MANAMA, 17 November 2005 — Tiny Trinidad & Tobago last night qualified for their first World Cup finals after stunning Bahrain 1-0 in an Asian and North Central American and Caribbean return leg playoff match played here.
The Bahrainis, who only needed a scoreless draw to advance, had their hopes dashed when Wrexham’s defender Dennis Lawrence scored the only goal of the match with a powerful header four minutes into the second half.
Bahraini fans were so disappointed with the result. Some of them tried to storm the pitch seconds before the game ended and police had to intervene to restore order.
Lawrence’s goal after a corner in the 49th minute gave Trinidad, a small Carribbean country with a population of one million, a 2-1 aggregate win and a place in the finals in Germany.
The game ended dramatically when Bahrain striker Ahmed Hassan had the ball in the back of the net four minutes into injury time after dispossessing goalkeeper Kelvin Jack as he was about to kick the ball upfield.
To the dismay of the capacity crowd and the Bahraini players referee Julian Oscar Ruiz Acosta ruled that Hassan had committed an infringement in taking the ball from Jack and awarded a freekick for the visitors.
In the ensuing melee Hussain Ali Baba was sent off. Bahrain then had another opportunity to take the game into extra time, but Jack denied them with a spectacular save to send coach Leo Beenhakker’s team through to their first finals.
But while the Caribbean players started dancing on the field, many of the Bahraini players broke down and cried with the final whistle and had to be escorted off the pitch.
Earlier on Wednesday Australia beat Uruguay 1-0 in Sydney and then went on to win the resultant penalty shootout to book their place in Germany.
In Doha, Argentina scored three goals in four minutes midway through the second half to beat Qatar 3-0 in a friendly international yesterday. The former world champions dominated possession but it took until the 70th minute for midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme to put them ahead. Substitute Julio Cruz doubled the lead a minute later and Roberto Ayala added a third.
For Argentina coach Jose Peckerman it was the ideal response to the 3-2 defeat by England in Geneva on Saturday, although he said he was impressed with the Quatari players.
“I am surprised by Qatar’s display,” he said. “Their defenders played well. It was attractive football in the first half.” Pekerman brought in Daniel Bilos and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi to the starting line-up, and both posed a constant threat in the first half as Qatar’s defense, marshalled by center backs Bilal Mohammed and Abdulla Kooni, held firm.
However, it was the introduction of Inter Milan striker Cruz, Real Zaragoza defender Gabriel Milito and Carlos Tevez in the second half that proved decisive.
Riquelme, who impressed against England, fired the first salvo before Cruz and Ayala knocked the stuffing out of the side who were eliminated in the first round of the Asian World Cup Qualifying campaign. — Additional input from agencies
