World Cup: Tiny Trinidad and Tobago `put the big boys in their place'

Trinidad and Tobago's Dennis Lawrence, left, and Sweden's Henrik Larsson go airborne during their Group B World Cup soccer match at the World Cup stadium in Dortmund, Germany, on Saturday. PHOTO: AP

Group B
Trinidad Tobago 0, Sweden 0

Some people burst into tears, others danced to the rhythm of Muslim drummers and still others just got out of their cars and hugged total strangers. As Trinidad and Tobago tied with Sweden in its World Cup debut, the country stopped to celebrate a draw as a victory.

Supporters into the street as the referee's whistle blew after the last seconds of the game, as if Trinidad had won the World Cup title.

One female fan said, "This was what they needed. If they carry the same energy, the same spirit, the same drive, this should carry them through."

Traffic into and away from the nation's capital, Port-of-Spain, 30 minutes before the game, as fans hustled to reach to their game destination.

Alcohol sold out in many stores, while local beer companies hosted World Cup games at popular bars where gargantuan projector screens were set up for supporters.

One man, referring to the red card that sent Avery John off in the 46th minute said, "If they can't beat us with 10 men, then they can't beat us at all!"

Saturday most certainly belonged to Trinidad and Tobago, a tiny cricket-mad Caribbean island group whose 1.3 million population will now be looking to the other game for heroes to join batsman Brian Lara.

They may not find one in Avery John, who became the first player to be sent off at this year's World Cup for a two-footed tackle that upended Swedish midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson.

But they certainly have one in goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, who produced four world-class saves. And but for the woodwork, substitute Cornell Glen could have become a legend when he almost snatched victory for the Soca Warriors when he hit the Swedish crossbar.

Reserve Hislop, on the soccer scrapheap just last summer, denied a Swedish attack that included Champions League winner Henrik Larsson of Barcelona, Juventus center-forward Zlaten Ibrahimovic and Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. The 37-year-old was only playing because first-choice keeper Kelvin Jack banged his head on his way to the dressing rooms after the warm-up.

Trinidad to buckle under persistent pressure and their Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker raised both fists in the air on the final whistle as the partying began in the Trinidad and Tobago stands.

Sweden Lars Lagerback's men slumped to the ground, thousands of yellow-and-blue-clad Swedes looked on in disbelief, and the squad was left to ponder their lone point and how they'll cope with England after failing to beat the first-timer minnows.

"You could see in the game today that there are no more small fish in international football. My boys put the big boys in their place tonight," Beenhakker said.

But midfielder Kim Kallstrom summed it up for the Swedes, saying that he was "terribly disappointed" and admitted that Sweden were in a "very difficult situation" in the group.