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Trinidad & Tobago made a magnificent World Cup finals debut on Saturday when they held Sweden to a goalless draw...

Trinidad & Tobago made a magnificent World Cup finals debut on Saturday when they held Sweden to a goalless draw despite playing with 10 men for almost all the second half of their opening Group B game.

The Caribbean islanders worked tirelessly to hold off their more experienced opponents in the second game in the group B.

Trinidad came closest to breaking the deadlock when substitute striker Cornell Glenn hit the bar near the hour mark.

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The Soca Warriors defensive duo, Dennis Lawrence and Brent Sancho of lowly English league clubs Wrexham and Gillingham, survived a testing first 45 minutes while attempting to shackle Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – elite employees of Barcelona and Juventus.

‘‘We had three, four, five completely open goals but could not score,” said Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom, who came on in a double substitution with 12 minutes left. “It was tough and it will be even tougher now. We will work very hard to win our next match.”

The islanders’ hopes of holding out for another 45 minutes seemed to disappear 35 seconds after the restart when left back Avery John was sent off for a second booking following a two-footed lunge on Wilhelmsson.

The 10 men came close to taking a shock lead after 59 minutes when substitute striker Glen cracked a brilliant shot against the bar from wide right of the box with Shaaban beaten.