Trinidad and Tobago predictably failed in their bid to reach the World Cup knockout phase.

Yet, while they might not have won a match, or even scored a goal, the Soca

Warriors will leave Germany with a smile, their dignity and a host of new

friends.

A 25th-minute Brent Sancho own goal and a late Nelson Cuevas effort gave

Paraguay the win they just about deserved but there was no disgrace in defeat

for the men from the Caribbean, far from it.

Throughout the magical last fortnight, Trinidad have pushed themselves to the

limit, a fact recognised by the notoriously hard-to-please German supporters,

who backed Leo Beenhakker's men to the hilt.

But the goal they craved would not come, not even after 35-year-old Trinidad

hero Russell Latapy was introduced late on to cap a fine career on the World Cup

stage.

Instead, the final whistle only brought an initial sense of disappointment,

although that soon gave way to more positive reflection as their hosts made them

aware of how much their sterling deeds had been appreciated.

Although the Trinidad skipper Dwight Yorke was confident enough about his own

side getting a victory to start texting his old Manchester United team-mate

David Beckham demanding a favour England eventually could not repay, coach Leo

Beenhakker was rather more cautious.

The Dutchman has been around long enough to know a country with a population

of little more than a million - the smallest ever to reach the final stages of

the biggest tournament on the planet - had already performed wonders in

Germany.

The stark truth was that Paraguay had narrowly lost two closely-contested

games, whereas Beenhakker's team had gained a point from Sweden and frustrated

England for so long largely by throwing a blanket over their goal and defending

as though their lives depended on it.

Needing a victory to stand any chance of progress, Trinidad had to become more

expansive and as a result offered Paraguay the room to execute their slick

passing game.

Cornell Glen might have put Trinidad in front with a firm header which Aldo

Bobadilla did well to palm away but it would have been an injustice to the South

Americans.

Kelvin Jack, back in the Trinidad goal after suffering an ankle injury in the

warm-up prior to the Sweden epic, was kept busy from virtually the first

whistle, racing from his goal to chest down a long ball from Edgar Barreto which

threatened to release Nelson Valdez.

Jack had already made one tremendous save to deny Roque Santa Cruz before he

was beaten by Sancho, who was panicked into lunging at the ball when Julio Dos

Santos got his head to Roberto Acuna's free-kick and promptly turned it into his

own goal.

It was a devastating blow to the Soca Warriors but Paraguay deserved their

lead and, amid a flurry of activity around Jack's goal just before the break,

might have extended it.

Jack twice denied Valdez, substitute Kenwyne Jones booted a goalbound Carlos

Paredes shot off the line while Denis Caniza, correctly, had his angled strike

ruled out for offside.

Presumably, news of England's half-time lead in Cologne filtered through to

the Trinidad dressing room at the break, which could have been part of the

reason why they started the second half with such intent.

A couple of low Carlos Edwards crosses came perilously close to finding their

target and, playing in a more advanced position than he had done previously,

Yorke tried to roll back some of his 34 years and push his team on.

Edwards was his chief ally. The 28-year-old Luton man, more used to Kenilworth

Road than Kaiserslautern, brought the crowd to its feet with some dazzling

dribbling down the right wing.

Latapy's arrival brought even more pressure and the veteran Falkirk man

skimmed the bar with one 20-yard effort.

But, try as they might, the breakthrough would not come for Trinidad.

Instead, Sancho was spared the upset of scoring the only goal when Cuevas

exchanged passes with Santa Cruz four minutes from time and beat Jack with an

excellent finish.