Although this country’s girls had walked away champions in five of the six editions of the bi-annual tournament, their demise was not surprising as they had also lost their previous encounter against Guadeloupe in the one-week competition.

And T&T went into the title match with the added disadvantage of being without the services of vice-captain, Delicia Pierre, who was injured in their straight-set semi-final triumph over Bahamas the night before.

The hosts defeated T&T 25-22, 25-22, 25-19 to end the tournament unbeaten from six matches, while Bahamas battled back from two sets down to edge Martinique 22-25, 19-25, 25-15, 28-26, 15-12 for the bronze medal.

Playing in the tournament for the very first time, French Guiana defeated Martinique 20-25, 34-32, 25-14, 20-25, 15-10 for the boys’ under-20 crown.

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Playing in its second consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup, Guadeloupe is out to prove the last time was no fluke.

That its semifinal finish at the 2007 edition was merely a warning shot. That the Gwada Boys mean business.

So far, so good.

Stephane Auvray and Ludovic Gotin scored a minute apart in the second half off assists by Aurelien Capoue, and Guadeloupe shut out Nicaragua 2-0 on Thursday night at Reliant Stadium to remain perfect and advance to the next round with a match to go in group play.

Mexico faced Panama in the nightcap of the Group C doubleheader, which drew a green and decidedly pro-Mexico crowd of more than 40,000.

“Our objective coming into this tournament was to at least, at the very minimum, reach the semifinal stage,” Gwada Boys coach Roger Salnot said. “In 2007 our team surprised many; this time we are a team that can be viewed as a potential favorite to make it out of the group stage.”

Consider it done.

The victory propelled Guadeloupe (2-0, six points), a French overseas department in the Caribbean, to the quarterfinals of the biennial 12-team tournament that crowns the champion of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.

The Gwada Boys will close out group play Sunday in Glendale, Ariz., against Mexico, the team that ousted them in the semifinals of the 2007 tournament.

Because Guadeloupe is a French region, it is ineligible to compete in FIFA-sanctioned tournaments such as the World Cup, but its status does not prevent it from competing in CONCACAF as an associate member.

Nicaragua fell for the second time in Group C play but remains alive — although barely — in the quest for a quarterfinal berth. The top two teams per group and the two best third-place finishers advance.

After a fast start by Nicaragua, Guadeloupe took over and never let up. Physically imposing and technically superior, with many players plying their trade in the French league, the team controlled possession for long stretches and peppered Nicaragua’s goal often in the second half after a tepid first.

“Our objective in the first half was to not allow any goals,” Salnot said. “We knew Nicaragua needed a result, so we thought they would come out aggressive. They backed off, so we had to change our tactics for the second half.”

That meant going for the kill. Sure enough, the eventual game-winner came in the 58th minute, when Capoue found an unmarked Auvray just outside the 6-yard box for the 1-0 lead.

A minute later, Auvray doubled the score thanks to another lapse by the Nicaragua defense.

“We just made use of the space they provided,” said Capoue, who won Man of the Match honors.

Gotin nearly made it 3-0 in the 88th minute, but his shot was stuffed by Nicaragua keeper Carlos Mendieta at point-blank range just inside the penalty area.

Nicaragua’s best chance came off a counterattack in the 23rd minute, when Wilbert Sanchez’s one-touch effort from 12 yards sailed just high of the cross bar.

Late in the match, the Central Americans resorted to trying their luck from long distance, with Rudel Calero in the 80th minute and Samuel Wilson in the 87th minute blasting shots to the gloves of keeper

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Here is the lineup for the match:
Guadeloupe: 2. Meddy Lina, 4. Fabien Jerome, 5. Cedric Collet (8. Gregory Gendrey min 58), 6. Alain Vertot, 9. Loduic Gotin, 11. Michael Antoine-Curier( Gregory Gendrey min 68), 12. David, Fleurival (10. M Gomez min 73),13. J.Luc Lambourde, 15. Miguel Comminges, 16. Marius Fausta, 17. Lery Hanany

Subs: 5. Thomas Elliot, 10. Ercksen Brown, 12. Mario Dinnall, 17. Nikolai Hill

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