T&T star striker and former Sunderland midfielder Dwight Yorke has re-entered the football fray in an attempt to help the Trinidad and Tobago team qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The midfielder has been added to the T&T squad for the upcoming qualifier with Cuba next month. The 36 year old Yorke met recently with T&T Football Federation and FIFA vice president Jack Warner to offer his services who was only too happy to oblige.

Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner is back with the Bolton Wanderers for another three years. This according to official reports from the club’s website at www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk
. The full back/midfielder who had accepted the extension in principle earlier this summer, finally put pen to paper and inked the extension. Described by former manager Sam Allardyce as his best signing, Gardner has captained the Bolton team on numerous occasions and despite niggling knee and rib injuries, is still thought of as one of the Wanderers key players. Gardner has been playing with the team since 1998.

Group A
Cuba
Guatemala
Trinidad & Tobago
USA

Group B
Canada
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico

Group C
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Haiti
Surinam

Rnd 2 Netherlands Antilles - Haiti 0:1
Rnd 2 El Salvador - Panama 3:1
Rnd 2 Guyana - Surinam 1:2
Rnd 2 Bermuda - Trinidad & Tobago 0:2
Rnd 2 Barbados - USA 0:1
Rnd 2 Canada - St. Vincent & The Grenadines 4:1

Their last hope of qualifying were dashed yesterday in Puebla, Mexico when the Jamaicans went down 3-1 to Canada in their Under 20 World Cup qualifier. The girls needed the win in order to have a chance of advancing and seemed to have dug deep but not deep enough to get over a strong Canadian offense.

With just 12 minutes on the clock Monica Lam-Fiest gave the Canadians the advantage. Shakira Duncan leveled the score in the 27th but the Canadians would have none of it as they retook the lead in the 42nd through Chelsea Stewart. The Jamaicans tried to pull level only to have the effort ruled offside. The crippling blow came from Stewart again in the 76th who tapped passed McClur to make it 3-1.
Xavier Gilbert, coach of the Reggae Girlz said, “I think the girls played really well, putting Canada on the back foot on a number of occasions. We pressed and got a number of chances and of course the conditions took its toll today on both teams. We were tired and they were gasping. I think they are fitter than us and they made some adjustments to their game, bringing in three of their senior players that went to Australia and that was a boost for them.”

Close though the score may be, Cuba is still 3 points the richer after a win over Antigua in St. Johns on June 17. The hosts seemed intent on upsetting the apple cart with two strikes from Kerry Skepple but Jaine Valencia and Yoel Colome would have none of it, and drew the visitors level before the half. Valencia produced another beauty and Leonal Pla added a fourth before Tyio Simon got a consolation goal for the home side. At the end of the day the score was Cuba 4, Antigua and Barbuda 3. The second leg is to be played on Sunday in Cuba.

It was a mirror performance of the first leg it seemed. Jamaica punished the lack of will on the part of the Bahamians who looked as if they hadn’t come to play football at all. When the dust settled, the Jamaicans were 6-0 ahead, winning 13-0 on aggregate. Luton Shelton took the opportunity to score his hat-trick. Also on the score cards were Deon Burton, and Tyrone Marshall.

An early strike by Shakira Duncan was not enough as the Reggae Girlz squandered an early lead to go down 3-1 to Costa Rica in a CONCACAF Group B U-20 Women’s qualifying game played at the Cuauthemoc Stadium. The Jamaicans started well with a goal in the 11th minute but the Costa Ricans struck back through Racquel Rodriquz in the 42nd to level the score. Not long after, Katherine Alvarado put Costa Rica in front with a shot from inside the box. The Costa Ricans sealed the deal in the 82nd with Rodriguez beating the offside trap to score. Costa Rica shares the lead of the group with Canada on three points, Nicaragua and Jamaica share the bottom with 0.

All the excuses in the world by Rene Simoes could not negate the result. Grenada’s Spice Boys stepped up to the plate and delivered a sterling performance to shock the Reggae Boyz with a 2-1 win. Grenada which is ranked 143rd was behind early when Ricardo Fuller struck in the 18th minute for the Jamaicans, but a feisty second half by the Spice Boys saw Sharlie Joseph and Jason Roberts finding the back of the net.

“It was a tough loss for us and nobody likes to lose, but we have to use what we have learned and be motivated..” said Rene Simoes Technical Director for the Jamaican program

With strikes in each half from Omar Shakir and Damon Ming, Bermuda overcame a more highly ranked Barbados squad in a soccer friendly at their National Sports Center. Barbados was able to pull one back from their captain Norman Forde. The teams were using the match as a warm up to a very tough CONCACAF qualifying round later this month. Barbados is ranked 121st in the world and Bermuda is ranked 139th.