Haiti U-20 soccer team loses 4-0  to Mexico in World Cup qualifiers

CAP-HAITIEN — Haiti under-20 men’s soccer team began the second and last stage of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers Sunday with a lackluster performance offensively and defensively, consequently bowing down to Mexico 4-0 at Estadio Sergio León Chávez in Irapuato, a central city in Mexico.

Yael Padilla, Heriberto Jurado, Xavier Vásquez and Amaury Rosas were on target for the Mexicans, the favorites to win the Concacaf U-20 Championship. This tournament also serves as FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifiers.

Haiti traveled to Mexico for the qualifiers with a major disadvantage since nine local players chosen to be on the roster could not make the trip partially due to the temporary closure of certain airlines, the Haitian Football Federation said in a note on July 3. The absence of the Haiti-based players certainly showed. The team’s top player on the roster is arguably one of them, central midfielder and captain Schneilorens Lebrun. Lebrun was one of the team’s top performers in the first phase of the qualifiers in February.

Haiti lacked fluidity, could not connect their passes, and the players seemed unmotivated. Perhaps, Lebrun’s crisp passes in the midfield could have helped the team gel together, and his leadership might have spurred the players, some observers said.

Defensive blows

Les Grenadiers’ most noticeable weakness in the night to forget at Estadio Sergio León Chávez was their defense. Defenders were often caught ball-watching on diagonal passes, consequently allowing their opponents to get ahead of them. In fact, the first two goals conceded were because the defenders were watching the ball instead of sticking to the attackers.

In the first goal, right-back Mendell François was out of position, so midfielder Belmar Joseph Jr. had to cover for him. However, Joseph failed to stay behind the attacker, Francisco Méndez. An unmarked Méndez comfortably dribbled down the flank before delivering a cross, which Padilla buried home in the 11th minute.

The defenders seemed to lack motivation and aggression, as they failed to intercept multiple passes that were just inches away from them. Perhaps, that was due to fatigue, which highlights another of the team’s weaknesses on Sunday: conditioning.

Indeed, in the last goal, five Mexican players were bolting toward Haiti’s net while the Haitian midfielders struggled to get back on defense. As a result, it was a 5v4 opportunity for Mexico, which they fully took advantage of by scoring a fourth goal in the 96th minute.

Another absent local player is center-back Colo Myson. Myson, who recently won the Haitian League with Real Hope Football Academy, was unarguably one of the best defenders of the season. His focus and aggressiveness could have boosted Haiti’s defense; however, he lacks experience on the international stage since he has yet to represent Haiti.

Offensive struggles

In the offensive end, Haitian players often turned the ball over as they often attempted to make passes to one another in situations where there was no passing lane, with a Mexican player pressing up close. They would also keep dribbling in unnecessary situations. As a result, they were often tackled by the opposition, preventing any serious offensive build up for the Haitian team.

The team’s star forward, Inter Miami CF II striker Bryan Destin, had one of his worst performances for Haiti. Destin fired one shot that went well over the net from outside the box in the first half, summarizing his night. The 18-year-old was substituted in the 87th minute.

Destin was Haiti’s top scorer in the first phase of the qualifiers in February, netting four goals in three games.

Head coach Angelo Jean-Baptiste attempted to reshape the team by making a 46th-minute substitution, but that led to no improvements in the team’s performance. Under his leadership, the players looked disoriented and uninspired. Haiti’s team started this series of games drastically different from its performance during the first phase of the competition.

However, Haiti was playing against the heavy favorites of the tournament at their home turf, which could have probably explained their counter-perfomance. Additionally, Estadio Sergio León Chávez is not well maintained. The quality of the pitch could have also impacted the Haitian players’ performance.

After the first round of games, Haiti is placed at the bottom of  Group C. Les Grenadiers will continue their quest to qualify for the World Cup against Panama on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET. The team will then face Guatemala on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The four teams to reach the semi-finals will qualify for the World Cup.

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