Coach Lawrence Eyes Quick Turnaround After TCI's 0-2 Loss to Anguilla in Concacaf Nations League

16-year-old Maddox Zaidon (#11) was one of the standouts for the TCI against Anguilla

Coach Aaron Lawrence is already looking ahead to the next challenge after his Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) team suffered a 0-2 defeat to Anguilla on Wednesday at the TCI Field in their Concacaf Nations League Qualifier.

With limited time to prepare, TCI faces Belize on Saturday, also at the TCI Field, in a match that could define their campaign.

Despite the loss, TCI had opportunities to take control of the match early on. Junior Paul narrowly missed giving his team the lead in the 13th minute when his shot inside the box sailed over the crossbar. Captain Billy Forbes also came close in the 20th minute, but his attempt from just outside the box went over as well.

Junior Paul (right) of the Turks and Caicos Islands gets past Jared Semeins of Anguilla in their Concacaf Nations League Qualifier at the TCIFA Field on Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands on Wednesday.

Anguilla, who spent much of the first half defending, came out stronger in the second half. Their first goal came from a TCI defensive error when 14-year-old goalkeeper Samuel Harvey parried a shot from a free-kick, which the defenders failed to clear, allowing Anguilla’s Germaine Hughes to slot the ball home. The visitors doubled their lead in the 74th minute, with Lamar Carpenter capitalizing on another parried shot to seal the win.

In his post-match interview, Coach Lawrence acknowledged the team's struggles, particularly in moving the ball forward and reacting to key moments. “We just need to move the ball a little bit quicker, especially at the back. We gave up two soft goals,” said Lawrence. He emphasized the need to improve both offensively and defensively before facing Belize, a team that is yet to play in the qualifier.

Captain Billy Forbes praised his young team, noting their potential despite the loss. “We have a pretty young team, with players like our 14-year-old goalkeeper and others under 20. The future is bright, but we need to work a little bit harder,” Forbes stated.

On the other side, Anguilla’s coach, Keith Jeffrey, credited better organization and preparation for their victory. “We did a camp in the Dominican Republic, and it helped us straighten out a lot of things. We executed well, and we’re happy with the three points,” said Jeffrey.

With little time to dwell on the defeat, TCI must quickly regroup to take on Belize, with hopes of bouncing back in their next outing.