CAY HILL--Football lovers on St. Maarten were treated to a good dose of action as the Under-20 women’s team trounced their French St. Martin counterparts 11-0 and the senior men’s national team whipped Anguilla 5-1 at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex on Tuesday night.
The men used the match as a warm-up in preparation for their crucial CONCACAF Nations League encounters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while the young ladies competed in a friendly match in celebration of St. Martin Day.
For the men, St. Maarten showed their superiority over Anguilla with five different players finding the back of the net. Khalid Tavernier, Jeffterick Martina, Chovannie Amatkarijo, Len Bleeker and Gerwin “Smally” Lake were the goalscorers.
St. Maarten dominated the scoring and raced to a commanding 5-0 lead before Anguilla managed to pull one back from the penalty spot in the final minute of the match. The victory was a timely confidence booster for the national team, which flies out to St. Vincent today to compete in the CONCACAF Nations League.
St. Maarten are scheduled to face French Guiana on November 14 and Belize on November 17 in two crucial encounters that will determine whether the team retain their place in League B or suffer relegation to League C.
With two matches remaining, St. Maarten can no longer qualify for the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup or gain promotion to League A. However, there is still much to play for as the team fight to maintain their League B status.
St. Maarten are currently at the bottom of Group D without a point from four matches. St. Vincent and the Grenadines lead the group with 12 points, followed by French Guiana with nine and Belize with three.
For St. Maarten to avoid relegation, they will need to produce two strong performances and hope that other results go in their favour. The most favourable scenario would see St. Maarten defeat French Guiana on November 14 and Belize on November 17, while hoping that St. Vincent and the Grenadines overcome Belize on November 14.
Under this scenario, St. Maarten would finish with six points, three ahead of Belize, and secure their place in League B.
There is also another route to survival. St. Maarten could draw against French Guiana and defeat Belize to finish with four points, provided Belize lose to St. Vincent. Even a defeat against French Guiana would not automatically end St. Maarten's hopes of avoiding relegation. However, the team would then need to defeat Belize and depend on the relevant tiebreakers to determine their final position.
Technical Director Gene Suave, in an invited comment, expressed satisfaction with the opportunity for the national team to play in front of the home supporters.
“It was the first time that this group of players played at home. It was good for the boys to be home and for the Minister of Sports to be there to see the team and the benefits football could bring to the island,” Suave stated. He believes that the convincing victory over Anguilla will serve as a confidence booster ahead of the more demanding encounters in St. Vincent. “The match against Anguilla will give the guys confidence. For sure, the matches in St. Vincent will be a bigger challenge, but we know the scenarios to keep us in Group B, so we'll be playing hard to remain in that group,” Suave added.
The national team will now have to transform that confidence into results against two opponents who will present a much sterner challenge.
U20 women dominate
Meanwhile, the St. Maarten Under-20 women's team produced a brilliant display of attacking football to demolish their French St. Martin counterparts 11-0 in a friendly match held in celebration of St. Martin Day.
Liliandri Genaro was the star of the encounter, hammering home six goals in a dominant individual performance. Elizabeth Anthony was also in prolific scoring form, hitting the back of the net three times, while Kimora Clark completed the scoring with two goals.
The Dutch-side girls demonstrated proficient skills on the ball and very good awareness of the game as they dominated their French-side counterparts. Their ability to control possession, create scoring opportunities and convert their chances was evident throughout the encounter.
The commanding victory was a fitting way to celebrate St. Martin Day and provided another encouraging display of the football talent developing on the Dutch side of the island.
