SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia, CMC – T&T’s youthful senior football team went down 3-0 to Bolivia on Sunday in an international friendly match at the Ramon Tahuichi Aguilera Stadium in Santa Cruz.
Despite the scoreline, coach Derek King’s men would have earned plenty in terms of experience, with more than half the squad being exposed to international competition for the first time.
Goalkeeper Jabari Brice was at his absolute best from the start, as the Bolivians, deep in preparation for their World Cup qualifying campaign, attacked the T&T goal relentlessly.
The youthful T&T team played with a high backline against the quick, short-passing Bolivian game, and nearly got caught out in the 10th minute.
Fernando Nava broke the offside trap from a through-ball that left him alone against Brice. But before he could pull the trigger, defender Jesse Williams launched a desperate tackle that saw him get all ball to foil the attack.
Nava, operating down the left flank, later delivered a pinpoint cross into the T&T penalty area for Luis Haquin to connect with a one-time attempt in the 18th minute, but Brice somehow fisted it wide.
However, T&T could do nothing when Nava turned up unmarked on the left flank in the 23rd minute. This time, when he crossed for Haquin to head goalwards, Alvin Jones accidentally turned the ball into his own net as he tried to clear.
King’s young team understandably struggled to find its confidence as it battled the high-altitude conditions and the first-time international exposure.
The home team went two goals up in the 38th minute. An unmarked Tonino Melgar released Moises Villarroel inside the box, and with a fluent movement, he set up Juan Sinforiano Godoy Vinales, who bundled the ball across the line.
The home side picked up where they left off in the second half. From another neat build-up around the T&T goal area, Godoy Vinales was set free inside the box and delivered a cross for Nava to tap into an empty net in the 52nd minute to seal the 3-0 lead and ultimate win.
Bolivia will enter the upcoming Inter-Confederation 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs as a more confident bunch. The Bolivians will face Suriname in Path B, and if successful, will meet Iraq for a place at this year’s FIFA World Cup.
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