Barbados Dominates United States Virgin Islands 5-0 in CNL Match at Wildey Turf

Barbados extended their lead at the top of Group A, League C in the 2024-2025 Concacaf Nations League (CNL) with a 5-0 drubbing of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) on Wednesday evening at the Wildey Turf. The Bajan Tridents got off to a slow start, but eventually poured on the style to seize the victory, seal the group, and win advancement to next month’s play-in, as well as promotion to League B.

For the next edition of the CNL, the Tridents will bounce straight back into the second tier of regional football, after dominating their group. The team has achieved its primary goal with a game in hand.

On Wednesday evening, Hadan Holligan opened the scoring in the 42nd minute of play, before Niall Reid-Stephen converted a penalty on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-0 to the home team.

In the second half, Reid-Stephen continued his rich vein of form by converting his second consecutive double against the same opponents. His brace helped Barbados to a 3-0 win over the USVI at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex in St Croix last month. Carl Hinkson scored the opening goal in that encounter. Kishmar Primus made two saves as he collected his first clean sheet.

Primus recorded another clean sheet on Wednesday, after he was handed the start by head coach Kent Hall. But Reid-Stephen went one better. The 23-year-old midfielder, who plays for Florida Gulf Coast University and Appalachian FC, buried Barbados’ fourth in the 65th minute to complete his hat-trick.

Omani Leacock made it 5-0 to complete the scoring in injury time.

USVI defender Carmelo Rodriguez will be unavailable for the game against the Bahamas this weekend, as he was shown a double card in the last minute of regulation.

On Wednesday, the two nations faced each other for the fourth time in the history of the CNL. The two were also opponents in the first two matchdays of League C in the 2019-20 tournament.

The Tridents were in charge of every facet of the game, tallying 35 shots, including 21 on target. They held the ball for 65% of the time, won 14 corners to just two for USVI, and played 334 correct passes, with just 29 poor passes for a 92 per cent completion rate.

Barbados has now won all four CNL meetings to date, and a meeting in the 2019-20 qualification. This was the ninth match all-time between the two teams, with Barbados leading the series with seven wins to one defeat.

“It’s just being overseas and being in that environment changed me a lot,” said Niall-Stephen. “And that killer instinct, we really needed that. So I’m thankful for being overseas. I think being over there, the thing that has changed, when I see defenders, I don’t wait, I just go at them.”