Concacaf Qualifying: What Have We Learned?

Group A: (El Salvador, Suriname, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands)


El Salvador came into qualifying as favourites in group A with little resistance expected from the remaining group members. They however met a bit of resistance in their opening match against the Dominican Republic. They went into halftime of the match tied 0-0 and ended with a slim 3-2 win over an opponent that was not expected to compete. Three points in this stage of qualifying is however more important than goal differential and they got the expected win. Suriname beat the Cayman Islands 1-0 in the other opening match, a scoreline that was also closer than expected. The following week the nations met again in the 2nd group matches. In another surprising performance, Dominican Republic managed to earn a point against Suriname in a 1-1 tie. El Salvador bounced back well in the other match beating the Cayman Islands by the score of 4-1.

What Have We Learned?


None of the groups four competing teams are good enough to even play spoiler in the next round. El Salvador showed that they're still inconsistant and the opening 3-2 win over Dominican Republic makes you question if they are still the force they've always been at home? Suriname, currently in 2nd place with 4 points, have scored twice from two penalties. They struggled to beat both of the group's minnows and if they manage to qualify from this group they will not earn a point in the next round. The Dominican Republic have been the most impressive of the group given previous expectations but are only one loss away from elimination. The Cayman Islands won't compete anymore than they have so far.

Group B: (Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados, Bermuda)


The opening games of this group weren't as close as the final scorelines would lead you to believe. Trinidad and Tobago took on Bermuda to open their campaign, in a rematch of a 2010 qualifier. Bermuda beat T&T in Trinidad the last time around before falling at home in the playoff and tried to duplicate the result. This time however the match was one sided but despite many opportunities, T&T couldn't find the net. In the end a 45th minute goal was all that seperated the sides, 1-0 to Trinidad and Tobago. In the other match, Guyana answered all previous questions about how evenly they would be matched with Barbados. The Guyanese won the opening contest 2-0 without any threat of losing. In the 2nd matches, T&T took on Barbados and Guyana met Bermuda. The matchups were different but the winners and margin of victory remained the same. Trinidad and Tobago beat Barbados away 2-0 while Guyana beat Bermuda at home 2-1.

What Have We Learned?


This is a two team race. Trinidad and Tobago look solid despite not playing for almost a year before the start of qualifying. They are yet to concede a goal and have won both of their matches in one sided affairs. Guyana however currently sit in 1st place thanks to their goal difference. The only goal they have conceded thus far was a 90th minute goal by Bermuda. They are stronger than expected and could provide good competition for Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados are worst than expected and in all probability will finish the group in last place after 2 lackluster performances while failing to score. Bermuda for what its worth have shown for the 2nd cycle in a row that they are not typical minnows and will give anyone a tough match...they are 1 loss away from elimination however.

Group C: (Panama, Nicaragua, Dominica)


The Bahamas withdrew before the competition started and even if they had competed they would have most likely embarrased themselves in the 6 scheduled matches. The remaining 3 teams though will battle it out for 1 spot in the next round of qualifying. In the opening match of the group, Nicaragua beat Dominica by the score of 2-0 in an away game. Four days later they faced the fancied Panamanians at home but despite playing a close game they lost 2-1.

What Have We Learned?


Losing one team has really made the group unbalanced and less interesting. The fact that 2 of the 3 remaining teams are Dominica and Nicaragua makes the group one sided as well. Panama will win the group easily, but the lack of competition may not do much to prepare them for the next round.

Group D: (Canada, St.Lucia, St.Kitts, Puerto Rico)


Canada got a very favourable draw, not just for this round but for the following one as well. They capitalized on their good fortune by winning their opening match 4-1 (after being tied 1-1 after 7 minutes) against St.Lucia. St.Kitts hosted an improved Puerto Rico in the other opener and surprisingly St.Kitts were held at home 0-0 by the baseball loving Puerto Ricans. Going into the 2nd match, Canada were already alone in 1st place and they did well to hold on to their group lead by beating Puerto Rico 3-0. In a matchup of Saints, St.Lucia hosted St.Kitts but went behind 3-0 in the first 15 minutes, eventually losing 4-2.

What Have We Learned?


Canada have had a fast start and should run away with this group before the final round of games. St.Lucia have given up 4 goals in every qualifier they've played so far including the preliminaries, they also have a knack for giving up early goals. They will always be involved in exciting matches, but unfortunately for them they will lose most of them. St.Kitts did themselves no favours tying Puerto Rico early on. They will be playing catch up to Canada the whole way and any other dropped points will seal the group. Puerto Rico are on the brink of elimination but have done well for themselves to this point. They managed to go almost a game and a half without conceding a goal but they won't do much to finish above 3rd.

Group E: (Grenada, Guatemala, St.Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize)


Coming into this round, Group E was looked upon as by far the closest and the most interesting group. Who would have thought that 2 games into play we would be shocked and surprised in the most shocking way. The shock started with the very first match, when Grenada hosted Belize. Grenada has played in the last 2 Gold Cups and almost beat Costa Rica at home in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, they were also seeded for this group. So when they lost 0-3 to Belize at home to open their campaign, it was more than just a little surprising. In the other opener, Guatemala hosted St.Vincent and the Grenadines. Past their best years, St.Vincent aren't the respectable side they were in the 90's and early 2000's but they are still capable of an upset. That upset did not come in their trip to Central America though, they lost soundly 4-0 to the Guatemalans. Four days later, Belize hosted their Central American opponents, Guatemala and lost 2-1 in a closer than expected match. Almost 2 weeks later on September 18th, St.Vincent would host Grenada in their 2nd match. Both were coming off blowout losses, shameful for two of the more respected Caribbean nations. St.Vincent protected their home ground of Arnos Vale and won 2-1.

What Have We Learned?


Grenada will not qualify from this group and infact will do well to finish above the bottom of the group. They have been outplayed thoroughly and are yet to meet Guatemala. Guatemala have filled the role that Grenada left void, they have full points from their matches and should qualify for the next round as many would have expected before hand. St.Vincent and the Grenadines, while not the team they once were, may be motivated by their win over Grenada and if they can hold Guatemala to a draw in their next home game they stand a small chance. Belize, like Puerto Rico, Bermuda and the Dominican Republic have shown that they are more than just minnows. Unlike those teams however, Belize stands a real chance in this group. They finish their schedule with two games against St.Vincent and the Grenadines and still play Grenada and Guatemala once. Currently in 2nd place, they can have a nice run in the group.

Group F: (Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao, US Virgin Islands)


Group F is like no other group in this round. A clear minnow, a clear super minnow and two teams of equal strength. That means 2 things, we get a predictable and one-sided beginning to the group with a close and potentially surprising end to it. In the first game, Haiti beat the US Virgin Islands 6-0. In the other match, Antigua beat Curacao 5-2 after falling behind early. In the 2nd match, Antigua beat USVI by the score of 8-1, while Haiti beat Curacao 4-2 after falling behind twice.

What Have We Learned?


The effects of the earthquake have affected Haiti's national team performance though it hasn't shown yet in qualifying. The goal difference game has been won by Antigua so far and that may come into play later on in the group. A few years ago, Haiti would not be challenged by the likes of Antigua but since the earthquake Haiti are not what they once were. This one is too tough to call at the moment and it will come down to the final two games.

Stern John chasing 70

Name the top 10 goal scorers in International soccer history...really, think about it. Did you guess Ferenc Puskas  from Hungary? How about Pele? Did you remember Gerd Muller from the 1970's German teams? If you did you would be correct. Infact if you go a bit further than the top 10 to the top 20 names, you would find many of the expected names. Ferenc Puskas, the Hungarian legend ranks 2nd with 84 goals, Pele ranks 3rd with 77 while Sandor Kocsis from those same Hungarian teams is 4th with 75. From 6th to 15th we see these familiar names: Gerd Muller ranks 8th with 68 goals, Ronaldo is 12th with 62 while current German striker Miroslav Klose is 13th with 61. Rounding out the top 20 we have Gabriel Batistuta, the Argentinian legend at 16th with 56 goals, with Romario and Czech giant Jan Koller tied for 19th with 55 goals each. Robbie Keane of Ireland, Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast and Samuel Eto'o the Cameroonian all have a fair chance of making the top 20 before they retire.

 Aside from those big names, the top 20 international scorers include some names you would never guess. Ali Daei of Iran is the only man to ever crack the 100 goal mark...with 109 in his career for Iran, he is number 1 all time. Bashar Abdullah recently retired from international duty with Kuwait while on 75 goals, good enough for 5th all time. Then there is the man at number 6 all time, Trinidadian striker, Stern John. This may come as a shock to many given Stern's club career, but while on International duty he has been stellar. Stern John sits on 69 goals and today, at age 34 (closer to 35), after an almost 2 year absence from the game, Stern John is in the Trinidad and Tobago lineup as they face India in a friendly international (his 110th cap for his nation). If Stern manages to score in what is surely one of his last opportunities he would become only the 6th man to make it to 70 goals in his career. Hossam Hassan of Egypt, Majed Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Kiatisuk Senamuang of Thailand are the remaining surprise names on the top 10, but those 3 as well as Bashar Abdullah (ranked 5th all time) have made the list with a strike rate less impressive than Stern John. Furthermore, Stern is the only player on the top 10 who is not retired, giving him opportunity to add to his tally. Infact, in the top 30, only Miroslav Klose (ranked 13th with 61 goals) and Robbie Keane (ranked 29th with 51 goals) remain active. Certainly Klose, as well as Drogba and Eto'o (both on 50 goals) stand a good chance of reaching 70 goals if given enough opportunity but as of today August 21st 2011, Stern John can become only the 6th man to reach that milestone.

Stern John began his international career on February 15th 1995 versus Finland. In that debut match he scored his first international goal and has not looked back since. His second international match came in November 1995 against Norway, and though he did not score, he drew a crucial penalty that was converted by Russell Latapy in a 3-2 win for Trinidad and Tobago over then 4th ranked Norway. In 1996 he got his first action versus Concacaf opponents and scored his first hatrick for Trinidad and Tobago that year in a World Cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic. By the time 1998 came around, Trinidad and Tobago weren't in the World Cup but were a team on the rise behind Stern John. He scored his first Gold Cup goals that year, notching a double against Honduras in a 3-1 win for T&T. That summer he scored 10 goals in the Caribbean Cup, including 4 against Dominica in the 1st round, 2 in the Semi Final against Haiti and 1 in the final against a Jamaican team that had recently returned from the World Cup a month before. By the end of 1998 he had scored 20 international goals in just 23 matches. 

His club form at the time matched his international prowess, with him dominating the young MLS, leading the league in scoring for the 1998 season with 26 goals for the Columbus Crew. He ended his time with the Crew after the 1999 season with 44 goals for them in 55 appearances. His 18 goals in 1999 were tied for the league lead as well. Internationally, 1999 was great for Stern John and Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago won every game they played that year until a late December loss to Honduras and a big reason for it was their star striker, Stern John. He scored 10 times in 1999 to takes his international tally to 30 goals in 30 matches! Among the highlights that year were goals that helped T&T beat their rival Jamaica twice, another that helped beat South Africa, his second international hatrick, this time against Colombia in a 4-3 win and both goals in the 2-3 loss to Honduras. With the new millenium arriving, Trinidad and Tobago had a new star that took the focus off the likes of Dwight Yorke. 

The team entered the year 2000 ranked in the high 40's and on the rise. Stern John entered the new millenium with a move from the US to England. Teams began planning for him and the year 2000 saw him scoring less with him failing to find the net in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying win over Haiti and a 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Canada. He failed to score that year and was also not present on Trinidad and Tobago's Gold Cup squad that made it to the semi-finals. In 2001 though, he played a massive 18 times for his country, scoring 9 times. That summer Trinidad and Tobago achieved their highest ever World ranking, moving up to 25th in the World. They however famously collapsed in World Cup qualifying and most of John's goals came in losing efforts as Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy retired for the first time. He played only twice for T&T in 2002 (in the Gold Cup) scoring once to bring his tally to 40 goals in 54 appearances. In his next 4 matches for country he scored 5 times, including a double versus Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago ended 2003 with a friendly loss in Morocco with Stern having scored 45 goals in 59 matches.

The cycle for the 2006 World Cup was up and down for Stern John. In 2004, Trinidad and Tobago played a lot of opponents from other confederations and Stern John scored in almost every game. His 4 goals in the 3 games against Egypt, Iraq and Scotland were the only 4 goals the Soca Warriors managed to score. Following a loss to Northern Ireland, Stern John scored 6 goals in the 7 World Cup qualifiers he would play before 2004 ended. He had now scored 55 goals in 70 games for Trinidad and Tobago. 2005 began with Stern John scoring only once in 6 games and with the nation in last place in World Cup qualifying's Hexagonal, Stern John took the blame. In a year packed with matches, Stern was ever present in the lineup, whether it was a friendly, World Cup qualifier or Gold Cup match, his scoring touch was however missing. That is until T&T met Guatemala, in early September 2005 with everything on the line. With 5 minutes left and T&T down 2-1 and needing a win not a tie, Stern John scored twice to earn all 3 points in the most crucial victory of the World Cup qualifying campaign. He would go on to score the only goal in a 1-0 win at Panama and both goals in a 2-1 win versus Mexico to end the Hexagonal with his nation in 4th position. That put the Soca Warriors in a playoff for the final World Cup spot and even though Stern John did not score. T&T prevailed and qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Stern John's 12 goals in World Cup qualifying were a big reason why and he would get to play on the biggest stage. He ended 2005 with 64 goals in 90 matches. The matches versus Sweden, England and Paraguay were matches 96, 97 and 98 of Stern's career and he just narrowly missed scoring against England when John Terry cleared a 44th minute header just off the goal line. Stern would score another double, this time against St.Vincent and the Grenadines in his 99th match to bring his goal total to 67. He got his 100th cap on the 11th of October 2006 against Panama in a 2-0 win. 

THE NUMBERS:

The black listing of players and scandal that followed the 2006 World Cup for Trinidad and Tobago may have affected Stern's eventual numbers, but we may never know for sure. He scored 67 goals before he turned 30 years of age. His final 2 goals for the Soca Warriors to this point came in a World Cup qualifying playoff against Bermuda in which T&T needed both goals badly winning the playoff 3-2. He scored 20 goals in World Cup qualifiers, 12 in the qualifiers for 2006 alone. He scored 3 times in his 7 Gold Cup appearances. and 17 times in 13 Caribbean Cup matches, 10 in 1998 alone. Trinidad won 51 and tied 16 of the 109 matches he played in to this point. He also managed to play against many teams that were not from Concacaf. Finland, Norway, South Africa, Colombia twice, Venezuela, Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Bahrain twice, Iceland, Peru, Wales, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Sweden, England twice and Paraguay. In those 22 matches he scored 12 goals, showing that he did it not only against the minnows of Concacaf. Against quality opponents from Concacaf he didn't do as well but still did well. Quality Concacaf opponents were narrowed down by me to Costa Rica, USA, Mexico, Honduras and T&T's biggest rival, Jamaica. He played 35 matches against this bunch and scored 14 times, an average of 2 goals every 5 games. Adding opponents from other confederations to quality Concacaf opponents he managed to score 26 goals in 57 matches, not a bad strike rate at all. This means he scored 43 goals in 52 matches against weak opponents regardless of match importance. Costa Rica and USA were his toughest opponents, against the two he played over 10 matches and managed to score just once, a penalty in the 2002 Gold Cup versus Costa Rica. Honduras were a shockingly good opponent for him, scoring 6 times in 5 games against them.