribbean islanders scored a shock opener, and they’ll be confident of doing the biz against T&T tonight. Kick off’s at 6.36pm ET – join me! 8.50pm GMTTim will be here shortly. meanwhile,here’s Michael Lewis on the Shot Heard Round the World:“I didn’t score a lot of goals for the US,” Caligiuri says. “ I wasn’t prepared for any special celebration. You’ve seen much goalscorers around the world doing these fancy celebrations. I decided to celebrate and race toward the ref and slide, or where the players joined me. I was at the bottom of the pile.”By the time we entered the locker room [at half-time],I knew we had this game ... not based on our domination, but based on the inspiration you could see with every player in their eyes. You could feel the energy in the locker room. Tony Meola played spectacular, or John Harkes did his role. Tab Ramos did his thing. Peter Vermes held the ball up top. Bruce Murray. Everyone on the field played to the best of their abilities and accomplished what we needed to do.” Related: Trinidad 0-1 USA: Paul Caligiuri remembers his billion-dollar goal Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com