It was heartbreak for Vancouver Whitecaps FC central defender Carlyle Mitchell on Sunday as his Trinidad & Tobago were beaten 1-0 in extra time by Cuba in the final of the 2012 Caribbean Cup in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
HIGHLIGHTS: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t5a1JlCceU
It was a strong tournament overall for the 'Caps central defender, as Mitchell played every minute of the tournament for his country and converted from the spot in Friday’s semifinal penalty kick win over Martinique.
In Sunday's final, Mitchell almost broke the deadlock in the ninth minute when his header hit the crossbar.
Cuba survived and despite missing a penalty in the 61st minute, the Lions of the Caribbean secured their first ever Caribbean Cup when Marcel Hernandez scored in the 22nd minute of extra time.
Despite the loss, the Soca Warriors are guaranteed a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Meanwhile, it was a disappointing tournament for highly-fancied Jamaica and Whitecaps FC striker Darren Mattocks.
Mattocks came on as a 53rd minute substitute in the Reggae Boyz’ shock 2-1 loss to French Guiana on December 8 in their opening group game.
Mattocks then started and played the full 90 minutes of Jamaica’s remaining matches– a 0-0 draw with Martinique and a 1-0 defeat to eventual Caribbean Cup winners Cuba.
