Bermudans are blaming Guatemalan referee Carlos Batres for knocking them out of World Cup qualifying following their 2-0 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in Hamilton, Bermuda on Sunday.

Yesterday’s headlines in local newspapers read: ’Ref got Trinidad out of jail’ and ’Blunders send Bermuda crashing out’.

But there was no concern among the Bermudan journalists in the press box at the National Sports Centre about the T&T goals, just disappointment.

In fact, one of them just queried whether Trinidad and Tobago captain Aurtis Whitley had gotten two yellow cards during the match. But Whitley immediately quashed that after the match.

’No, no, no, no,’ Whitley told the Express. ’I got just one yellow card.’

At a press conference after the game, Bermuda coach Kenny Thompson blamed the referee, stating that he was making a change while Stern John was heading the Soca Warriors’ second goal.

Did any of them ask him how he could make a change without the referee’s permission?

It seemed more of a mistake on Thompson’s part to withdraw Jemeiko Jennings from the field, before he had been allowed to bring on a replacement.-Ian Prescott