Cuba to play today for a rebound against Trinidad of the Gold Cup soccer Prelims

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 25 (ACN) After a 1-2 defeat against Trinidad and Tobago in the first leg of the Gold Cup preliminaries, the Cuban national soccer team is looking for a comeback in the second leg at the Trinidad and Tobago Ato Boldon Stadium.

In the opening match, held on Friday at the Antonio Maceo Stadium in the Cuban eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, the Leones del Caribe opened the scoreboard at the sixth minute with a goal by Yasnier Matos, but defensive errors and lack of precision allowed the visitors to turn the score around with goals by Isaiah Lee ('20) and Steffen Yeates ('53).

Matos scored the first goal of the preliminary phase of the 2025 Gold Cup and his third in 31 international matches.

Trinidad and Tobago earned its second victory on Cuban soil, the first coming 16 years earlier in World Cup qualifying in 2008.

In addition, the Cuban media highlighted that the local team lost for the first time at the Antonio Maceo Stadium in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba.

Yunielys Castillo, Cuban technical director, acknowledged the lack of concentration at key moments: "We dominated possession, but we were unable to score. Now we will focus on the players in better shape to achieve our goal".

Cuba reaches the decisive match with a team that mixes experience and youth, reinforced by the incorporation of nationalized talents such as Raballo from Parma Primavera, and defender Camilo Pinillo, who plays in the Belgian second division.

However, the absence of captain Luis Javier Paradela, with a knee injury, and defender Carlos Vazquez, with a sprained ankle, represent a tactical challenge.

The attack will be led by Onel Hernandez from Norwich City, England and Maykel Reyes, supported by the goalkeeping security of Raico Arozarena and a backline that includes Yosel Piedra and Karel Perez.

Cuba has failed to defeat Trinidad and Tobago in five successive matches in any competition (2E-3P), the last Cuban victory against the "Socca Warriors" was on February 16, 2012, in the preliminary phase of the 2013 Gold Cup, in the Final, 1-0 (Marcel Hernandez 113').
For Cuba, the mission is clear: to convert possession into goals and correct mistakes. Hope, according to Morejon, "is still intact.