Vincy Heat off to good CNL start again

For the third occasion in the four instalments of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL), St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Senior Men’s Football team, Vincy Heat, is undefeated after the first window of matches.

Facing Bonaire on Thursday, September 5,2024 Vincy Heat drew 1-1 with the host. Bonaire took the lead in the 36th minute via a Quincy Hoeve’s header. That lead lasted three minutes, as Steven Pierre pressed correctly and timely, to poke the ball in the net in the 39th minute.

St Vincent and the Grenadines returned to the Stadion Antonio Trenidat, venue on September 8, but their fortunes were better, defeating Montserrat 2-0, in what was the Vincentians’ home fixture.

Cornelius Stewart netted his 24th goal for St Vincent and the Grenadines to celebrate his 70th international cap.

Stewart scored in the 15th minute and turned provider for Diel Spring in the 88th minute.

The draw and win mirrored the team’s performance in the 2019/2020 CNL, when St Vincent and the Grenadines drew 1-1 with Nicaragua in Nicaragua, before returning home to eke out a 1-0 win over Dominica. Kendale Mercury was the chief tactician at the time. To date, the best start was the last edition of the CNL, 2023/2024, when under Theon Gordon, the Vincentian outfit defeated Belize, 2-1, and had a 4-3 win over Bermuda.

Sitting on four points, with four matches to go, Vincy Heat trails El Salvador on six points.

Vincy Heat though, meets El Salvador on October 10 and 13, both matches slated to be played at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

For recently installed head coach, Ezra Hendrickson, it will be a good home coming, but he is cognizant of the prowess of the higher ranked Salvadorians.

According to the latest FIFA Rankings, El Salvador is at position 81, while St Vincent and the Grenadines is at 174. Underscoring that it will be 11 versus 11 on those two dates, Hendrickson, at a welcoming ceremony for Vincy Heat last Monday night, September 9, at the Argyle International Airport, quipped, “We Vincy don’t back down from nobody”.

He added, “We have four to five weeks before our next game against a very formidable opponent…someone that we can’t take lightly”.

Hendrickson took the opportunity to commend his charges for the quick buy- in to his coaching styles and intensity in training.

“I coach professionally, it takes five to six weeks for a group of players to really grasp your philosophy, game model style of play….

“To be able to play in just three or four weeks is very good… I am looking forward for much more improvement.”

Last Monday’s welcoming ceremony was also addressed by President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, Otashie Spring; Minister of Sports, Dr Orando Brewster; and Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves.