PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — Nineteen years later, Russell Latapy and Dwight Yorke exacted some revenge against the United States.

Veterans of Trinidad and Tobago’s crushing defeat to the Americans in 1989, the pair scored second-half goals Wednesday night to give the Soca Warriors a 2-1 victory over the U.S. team in a World Cup qualifier.

“Football is a funny game. You know, 20 years ago, who would’ve thought we would still be fit and in front of you guys,” Yorke said. “Me and Russell have just been having a bit of a laugh about the fact that we have a combined age of 77 between us.”

Latapy, a 40-year-old midfielder, scored in the 61st minute but Charlie Davies tied it in the 75th with his first international goal.

Yorke, a former Manchester United forward who turns 37 on Nov. 3, beat American goalkeeper Brad Guzan with a penalty kick in the 79th.

“It’s tough. We can take a lot from this experience,” said DaMarcus Beasley, who captained the U.S. for the first time. “We had a lot of young guys who got their first taste of qualifying away. I thought for the most part we held our own. We had some chances, but the final pass in the final third wasn’t right tonight.”

Latapy and Yorke started for the Soca Warriors against the United States in Port-of-Spain on Nov. 19, 1989 — 13 days after Altidore was born. T&T needed only a tie to qualify for the 1990 World Cup, but Paul Caligiuri’s 30th-minute goal led the United States to a 1-0 victory and its first World Cup appearance in 40 years.

The Soca Warriors had been 0-8-1 against the United States since winning a November 1994 exhibition 1-0 at Port-of-Spain.

“It’s been coming for a while,” Yorke said, “but the USA has always seemed to have the edge on us over a number of years — not because they’re more talented, I think they’ve just been more organized. When it comes to talent, Trinidad and Tobago is a gifted group of players, it’s just been a mental thing over the years.”

The Americans have appeared in five straight World Cups, becoming a regional power. Four days after a clinching a berth in next year’s six-nation finals in the North and Central American and Caribbean region, the United States (4-1) fielded a young lineup that included just three starters from Saturday’s 6-1 win over Cuba in Washington.

T&T (2-1-2) got a key victory its quest to qualify for its second straight World Cup appearance. The Soca Warriors are second in the semifinal group with eight points, three ahead of Guatemala (1-2-2), which lost 2-1 at Cuba (1-4).

On the final night of the round, Nov. 19, Trinidad hosts Cuba, and the United States plays Guatemala at Commerce City, Colo.

The United States had been 14-1-3 against T&T, including 9-0-2. When the teams met last month in suburban Chicago, the Americans won 3-0.

After a steel-drum band version of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” defender Michael Orozco made his first U.S. national team appearance and Jose Francisco Torres, who made his debut Saturday, was given his first start.

Latapy, who made his international debut on Oct. 30, 1988, scored from about 12 yards out, feeding the ball to Carlos Edwards on the right flank before taking the return feed. Latapy’s shot bounced off the post, hit Guzan’s back and caromed back into the net.

“I’m not sure if that situation repeated itself 50 times that it would happen that way again,” Guzan said. “We can say a little bit unlucky, but there were definitely things that we could have done better on that play to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

Davies scored from just in front after a quick cross from Altidore.

“The people of Trinidad and Tobago will always remember this win,” said T&T coach Francisco Maturana, whose Colombian team was upset by the United States at the 1994 World Cup. “We have just created history by beating the USA.”