The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers had their first penalty shootout today, the first in World Cup qualifying since the Jordan-Kyrgyzstan shootout in the 2010 Asian qualifiers. Today, the dramatic finale took place on the island of St. Lucia in the city of Castries. The rainy weather perhaps foreshadowed the flood of goals that was to come.
St. Lucia came into their home leg down 4-2 in the aggregate to regional surprise package Aruba. St. Lucia were favored to win the return leg nevertheless, but overcoming the aggregate deficit was more doubtful. St. Lucia opened the match strong with two goals in the first twenty minutes from Jamal Joseph, giving the team a 4-4 aggregate tie. Aruba answered with one just before halftime, giving itself a 5-4 lead on the series and a 2-1 halftime deficit.
However, St. Lucia were not to be denied. Joseph finished off his hat trick to knot the aggregate at 5-5 with under twenty minutes to play, a goal which placed St. Lucia in a position to advance 2-1 on road goals. Another St. Lucia goal followed two minutes later, giving St. Lucia a 6-5 aggregate lead. Nevertheless, Aruba responded one final time just two minutes after that goal, leaving the game 4-2 in St. Lucia's favor but the aggregate completely level at 6-6 and two road goals apiece. When the whistle sounded, the teams were bound for extra time.
No goals came in the extra time, (perhaps because Joseph had already been substituted) giving rise to the first penalty kick shootout of the tournament. St. Lucia shot first in each round and buried all five of their kicks, but Aruba were only able to connect on four after Jelano Cruden was unable to convert the team's fifth kick with the score 5-4. St. Lucia won the tiebreaker by that score and advance to the preliminary draw on July 30.
One must imagine that the victory for St. Lucia is being dedicated to the memory of striker Phillip Tisson, who was murdered 29 August 2010, the same night that he scored the winning goal against St. Kitts and Nevis in an international tournament.
St. Lucia
Jamal Joseph 14, 20, 71
Kurt Frederick 73
Aruba
Frederick Gomez 44, 75
Penalty Kick Shootout:
St. Lucia (kicked first)
Zaine Pierre - goal
Kervin Justin - goal
Kurt Frederick - goal
Kevin Edward - goal
Pernel Williams - goal
Aruba (kicked second)
Jean Luc Bergen - goal
Raymond Baten - goal
Rensy Barradas - goal
Frederick Gomez - goal
Jelano Cruden - miss
Match Reports:
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