We continue our look at CONCACAF's second round with the wide open Group B. The winner of this group featuring Barbados,Bermuda,Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago will move on to round three and be placed in group B with Mexico, Costa Rica and the winner of group A, which we examined a couple days ago.
Barbados
FIFA rank: 145
2010 qualifying result: Eliminated in round two on a 9-0 aggregate loss to the USA
Barbados recently achieved their highest ever FIFA ranking of 92nd in October of 2009. However, since then they have been on the decline, failing to advance out of the first qualifying round of the 2010 Caribbean Cup due to draws against Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Historically, Barbados has never qualified for a major tournament. Their best result came in the 2002 qualifying cycle where they reached the semifinal group stage by defeating Cuba on penalties. In group play the side defeated eventual World Cup finalist Costa Rica at home 2-1.
Like many other Caribbean nations with British ties, Barbados tries to recruit English players that may have had a parent or relative from the country. Notably players that appear frequently are Wigan's Emmerson Boyce and former Millwall, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace man Paul Ifill who currently plays for Wellington Phoenix.
It will be interesting to see if Barbados attempts to bring in some new members of the squad with small ties to the country, but overall the team as a whole lacks the offensive firepower and defensive organization necessary to win the group.
Bermuda
FIFA rank: 185
2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 3-2 on aggregate by Trinidad and Tobago in the second round
Bermuda's FIFA ranking is the lowest in its history at the moment. They did not enter the 2010 Caribbean Cup and have not played an international match since the 2008 edition of the same tournament.
The country had a successful run in 2010 qualifying, defeating Cayman Islands in the first round and winning the first leg in Trinidad and Tobago in the second round. However, they could not make their advantage hold at home and were bounced from the competition.
The side's most noteworthy player is Carolina Railhawk Khano Smith. Smith, who played for MLS' New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls, has appeared 33 times for Bermuda and scored 10 goals. John Barry Nusum, a striker for Crystal Palace Baltimore in the lower divisions of the US soccer pyramid, has 29 goals in 35 appearances for his country, an impressive strike rate.
Not playing any international games in years poses a significant problem to Bermuda, who will find it tough to pick up points in this group.
Guyana
FIFA rank: 114
2010 qualifying result: Eliminated 3-1 on aggregate by Guyana in the second round
Guyana waltzed through the first stage of qualifying for the 2010 Caribbean cup winning all three of its group games against Suriname, Saint Lucia and Netherlands Antilles. A draw with Haiti and a win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was enough to advance in stage two and reach the eight-team tournament. They finished bottom of their group with the side's lone point coming against Gold Cup final participant Guadeloupe.
Upset in the second round of 2010 qualifying by their neighbor Suriname, the side will look to pull the shock this time and advance out of this winnable group. In October of 2010 Guyana achieved their highest FIFA rank ever of 86th.
Most of Guyana's team members play domestically or in close by Trinidad and Tobago, their main competition for winning this group. The nation also has a few of its members playing in the lower leagues of America.
Although they have never qualified for a Gold Cup, Guyana has come close to making the last few editions. They were seeded as the second best team in pot two of the draw for round two, so on paper they are one of the more likely teams to pull an upset and move onward.
Trinidad and Tobago
FIFA rank: 88
2010 qualifying result: Sixth in the final round of qualifying with six points from 10 matches.
The 2010 cycle was a rebuilding one for the Soca Warriors after their miracle run to the 2006 finals where they were able to take a point off Sweden and play England tightly. They managed to stumble their way through to the hex, but were outclassed and finished bottom of the six teams.
Gone are the recognizable Dwight Yorke, Shaka Hislop, Stern John and Russell Latapy from the side. Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones gives the team some starpower, but recently T&T has fallen on tough times.
They have failed to qualify for two Gold Cup tournaments in a row, a tremendous disappointment from one of historically better nations in the Caribbean. In the 2010 Caribbean Cup group stage they finished third thanks to defeats to Cuba and Grenada, which saw them miss out on Gold Cup qualification. They struggled to score in the tournament, only scoring once in three games, a lone goal against lowly host nation Martinique.
Head coach Otto Pfister, who has reached the 2006 World Cup with Togo and the 1998 finals with Saudi Arabia, needs to solve the sides recent lull in form. A friendly on Aug. 21st against India will be their preparation for this round. They are the favorites to advance, but will face a stern test from their opposition.
Prediction
This will be one of the closer groups when all is said and done, any side has the potential to beat each other in this group, but Trinidad and Tobago will scrape their way to round three in a tight battle with Guyana.
1. T&T
2. Guyana
3. Barbados
4. Bermuda
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