HAITIAN NATIONAL TEAM IN GOLD CUP 2000 & 2002
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Haiti national team at the Orange Bowl in Miami for the opening of the Gold Cup 2000, on February 12th, 2000.
French Technical Coach, Bernard Souilliez advising a Haitian player, meanwhile Haitian head Coach, Emanuel Sanon and assistant, Nono Jean-Baptiste mobilize the players for up coming actions.
Soccer fans: Haitians and Jamaicans fans of the two sisters island nations of the Caribbean, came in large numbers with their national flags at the Gold Cup 2000. It is estimated that over 20 thousands Haitian fans attended the game some comimg from: Haiti, France, Bahamas, Louisiana, Canada, New York, Boston, California, etc...
Haitian fans dressed for the Gold Cup 2000 soccer carnival celebration.
Haitian fans happily and proudly displaying their national multicolors flag.
Singing of Haitian national anthem by loyal Haitian citizens.
Haitian player, Sebastien Vorbe with the ball during the few occasion that he was able to keep the ball in his posession for any lenght of time without being put down by coordinated effort of usually two US defenders.
The USA national team constantly on the attack and easily penetrating the Haitian poorly guarded portion of the soccer field, where the Haitian players seems to have entranched themselves for most of the game without mounting any serious offensive against the US soccer team, when everyone knew they could, if they tried better.
Saturday, 2/12/2000,Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami, Florida: Haiti -VS- U.S.A. (Score: 0-3)
Continuing US penetration of the Haitian defense, which it defeated easily by a score of 3-0, due apparently to a lack of coordinated efforts by the Haitian players and determination to mount any serious attack or resist outright domination by the US team on the soccer field.
Monday 2/14/2000: Haiti National Team -VS- Peru:(Score 1-1) Haitian goal scored by #7, Sebastien Vorbe. The Haitian national teams played an a dynamite game where Haitians acrobatic ability were showcased by almost all the Haitian players, specially the Haitian Goal keeper. Almost everyone expected a win by the Haitian team until an error by defending player, #18 Dartiguenave who almost had an auto goal with an unexpected back heel pass, which forced the Haitian goal keeper, Geteau Ferdinand to use a superhuman effort to barely push the ball out of bounce for a subsequent corner kick which help the Peruvian team score the equalizing goal. A win that Haiti definitely had in the bag.
Lead Haitian attacker and scorer in Gold Cup 2000, #7 Sebastien Vorbe, scored the only goal for Haiti. The destiny of Haiti to continue in the Gold Cup will depend on
the outcome of the game between the USA team and Peru on 2/16/2000.
Unfortunately the US team beats the Peruvian team by only 1 goal, rather than the 4 goals to nothing that would have made the difference and help Haiti advanced in the
next phase of the Gold Cup competition. Unlike the Caribean Cup where Haiti merely qualified for the Gold Cup due to a difference of goal, this time there was not such luck, while in many's opinion, the Haitian team could have pulled its own
weight and carry itself much further had it taken its destiny in its own hand much earlier, had it played just a little better in its first game against team USA. Better luck and more discipline and consitent competition
for team Haiti next time, since the God given talent is there, it simply must be managed a little better. A great effort that must be acknowledged and encouraged to assure better result next time in international competition of this
magnitude.
Gold cup tap tap with flags of paticipating countries on top. Final 2/27/200: Columbia -VS- Canada (Score 0-2). Canada is (CONCACAF) Gold Cup 2000 Champ ion.
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HAITIAN NATIONAL TEAM IN GOLD CUP 2002
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Mostly Haitian and Costarican fans at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami during Gold Cup quaterfinal on Saturday, January 26th, 2002
Haiti national team during Gold Cup 2002 at the Orange Bowl on January 26th. Haiti's Gold Cup 2002 team line up: #1 Geteau Ferdinand, #3 Frantz Gilles, #5 Jean Jacques Pierre, #6 Gilbert Jean Baptiste, #10 Johnny Descolines, #12 Golman Pierre, #14 Wilfrid Montilas, #19 Charles Alerte Jnr, #20 Roosevelt Desir, #21 Pierre Roland Saint Jean, #31 Piere Richard Bruny.---Substitutes: #4 Jean-Muller Altidor, #8 Rene' Monpremier, #9 Patrick Tardieu, #15 Luckenson Chery, #17 David Saincus, #22 Ernst Atis, #29 Dieudonne' Morency.--- Head Coach: Jorge Castelli.
Friday, january 18th,2002: Haiti V.s. defending Champion Canada: Score 0-2. A game that Haiti could have won, if only they had the right line up in the offense.
Sunday, January 20th, 2002: Haiti V.S. Ecuador: Score 2-0 (One Ecuadorian autogoal at the 7 minutes mark of the first half and the other by the new Haitian sensation, 19 years old, Charles Alerte Jr. originally from the town of Jean Rabel, in the Nort h West Department of Haiti and currently playing for Aigle Noir). A game that Haiti won fair and square with an effective offensive line up made up of #19 Charles Alerte, #11 Golman Pierre (#1 Haitian national goal scorer for 2001, currently playing for the team FICA, club FICA du Cap Haitien, in the Nothern department of Haiti) and # 10 Johny Descollines. Not to underestimate the superb work of the defense under the leadership of the strong able and visionary new team captain #6 Gilbert Jean Baptiste. A more respectable and improved performance by Goal keeper Geteau ferdinand and an over all unified team effort under the leadership of knowledgeable Argentini an (Haitian national) coach, Jorge Gastelli.
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2002: Canada V.S. Ecuador: Score 0-2. The surprise win of Ecuador, which scored 2 goals against Canada in the virtually remaining few minutes of the second half, caused a tie for all three teams in group D (Canada, Haiti, Ecuado r which has now all win by 2 goals and lost by 2 goals), forcing Concacaf to enforce its tie-breaker protocol, where by a blind draw (tirage au sort) only 2 winners could come out. Luck first shined on Canada, whose name came out first and Haiti got luck y as well and finish second in the blind draw, to qualify for the quater-final on Saturday in a game against either CostaRica or Martinique(which defeated Trinidad by a score of 1-0). Costarica had already qualified by defeating Martinique 2-0 on the 18t h of January and played a tie 1-1 against Trinidad on Sunday, January 20th, 2002.
QUATER-FINAL: Saturday, January 26th, 2002: Haiti V.S. Costarica
The game started at 3pm under a clear blue sky and sunny Miami cool-warm tropical temperature, typical for a month of January in South Florida near the Carribean warm weather. The Haitian crowd was still making its way into the stadium in large number s, when Costorica scored its first goal after only two minutes of play. It was a long shot from Walter Centeno, that most expected the Haitian goal keeper to catch. Although some wish to excuse his vision, which may have been temporary blinded by the bri ght sun he was facing, the fact of the matter is clear, the ball went thru his left then right hands, while he tried to catch it ackwardly, he could have easily tapped it away with proper timing, instead he let it go. Right after the goal, the Haitian keeper quickly found a black cap, to signal to everyone that he would no longer be temporarily blinded by the sun again in case there would be similar long shot on goal again. In the opinion of most of the fans, this reacti on of wearing the cap to block the sun, was after thought and seems to signal an excuse for his lack of foresight and mistake.
The game progress as the stadium North side was filling up with Haitians, who had joined late the Costarican fans colorfully dressed in red, white and blue. The Haitians displayed their small flags, while the Costaricans displayed their giant flags. The Haitian s outnumbered the Costarican by a large ratio, as one could hear them warming up the team with chants. It was at the 17 minutes mark of the second half, after a free throw from # 20 Desir to #19 Charles Alerte, who passed the ball back to #20 Roosevelt Desir, who made a beautiful mid air center pass to Golman Pierre in the penality square area, who connected with precision his head to the ball, while he was in a midair horizontal acrobatic flight (he flew and curved his body like a bird around a Costarican defender to execute the header before landing flat on his back). During his microsecond flight, he directed the ball to the left post inside the net guarded by the so far impecable Costarican goal keeper. Another historical goal by the Haitian team during goal Cup 2002. The whole stadium was vibrating with Haitian sounds of joy.
Unfortunately moments later #19 Charles Alerte was injured while he was executing some of his most brilliant plays (he was nailed by a foot stopper (mayismoulin in creole) by the most lethal of the Costarican defensive player, small and agile #5 Gilberto Martinez). Charles Alerte was trying to turn around to make a midair pass to a team mate after a free throw from the infatigable #20 Roosevelt Desir of FICA of Cap Haitien) and was replaced at the 30th minutes of the second half by #9 Patrick Tardieu, who could not keep up the same speed and accuracy of performace that Alerte had delivered before him.
The dynamic and momentum of the game changed thereafter,for the remaining 15 minutes of the second half, with no further score. However it was apparent that Costarica was taking advantage of the void created in the Haitian offense with the force departure (due to foot injury) of the new Haitian soccer sensation of Jean Rabel, Charles Alerte Jr. and Costarica was getting bolder with attack by #20 William Sunsing, #17 Hernan Medford, #9 Paulo Cesar Wanchope, #11 Ronald Gomez and even #15 Harold Wallace.
Haitian team on the attack with star attackers Golman Pierre, Johny Descolines and company
On a score of 1-1, the game went into over time for sudden death, where the first team to score the gold goal would win the match. To everyone surprise, the Haitian team (offense and defense) kept the ball on the left side of the field, at the four minutes mark they passing the ball to one another while or before crossing into the Costarican terrain. Most Haitians in the stand familiar with soccer, knew this was bad news, the game strategy, tactic and momentum had changed for some reason.
As one was questionning such behavior, the Costaricans came down attacking with a pass near the Haitian terrain midfield from Gomez to their best foward attacking player, #9 Paulo Cesar Wanchope, who got trapped between two then three Haitian defensive players (a few feet away from the trio was defensive player #4, Jean-Muller Altidor who was used in lieu of 19 years old Luckenson Chery, who disappeared without a trace during visit with team mates in Miami. Luckenson Chery was scheduled to replace #3 Frantz Gilles, who was red carded during the game when Haiti defeated Equador 2-0. Most wondered If Altidor was up to the task of playing the position of left defense, base on his poor performance of not knowing where to stand.). One defensive player forced Wanchope to turn around with the ball, and no one is sure if that defensive player kicked the ball from Wanchope foot of if Wanchope voluntarily pass the ball to Gomez, who was standing all alone a few feet behind watching the play, while at the same time #4 Altidor could have covered Gomez rather than standing alone. Gomez dribble one defensive player with his right foot, switch the ball to his left foot and then let loose his powerful canon ball.
The ball went in like lightning had stroke into the net in slow motion. Geteau Ferdinand was badly positioned and never read into the pass from Wanchope to # 11 Ronald Gomez. It seems like the Haitian goal keeper, #1 Geteau Ferdinand never saw the ball coming into the net. An electrifying sudden death Gold Goal that sent shock waves of disbelief to the eyes and hearts of Haitian fans and sound waves of delight to the Costarican fans. You can immagine that if the result was the other way around, Carnival/Mardigras celebration which is due in the first week of February in Haiti, could have started early in Little Haiti, and could have an impact on Carnival in Haiti, unfortunately that is not the case. Costarica advanced to the Semifinal in Los Angeles by a score of 2 to 1.
Haitian defense guarding Costorica #9 Wanchope, during a free kick by Costarican veteran star player #17 Hernan Medford..
According to the Spanish station, Radio Unica: Haiti played a more improved game than Costarica, so did Spanish Television comentary on Univision who claimed that Haiti deserved more to win the game for valiant efforts and superb play comparing to Costarica, but lacked in the determination to win the game. However, since the aim of the game is to play and score. Costarica saved itself the embarassment recently suffered by Ecuador and quickly disposed of Haiti in over time after six minutes of fast action play.
It was a courageous and brilliant effort over all by the Haitian national team under the direction of a courageous Argentinian coach, Professor Jorge Castelli. This result belongs now in the soccer History book for the Gold Cup of 2002. Haiti 1 - Costarica 2.
The games of the Gold Cup 2002 will continue at the Rose Bowl of Pasadena in California, where we will find out which of the two teams that have defeated Haiti, would be the Champion (Canada or Costarica?) or would it be the surprise guest from Asisa (Korea? which soundly defeated Mexico on Sunday January 27th in Los Angeles after 120 minutes of soccer during penality kicks 4-2) or the USA which has just overwhelmed and defeated Salvador by a score 4 to nothing.
Semifinal Wed. Jan 30th at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California: Korea v.s. Costarica - Score:1-3 (Paulo Cesar Wanchope scored 2 goals and Ronald Gomez scored 1 goal to secure Costarica place in the Final with another CONCACAF team.)
Semifinal Wed. Jan 30th in Pasadena: Canada v.s. USA - Score: 0-0. After 120 minutes of play, the winner was decided via penalty, where USA defeated Canada 4-2. USA will face Costarica in the Final of the Gold Cup
Third place Sat. Feb 2nd in Pasadena: Korea v.s. Canada - Score: 1-2. Canada won 3rd place.
Final Gold Cup, Saturday, February 2nd in Pasadena: Costarica v.s. USA - Score: 0-2. Costarica won 2nd place and USA WON 1ST PLACE AND IS THE CHAMPION OF GOLD CUP 2002.
Note: Written text and all pictures were taken and provided by Noe Dorestant as a token of his civic contribution to help promote Haitian soccer on the World Wide Web. All rights reserved 2000, 2002.
HAITIAN WOMEN NATIONAL TEAM CHAMPION OF CONCACAF 2000 in Action(2001,2002)
(Click for Gold Cup schedule) WORLD SOCCER CONFEDERATION
F.I.F.A. World Cup/ Federation Internationale de Football
SCORE RECORD OF HAITIAN NATIONAL TEAM (World Football Elo Ratings)
HAITI CHAMPION OF CONCACAF 1957
HAITI CHAMPION OF CONCACAF 1973
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Haitian perspective