Phoenix Rising FC forward Billy Forbes led Turks & Caicos to its first victory since 2014 with a 3-2 win against St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Sunday afternoon. | Photo courtesy Michael Rincon / Phoenix Rising FC
Phoenix Rising FC forward Billy Forbes scored twice to lead Turks & Caicos to its first international victory since 2014 as the side defeated St. Vincent & the Grenadines 3-2 in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying on Sunday afternoon. Forbes' display led a solid contingent of players who saw action in the USL this past season on duty over the opening four days of the current international break.
Ranked No. 211 in the world, Turks & Caicos got out to a perfect start as Forbes scored in the seventh minute, and the Rising FC forward added a second just before halftime. St. Vincent & the Grenadines looked to have denied the home fans at the TCIFA National Academy their celebration when Jahvin Sutherland and Nazir McBurnette both scored inside the final five minutes to pull the game level, but Jepthe Francois scored in the 89th minute to give Turks & Caicos a historic win.
7’ Goal Turks & Caicos! A perfectly slotted through-ball setups @bforbes7, who shows no mercy in front of net and gives the home side the lead!#CNL #TheDreamStartsNow pic.twitter.com/QZyZGqHKdd
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2018
43’ Goal Turks & Caicos! There is just no stopping @bforbes7, the forward from @PHXRisingFC dribbles 4 defenders and goes top of the net for his brace!#CNL #TheDreamStartsNow pic.twitter.com/JdkeV6jLg3
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2018
Highlights: @TCIFA_ 3 -2 St. Vincent and the Grenadines#CNL #TheDreamStartsNow pic.twitter.com/CcjI5GZKoZ
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 18, 2018
FC Cincinnati’s Nazmi Albadawi made the most of his international debut for Palestine as he came on to score the winner in the side’s 2-1 victory against Pakistan last Friday night. Albadawi came on in the 52nd minute and proceeded to find the net with 12 minutes to go, firing home a low shot to the bottom-left corner as he joined the attack after sending a teammate down the right side from near the halfway line.
Here it is. @NazmiAlbadawi scores the go-ahead goal for @FutbolPalestine!@FCCincinnati #FCCincy #GaryWorldwide pic.twitter.com/6GjCnSWBJC
— FCC Memes & More (@ThreeDEF) November 16, 2018
Back in Concacaf Nations League Qualifying, Real Monarchs SLC’s Jamal Charles scored twice as Grenada earns its first victory in the tournament with a 5-2 victory against Saint Martin.
.@GrenadaFootball gets a 5-2 victory over Saint Martin. Here are the highlights! #CNL #TheDreamStartsNow pic.twitter.com/HVTVv6h7il
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 17, 2018
Other notable debuts over the first half of the international break saw 2018 USL All-League selection Hadji Barry of the Swope Park Rangers come on as a late substitute in Guinea’s 1-1 draw with the Ivory Coast in Africa Cup of Nations Qualifying, a result that guaranteed the country a place at next year’s finals of the tournament, while Rio Grande Valley FC’s Pablo Aguilar started for Guatemala against Israel.
Thursday, November 15
Trinidad & Tobago 0, Iran 1
TNT: Nathan Lewis (IND) – 90 minutes, Atualla Guerra (CHS) – 62 minutes, Cordell Cato (CLT) – 18 minutes
Guatemala 0, Israel 7
GUA: Pablo Aguilar (RGV) – 58 minutes (debut)
Friday, November 16
Palestine 2, Pakistan 1
PAL: Nazmi Albadawi (CIN) – 39 minutes, game-winning goal (debut)
Grenada 5, Saint Martin 2
GRE: Jamal Charles (SLC) – 90 minutes, two goals
El Salvador 0, Bermuda 1
ES: Joaquin Rivas (TUL) – 45 minutes
Puerto Rico 0, Belize 1
PR: Cody Laurendi (OKC) – 90 minutes, Jorge Rivera (PEN) – 28 minutes
Panama 0, Honduras 1
PAN: Carlos Small (RGV) – 32 minutes
November 17
Jamaica 2, Suriname 1
JAM: Omar Gordon (SA) – 90 minutes, Je-Vaughn Watson (CLT) – 90 minutes, Speedy Williams (LOU) – 31 minutes, Shaun Francis (LOU) – 15 minutes
Jordan 2, India 1
JOR: Jaime Siaj (OKC) – 15 minutes
Sunday, November 18
Turks & Caicos 3, St. Vincent & the Grenadines 2
TCA: Billy Forbes (PHX) – 90 minutes, 2 goals
Liberia 1, Zimbabwe 0
LIB: Joel Johnson (CLT) – 90 minutes
Guinea 1, Ivory Coast 1
GUI: Hadji Barry (SPR) – 5 minutes (debut)
U.S. Virgin Islands 0, Barbados 3
USVI: Aaron Dennis (PEN) – 90 minutes
St. Kitts & Nevis 0, Canada 1
STK: Atiba Harris (OKC) – 90 minutes
Tag(s): News Call Ups OKC Energy FC Phoenix Rising FC Real Monarchs SLC Rio Grande Valley FC Swope Park Rangers FC Tulsa Charleston Battery Charlotte Independence FC Cincinnati Louisville City FC Ataulla Guerra Speedy Williams Billy Forbes Joaquin Rivas Cody Laurendi Joel Johnson Hadji Barry Jaime Siaj Omar Gordon Penn FC Indy Eleven Nazmi Albadawi Aaron Dennis Pablo Aguilar Nathan Lewis Cordell Cato Jorge Rivera Shaun Francis Je-Vaughn Watson Atiba Harris Carlos Small Jamal Charles