St. Vincent and the Grenadines was forced to play a Gold Cup qualifier with 13 players — 11 starters and two subs — and no goalkeeper on Friday against Haiti. To no one’s surprise, Haiti won 6-1, moving to within one win of qualifying for this summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines was the victim of reported visa issues ahead of the match in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It never helps when one side has 10 more bench players available than the other, especially when one team doesn’t have a goalie.
Defender Nigell Charles donned a keeper’s jersey to start in goal for the shorthanded squad.
Haiti led 3-1 at the break, Kyle Edwards netting the loan goal for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Haiti added three more goals in the second half.
Haiti wasn’t about to show any sympathy to its opponent. In March, Haiti was forced to start an Olympic qualifying match against Honduras with just 10 men and no recognized goalie as a result of Covid testing delays. Honduras won that match 3-0 and Haiti finished last in its group.
Haiti will now play either Bermuda or Barbados for a spot in the Gold Cup. The winner of that match will be slotted into Group B along with the U.S., Canada and Martinique.
The Gold Cup officially kicks off on July 10 in venues across the U.S.