English
Hard-Fought Draw in Wildey: Barbados and Aruba Share the Spoils
Wildey Turf was the stage for a tightly contested match between Barbados and Aruba in the 2026 World Cup Qualification round. The game, played on June 4th, 2025, ended in a draw, leaving both teams with mixed feelings.
Barbados dominated possession with 66%, constantly seeking the opponent’s goal. In the 7th minute, O. Leacock converted a penalty to give the home side the lead, with an assist by None. However, Aruba responded quickly, with D. Luydens leveling the score in the 15th minute with a goal from open play.
The rest of the match was a tactical battle, marked by a high number of fouls (22 for Aruba and 13 for Barbados) and yellow cards. P. Nickelson (Aruba), J. Gilkes, J. Neblett, and M. Williams (Barbados), D. Senchi, E. Hersilia and M. Lentink (Aruba) were cautioned by the referee.
Despite their superiority in possession and number of shots (18 against 8), Barbados failed to convert their dominance into goals. Aruba, with 34% possession, defended fiercely, maintaining the draw until the final whistle. Barbados had 11 corner kicks, while Aruba only had one. In the end, the match concluded with a 1-1 draw on the scoreboard.
Substitutions aruba: at minute 44 E. Hersilia came in and K. Nedd went out., at minute 65 J. Romano came in and B. Martis went out., at minute 65 J. Jimenez came in and R. Ostiana went out.
Substitutions barbados: at minute 46 S. Hoyte came in and J. Gilkes went out., at minute 68 T. James came in and S. Harewood went out., at minute 82 T. Bailey-Edwards came in and R. Morris went out., at minute 86 D. Richards came in and N. Reid-Stephen went out.
The teams lined up as follows:
Barbados
Titulares:
Aruba
Titulares:
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