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Antagonising defeat for Men’s Hockey team at CAC Games
…Coach Robert Fernandes disappointed at defeat against Dominican Republic
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s men’s hockey team now faces an uphill battle, requiring a herculean effort or even a miracle to advance to the semi-finals of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games following their surprising 2-3 defeat against the Dominican Republic.
At the 2018 CAC Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, Guyana had a triumphant 3-1 victory over the Dominican Republic, displaying an exceptional performance that propelled them to the semi-finals.
However, at the 2023 games, Coach Robert Fernandes observed an improvement in the Dominican Republic’s game and acknowledged the need for adjustments on Guyana’s part, as he mentioned in an interview with Kaieteur News.
Both teams commenced the tournament with losses, as Guyana fell 1-4 to Trinidad and Tobago, while the Dominican Republic faced a similar defeat against defending champions Cuba.
Part of the action between Guyana and the Dominican Republic at the CAC Men’s Hockey Championship.
Given Cuba’s 6-3 win against Trinidad and Tobago, the game against the Dominican Republic became crucial for Guyana’s chances of progressing to the medal rounds.
The first half ended without any goals from either side. However, at the start of the second quarter, Captain Robert France scored from an open play, granting Guyana the advantage.
The Dominican Republic swiftly responded with a goal from Argeny Cabrera four minutes later, followed by a penalty corner goal from Jamraj Assnah, putting Guyana back in the lead.
Not to be outdone, the Dominican Republic equalised just two minutes later, thanks to Luis Mora.
With the exciting second period ending at 2-2, the two teams continued their intense battle in the third quarter, with Jose Lopez slipping through the Guyanese defence to put the Dominican Republic ahead in the 33rd minute.
Jose Lopez celebrating what would be the winning goal for the Dominican Republic against Guyana at the CAC Games Men’s Hockey championship.
Trailing 2-3, Guyana launched an offensive in the fourth period, and Shequan Favorite came close to scoring, only to be denied by a save from Wander Rodriguez. “That was a tough loss to swallow,” expressed Fernandes in an interview with Kaieteur News.
“We were the better team. We had the lead twice and should have secured the victory early on. Instead, we allowed them to stay in the game, and their confidence grew.”
Fernandes noted that his team struggled to handle the long balls played by the Dominican Republic in the second half and lacked composure towards the end, despite two Dominican Republic players receiving yellow cards in the final five minutes.
He considered the loss as a valuable lesson for his mostly young team, emphasising the need to remain focused on the upcoming match against pool leaders Cuba. “We are all deeply disappointed, but we must learn from these experiences and continue to grow,” Fernandes added.
Guyana’s final game is scheduled for Sunday against Cuba at 4:00 pm.
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