Tag - Victoria Duval

The winning streak came to an end, but Haiti is moving on. The Grenadiers suffered their first loss of the 2026–27 Concacaf Nations League on Sunday night, falling 2–0 to Costa Rica at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José. Costa Rica opened the scoring early through Carlos Mora and went on to secure the victory. Despite the loss, Haiti had already put itself in a strong position after winning its first three matches against Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Haiti finishes the group stage with three wins, one loss and nine points, enough to finish second in Group A and advance to the Nations League quarterfinals. Curaçao finished first with 10 points. The Dominican Republic also reached nine points but finished behind Haiti in the group standings. The journey continues. Haiti will now move into the quarterfinals in November, where the Grenadiers will face one of Concacaf's four pre-seeded teams: the United States, Mexico, Canada or Panama. The exact matchup will be determined under Concacaf's quarterfinal seeding system. We lost the match, but we’re still moving forward. Who’s ready for the quarterfinals? 🇭🇹🔥 #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

The Grenadiers are back in action tonight. 🇭🇹⚽️ Haiti faces Costa Rica in San José at 8:00 PM ET, looking to continue an impressive start to the 2026–27 Concacaf Nations League. Haiti enters the match with three straight wins: 3–2 over Trinidad and Tobago, 2–0 over Costa Rica, and most recently a dominant 4–1 victory over the Dominican Republic. Tonight will be the second meeting between Haiti and Costa Rica during this Nations League window. In their first matchup on September 27, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde scored in the 9th minute, while an own goal from Francisco Calvo helped Haiti secure the 2–0 victory. Now Haiti takes the challenge on the road as the Grenadiers look to make it four wins in four matches. 🇨🇷 Costa Rica vs. Haiti 🇭🇹 📅 Tonight, October 4 ⏰ 8:00 PM ET Who’s ready to see Haiti make it four straight tonight?🔥 #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Days after scoring twice in Haiti’s 4-1 win over the Dominican Republic in CONCACAF Nations League play at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, the Sunderland striker posted a statement that pulls the moment back to what he says it was always about: pride, responsibility, and respect.⁠ ⁠ “Representing Haiti goes beyond football,” Isidor wrote. “It is carrying a history, an identity, a culture, and the hopes of an entire people. It is measuring the privilege of defending your colors and the responsibility that comes with it.”⁠ ⁠ The post lands after a celebration that traveled farther than the pitch. Following the October 1 victory, Isidor was filmed saying “Hispaniola, c’est Haïti” and “Ici, c’est Haïti,” pointing first to the field, then to his shirt. The clip drew sharp reaction in the Dominican Republic. Fedofútbol president José Deschamps called the remarks a lack of respect for Dominican sovereignty and said the federation would take the matter to FIFA and CONCACAF. ⁠ ⁠ Haiti’s embassy in Santo Domingo later distanced itself from player comments made in the heat of the match and reaffirmed respect for Dominican sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Haitian Football Federation, for its part, asked that the celebration stay in the sporting realm and said attachment to Haiti should not be read as hostility toward another nation.⁠ ⁠ Isidor’s statement does not revisit the phrase. It sets the terms he wants attached to the shirt.⁠ ⁠ “I wear this jersey with immense pride,” he wrote. “A deep, sincere pride that does not need to oppose anyone in order to exist.”⁠ ⁠ He framed the sport the way players often do once the whistle has gone: 90 minutes of colors, rivalry, emotion, and the will to win and then what remains.⁠ ⁠ He closed simply: “I am proud of Haiti. Proud of our people. Proud to wear our colors. And if football can set us against each other for 90 minutes on the field, its greatest strength is bringing us together off it.”⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

The Haitian Football Federation issued an official statement on October 3, 2026, responding to the Dominican backlash that followed Wilson Isidor’s celebration in Haiti’s 4-1 win over the Dominican Republic. In a communiqué signed by Secretary General Patrick Massenat and released in French and Haitian Creole, the federation said it has taken note of the reactions to the celebration. It reminded the public that the moment came in a sporting context and reflected Isidor’s attachment to his Haitian origins. “That attachment to Haiti cannot, in itself, be interpreted as a mark of hostility or a lack of respect toward another people or another nation,” the federation wrote. The statement lands after the Concacaf Nations League match in Santo Domingo. Isidor scored twice in the win that lifted Haiti to nine points in Group A. After one of the goals he was filmed saying, “Hispaniola, c’est Haïti. Ici, c’est Haïti” “Hispaniola is Haiti. This is Haiti” pointing to the pitch and then to his jersey. Dominican reaction was swift. Fedofútbol president José Deschamps called the remarks a lack of respect and said the federation would take the matter to FIFA and Concacaf. Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced that Haiti’s national team is barred from Dominican venues, citing both the on-field comments and crowd trouble before kickoff, when groups of supporters forced entrances at a sold-out stadium. Haiti’s embassy in Santo Domingo distanced the government from the players, Former consul Judith Exavier asked the federation and the sports ministry to suspend Isidor. The @FHFHaiti said that the moment must stay inside the frame in which it was expressed and must not be given a meaning beyond sport. “Football must remain a space of encounter and rapprochement,” the statement said. “Sporting rivalry, however intense, must never make us lose sight of the mutual respect that should unite players, supporters, and nations.” It asked that the debate not be used for ends foreign to the game, and reaffirmed support for its players in expressing their identity and attachment to Haiti, while remaining committed to respect, fair play, and fraternity. #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

Shoumana Abelanda Toutoute was asleep in her bedroom when gunfire tore through the window of the apartment she shared with her family. The 19-year-old, whose family came to Orlando from Haiti, was shot around 12:55 a.m. Thursday, October 1, at the Lorenzo at East Mil apartment complex on the 1800 block of Ole Heritage Drive, near Rio Grande Avenue, Americana Boulevard, and South Orange Blossom Trail. Orange County deputies found her suffering from a gunshot wound, rushed her to a hospital in critical condition, and later confirmed she had died. Her family told WFTV she was in bed when she was hit. At least four bullets pierced the bedroom window. Her stepfather was asleep in the room next door and told Channel 9 he woke to the barrage of gunfire. By around noon Thursday, relatives had returned to the complex still wearing hospital stickers, distraught and in shock. Toutoute’s mother arrived from the hospital visibly overcome. Her stepfather was not ready to go on camera, but he told reporters the 19-year-old was studying to become a doctor. The family said they had come to Orlando from Haiti and had no idea who would open fire on their home. Deputies have been careful about what they will and will not say. The sheriff’s office said detectives are following leads, and that nothing investigators have learned so far indicates anyone in the home was targeted. No suspect has been named, and no arrest has been announced. The case remains active. On Friday, October 2, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office released a surveillance image of people seen in the area at the time of the shooting and asked the public to help identify them. A young woman who wanted to be a doctor was killed in her sleep inside the apartment she shared with her family. The shots came from outside, through the glass. The people who loved her say they do not know why. Deputies say they do not yet have evidence the home was targeted. And two days later, investigators are still asking Central Florida to look at a surveillance image and help them put a name to the people seen near Ole Heritage Drive in the minutes around 12:55 a.m. Video Source: @Wesh2 #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

Pour le Pays, pour les Ancêtres, Marchons unis, marchons unis. 🇭🇹🇭🇹🇭🇹 #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian #dominicanrepublic

Haiti’s Embassy in the Dominican Republic has distanced itself from remarks by Haitian national team player after Haiti’s 4-1 victory over the Dominican Republic, saying the comments do not represent the embassy or the Haitian government.⁠ ⁠ In a clarification dated October 2 in Santo Domingo, the mission said some statements, made in the heat of the match and with the intensity of sporting emotion, could cause reactions and misunderstandings. It said those expressions in no way reflect the position of the Embassy of Haiti in the Dominican Republic or of the Haitian government. The note was shared with Dominican newsrooms. Listín Diario said it received the document. Diario Libre, El Día, El Nacional, and Por el Ojo de la Cerradura also reported the clarification. Reuters quoted it. The embassy has not posted the full text on an official site.⁠ ⁠ The embassy said the match brought together two national teams from neighboring countries that share an island but are two sovereign states, with borders set internationally under the Haitian-Dominican border treaty of 1929 and its revision protocol. It reaffirmed the Haitian government’s commitment to fully respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and institutions of the Dominican Republic, and the historical, human, and cultural ties between the two countries.⁠ ⁠ It added that sport, beyond competition and the emotion it stirs, is also a space for dialogue and fraternity, and that sporting rivalries must not undermine good-neighbor relations and mutual respect. The embassy said it remains ready to work with Dominican authorities, in a spirit of openness and mutual understanding, to preserve and strengthen friendly and respectful relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.⁠ ⁠ The embassy’s note circulated as Dominican officials responded separately to crowd incidents outside the stadium and to the players’ remarks. Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz said Haiti’s national team would not be allowed to play in Dominican sports facilities. President Luis Abinader said the minister’s position is the government’s position.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

David Badía does not need a long speech to tell Haitian fans who he is. After Haiti’s 4-1 win over the Dominican Republic, the picture said it for him.⁠ ⁠ In the corridor outside the dressing room, the Spanish coach was laughing, fist-bumping, and pulling players in one by one. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, came through the door and met the same welcome. So did the rest of the group. No stiff handshake. No coach standing off to the side while the players celebrated. Badía was in it with them.⁠ ⁠ Commentators watching the moment put it plainly. Three matches in, the relationship does not need a speech. You can see it. One reaction making the rounds noted that Badía does not speak French. He works in English and Spanish, and he is still learning French, while a big part of the Haitian group lives in French and Creole. The bond is showing up anyway. “You feel the coach lives it,” was the line. “You really feel the connection.”⁠ ⁠ That matches how Badía has talked since he arrived. At his September 4 presentation at the Karibe in Pétion-Ville, he introduced himself in Kreyol “Grenadye Alaso. Men mwen” and said the streets full of national-team jerseys, on a day that was not even a match day, moved him more than anything he had seen in his career. Before the window he told Spanish media the Haitian players appealed to him immediately. He has said he knows the group he has, and he trusts them to answer what he asks.⁠ ⁠ The trust is showing up in the selections, not only in the hugs. He has not hidden behind the World Cup eleven. Dany Jean and Carl Fred Sainté have started. Sainté was trusted in central defense against Costa Rica. Returning players are getting real minutes. After the opening win, with only two training sessions behind them, Badía talked about the players’ effort and commitment, and about the fans who made the trip, before he talked about himself.⁠ ⁠ The results have followed the feeling. A 3-2 comeback over Trinidad and Tobago. A 2-0 win over Costa Rica. Then the 4-1 in Santo Domingo a derby win that sent the Grenadiers into the Nations League quarterfinals.⁠ ⁠ Sources: @mrswanda @John.pierre1 @Footolvens⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haiti #fhfhaiti

Vice President JD Vance brought the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse into the center of a Florida campaign rally Thursday, linking the killing to fraud involving COVID-19 relief funds while accusing the Biden administration of failing to act.⁠ ⁠ Speaking at a Republican midterm rally at the Sun ’n Fun hangar at Lakeland Linder International Airport, Vance used the high-profile assassination case to reinforce his administration’s message on government fraud and taxpayer money. However, while federal prosecutors have documented the use of fraudulently obtained pandemic relief funds to support the conspiracy, the public court record does not establish Vance’s broader allegation that the Biden administration knew about the specific scheme and failed to intervene.⁠ ⁠ The speech came as Vance campaigned in support of Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds and Senator Ashley Moody ahead of the November midterm elections. Florida is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the United States, making references to Haiti particularly significant in a state where immigration and public spending remain politically prominent issues.⁠ ⁠ Moïse was assassinated on July 7, 2021. According to U.S. prosecutors, the conspiracy involved individuals operating across South Florida, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Federal authorities have also traced some of the conspiracy's financing to money obtained through fraudulent applications for pandemic relief programs. Vance’s remarks came amid a broader push by the administration to highlight alleged fraud involving government assistance programs.⁠ ⁠ On September 14, Vance announced in Kansas City that the Small Business Administration was cutting off approximately 870,000 borrowers flagged for suspected pandemic loan abuse. He blamed Democrats for failing to adequately enforce the programs. The Moïse assassination case offered a more dramatic example for that argument, connecting the misuse of American taxpayer funds to the killing of a foreign head of state.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican

After Haiti’s 4–1 win over the Dominican Republic on Thursday night, some Haitian fans stayed in the stands at Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez and voluntarily picked up the trash left behind.⁠ ⁠ Videos shared Friday show volunteers gathering snack bags, plastic bottles, and aluminum containers by hand. Dominican newspaper Hoy reported the scene, and local outlet Altanto also noted that several Haitian supporters joined a cleanup after the final whistle.⁠ ⁠ Those clips are not what is traveling in the Dominican press. The videos dominating coverage show fans forcing a gate before kickoff. Diario Libre, NTN24, and others led with the disorder, the damaged door, and Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz’s announcement that Haiti’s national team will not be allowed to play again in Dominican facilities. The voluntary cleanup has been reported, but it is not the clip going viral.⁠ ⁠ Inside the stadium, the night had been a football occasion. Haitian supporters, many of them residents of the Dominican Republic or fans who crossed the border, made up most of a crowd of about 25,000. Haiti led from the ninth minute through Deedson Loocius, then added more after the break, including two goals from Wilson Isidor. The Dominican Republic pulled one back through Dordi Ronero. The win moved Haiti to nine points in the group.⁠ ⁠ For the fans who stayed, the cleanup was a small answer to a louder story. Not everyone remained. Those who did left their section clearer than they found it. ⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican #haitian

It’s been a very interesting day in the Dominican Republic following Haiti’s 4-1 victory over the Dominican Republic!⁠ ⁠ President Luis Abinader on Friday backed a decision by Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz to ban Haiti’s national football team from using Dominican sports facilities, a day after disorder erupted at the gates of Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez ahead of a Concacaf Nations League match.⁠ ⁠ “The position of the Minister of Sports is the position of the government,” Abinader said during a visit to the 28th Santo Domingo International Book Fair, according to Dominican media outlets Listín Diario and Hoy.⁠ ⁠ Cruz announced the ban earlier Friday, describing the damage at the stadium as unacceptable. He said the government would not tolerate disorder or disrespect toward facilities that the Dominican state has spent millions of pesos renovating.⁠ ⁠ “I have bad news for the manager of the Haitian national team: we do not tolerate disorder, so we are denying the Haiti national team any use of our facilities,” Cruz said, according to reports from Alofoke Deportes and Diario Libre.⁠ ⁠ Dominican media reports indicate that a crowd forced its way through an access gate at Félix Sánchez on Thursday night after security checkpoints had closed. Authorities have linked the decision to ban Haiti’s national team from Dominican facilities to the incident and the reported damage at the stadium.⁠ ⁠ However, much of the video circulating online since the match has focused on Haitian supporters, many carrying Haitian flags, pushing through an entrance. We want to share another perspective.⁠ ⁠ A member of our team was at the stadium and recorded footage while waiting to enter through a VIP gate. That video also captures fans rushing toward that entrance. As security appeared to lose control of the situation and the gate gave way, people already gathered outside, including both Haitian and Dominican supporters, moved inside. The events should not be represented solely through clips showing Haitian supporters. A broader view of the incident, including what happened at other entrances and the actions of fans in general.⁠ ⁠ #lunionsuite #haitianamerican⁠

The Grenadiers are on a roll. 🇭🇹🔥 Haiti defeated the Dominican Republic 4–1 Thursday night in Santo Domingo, earning its third straight victory in the 2026–27 Concacaf Nations League. Louicius Deedson opened the scoring in the 9th minute, giving Haiti an early 1–0 lead. The Dominican Republic responded through Dorny Romero in the 55th minute, but Haiti quickly took control again. Wilson Isidor scored twice, finding the net in the 59th and 67th minutes to put Haiti ahead 3–1. Yassin Fortuné added the fourth goal in the 76th minute to complete a dominant night for the Grenadiers. The victory keeps Haiti’s perfect Nations League start alive: 3–2 over Trinidad and Tobago, 2–0 over Costa Rica and now 4–1 over the Dominican Republic. Concacaf confirms Haiti won its first two matches before Thursday’s victory. That gives Haiti three wins from three matches and nine points in a competitive Group A. And there’s little time to celebrate. Haiti returns to action Sunday, October 4 against Costa Rica in San José, its final match of this group-stage window. Three games. Three wins. Nine points. 🇭🇹🔥 🎥: @concacafnationsleague | @fhfhaiti #lunionsuite #haitianamerican