Job done but let’s not get carried away
A first-round tie against Bahamas — one of the weakest teams in the Caribbean according to Fifa world rankings — was never likely to provide any concrete clues on just how good Andrew Bascome’s new-look Bermuda can become.
Admittedly, the relative ease in which Bascome’s side dominated their opponents, without ever needing to get their hands dirty, was impressive at times and offered plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
But let’s not get too carried away.
After all, Bahamas are, and always have been, one of the region’s whipping boys, a side further weakened by having to spread their paltry pool of players between two competitions: the World Cup qualifiers and the Concacaf Beach Soccer Championships in El Salvador.
Still, you can only beat what’s put in front of you and, keeping this adage in mind, Bascome’s charges fully deserve to be praised for passing their first test with flying colours in Nassau and at the National Stadium.
Sure, it took until the 79th minute for Nahki Wells to finally find his scoring boots and break the deadlock, but Bermuda commanded possession throughout yesterday’s second leg and should have won by a far greater margin.
An 8-0 aggregate thrashing is certainly not to be sniffed at, however, and most encouraging was that Bermuda were able to get the trouble-free job done with such a youthful-looking side.
The average age of yesterday’s starting line-up was just 23, which included six players involved in their first qualifying campaign.
To put that into context, the side that won 2-1 at home against Barbados in Bermuda’s final qualifying match in 2011 had an average age of 26, while the team that famously upset Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 in their own backyard in 2008 was older still at 28.
It would be foolhardy to get overly excited about “Bascome’s Babes” at this embryonic stage of their development, and there are far sterner examinations ahead in the form of Guatemala, who Bermuda will now meet in Guatemala City in early June before the return leg at the National Stadium a week later.
Incidentally, Guatemala were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Canada on Saturday in an international friendly in Florida. Canada will await Bermuda or Guatemala in the third round, should they advance past Dominica, who completed a 3-2 aggregate win over British Virgin Islands yesterday.
Bermuda will be heavy underdogs against Guatemala, who are ranked 87 places above them, but Bascome, who is coaching the Island for the first time at this level, is used to overcoming the odds.
Having spent a part of his youth at the Sunshine League, his early life would have had its fair share of hardship and setbacks, as did his football career when he suffered a serious knee injury that extinguished any hopes he had of turning professional.
Overlooked by various Bermuda Football Association regimes, presumably to do with his Rastafarian beliefs, Bascome has exhibited a steely determination since the start of his team’s preparations. His intensity during Saturday’s “light” training session, despite the tie being all but over, was of a man intent on making up for lost time.
For now, Bermuda and the thousands of supporters that filled the National Stadium yesterday are fully entitled to bask in their team’s convincing first-round displays.
But let’s not get too carried away just yet. Bascome certainly won’t be.
Freddy Hall 6
It is fair to say that Bermuda’s No 1 will not have an easier outing than this. Hall did not have a single save to make throughout the first half.
Tyrell Burgess 7
A steady showing by one of the elder statesmen of Bermuda’s youthful-looking side. Crashed in the second goal with a left-footed strike after Bahamas failed to clear their lines.
Dante Leverock 8
Arguably the pick of a Bermuda defence that kept back-to-back clean sheets against Bahamas. The former striker looks like he has been playing at the back all his life.
Jaylon Bather 7
Hardly put a foot wrong against a Bahamas attack that offered very little threat. Looks to have a forged a promising defensive partnership with Leverock.
Jalen Harvey 8
Had plenty of joy down the left flank on the overlap and handled his defensive duties with minimal fuss. Should have capped off his encouraging display with a goal but headed wide from close range.
Drewonde Bascome 8
Justified his staring berth with an impressive showing in the holding midfield position. A surprisingly disciplined performance and broke up several attacks with timely challenges.
Justin Donawa 6
Bermuda’s two-goal hero from the first leg was stretchered off and taken to hospital with a worrying leg injury on the half-hour mark.
Reggie Lambe 6
Delivered a superb through ball for Wells’s opening goal and threatened with a few mazy dribbles through the middle. Sometimes has a tendency to run down blind alleys.
Keishen Bean 7
A solid display by from Bermuda’s most experienced player in World Cup qualifying football. A calming presence in the middle of the park.
Zeiko Lewis 7
His quick feet led the Bahamas defence a merry dance, although his final ball was found wanting at times. Should have shot instead of squaring a pass to Jonté Smith when the striker was in an offside position.
Nahki Wells 7
A strange game for Bermuda’s star turn. Two goals, a missed penalty as well as squandering several other chances. Still showed his extra quality in the final third.
Substitutes
Jonté Smith (for Donawa, 30min): Created Wells’s second goal with a neat pull-back and showed willing throughout. 6
Dale Eve (for Hall, 46): Made a fine reflex save from a free header by Bahamas substitute Richard Munroe. 6
Lejuan Simmons (for Bean, 85min) 6
Substitutes not used: Jarreau Hayward, Mauriq Hill, Rai Simons, Jahnazae Swan, Cecoy Robinson.
• Ratings by Stephen Wright
