Not even the presence of former T&T men’s coach Zoran Vranes on the opposing team’s bench could stop the T&T Under-20 woman footballers from running rings around the St Vincent and the Grenadines at Mindoo Phillip Park in Castries, St Lucia on Friday afternoon.
It took exactly 11 minutes for the superior T&T girls to score their first goal, after some eaarly
poor finishing threatened to let SVG off the hook.
But after T&T’s USA-born striker Stephanie DeSousa opened the scoring with a masterful solo effort, dribbling four defenders in the process, the goals came fast and furious.
By the 36th minute T&T was leading 12 goals to nil and in an unprecedented move coach Jamaal Shabazz substituted start striker Kennya Cordner, skipper Aveann Douglas and foreign-based defender Katrina Meyer before the half-time whistle.
At that point, young Kennya Cordner had scored five goals, taking her tournament tally to 12; Aveann Douglas and Stephanie DeSousa had both scored doubles, with Karen Forbes, Dernelle Mascall and Janine Francois getting one each.
Substitute Bianca Walker was able to squeeze in a goal before the half-time whistle to take T&T to a 13-nil half-time lead.
The second half saw T&T maintaining dominance with a fine display of two-touch passing and ball possession.T&T scored six more goals in the second half with Bianca Walker and Karen Forbes each getting two more and Candace Edwards the other.
In the other match of the double-header, St Lucia and Grenada played to a thrilling 1-1 draw.
T&T’s TEAM: Kimica Forbes, Patrice Superville, Katrina Meyer, Ayana Russell, Anastasia Prescott, Janine Francois, Dernelle Mascall, Aveann Douglas, Karen Forbes, Kennya Cordner, Stephanie De Sousa.
Substitutes: Bianca Walker (Cordner 36th), Candace Edwards (Douglas 36th), Joseann Boyce (Meyer 36th).
Goalscorers: Kennya Cordner 5, Bianca Walker 3, Karen Forbes 3, Stephanie DeSousa 2, Aveann Douglas 2, Dernelle Mascall 1, Janine Francois 1, Candace Edwards 1.
T&T — 6 points, St Lucia — 4 points, Grenada —1 point and St Vincent & the Grenadines — 0.
Today: Grenada meets St Vincent & the Grenadines from 3.00 pm, while host team St Lucia and T&T clash from 5.30 pm at the Mindoo Phillip Park.