A CONCACAF Gold Cup Group D match between Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston ended in a 1-1 draw on Thursday, June 19, 2025, a result heavily influenced by missed opportunities and critical errors. The game was marked by a late penalty miss from Haiti's Mondy Prunier, which ultimately cost his team a potential victory.
Trinidad and Tobago's coach, Dwight Yorke, a former captain who led his team to their only World Cup appearance in 2006, witnessed his squad spend much of the first half defending. Haiti dominated the early stages, maintaining possession and creating several scoring opportunities. However, they failed to capitalize, and Trinidad and Tobago managed to keep the score level.
The match's turning point occurred in the 39th minute when Haitian center-back Jean-Kévin Duverne received a red card for a challenge on Trinidad captain Levi Garcia. This reduced Haiti to 10 men for the entire second half, significantly altering the game's dynamics.
Despite being a man down, Haiti managed to break the deadlock in the 49th minute. Frantzdy Pierrot found the net with an assist from Louicius Deedson, giving Haiti a 1-0 lead. However, Trinidad and Tobago responded in the 68th minute when Justin Garcia headed in a cross from Kevin Molino, leveling the score at 1-1.
In the 83rd minute, Haiti was presented with a golden opportunity to regain the lead after Wilguens Paugain was fouled in the penalty area by Andre Raymond. Mondy Prunier stepped up to take the penalty, but his shot sailed high over the crossbar in the 86th minute, leaving fans and teammates in disbelief.
The miss proved costly, as the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams walked away with a point, but for Haiti, it felt like a missed opportunity to secure a crucial win. The statistics highlighted Haiti's advantage in shots on goal (3-2) and shot attempts (16-9), underscoring their inability to convert their dominance into goals.
Adding to the drama, there was a moment when Rio Cardines of Trinidad and Tobago was initially given a yellow card for a foul, and a penalty was awarded to Haiti. However, after a VAR check, the referee reversed the decision, rescinding the penalty and the yellow card. This decision further fueled the game's intensity and highlighted the role of VAR in modern soccer. Earlier in the game, Duckens Nazon of Haiti missed a clear chance to score, opting for a shot instead of a pass, and a goal was disallowed due to an offside call. The match also saw yellow cards issued to Danley Jean Jacques of Haiti and Andre Rampersad of Trinidad and Tobago.
