Trinidad and Tobago national U-17 team defeated Suriname 3-1 yesterday at the Ato Boldon Stadium to propell to top of the table with six points.
Kishun Seecharan opened up the match with a 27th minute goal. However the lead lasted only 5 minutes before Joel Khoenkhoen got the equalising goal in the 32nd for the Surinamese.
However, one of T&T's most outstanding players in the tournament thus far- Akeem Garcia had something to say about that when he put T&T back in front with a composed right footed finish into the right of the goal after being played in by Brent Sam (minute 38th).
Midfielder Jabari Mitchell added the final nail on the coffin for the young talented T&T side with a 47th minute strike to seal the deal for T&T.
It was also reported that, despite the win, the young Soca Warriors team did not play a fluid game and did not look to composed with possession especially against a better opposition but hopes to change that when they face Guyana on Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 7pm.
Speaking of which, at the later match of the double header second place team Guyana defeated British Virgin Island 13-0. Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica has already qualified and awaits the group 4 winners (T&T's group) along with group 5 winners which is currently being played among (Barbados, Grenada, U.S. Virgin Islands and host St Kitts).
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago: - Stephon Seepersad; Shannon Gomez, Maurice Ford, Josiah Trimmingham, Martieon Watson, Akeem Garcia, Brendon Creed (capt), Jabari Mitchell, Andre Fortune (Mathew Woo Ling 46th), Kishun Seecharan (Aikim Andrews 60th), Brent Sam (Weah Adams 82nd).
Coach: - Shawn Cooper.
Suriname: - Savio Proeger; Abednego Everd, Anfernee Kleberg, Jorgino Overman, Siverino Satiman (Moreno Asoman 41st), Romano Van Der Loo (Saverio Adenie 8th), Joel Khoenkhoen, Selassie Zandveld, Sorencio Juliaans, Jofrendi Gainsa, Donnegy Fer.
Coach: - Delano Ball.
Referee: - Junior Andujar (Dominican Republic).
Attendance: - 656.
GP W T L GF GA GD Pts
Trinidad & Tobago 2 2 0 0 26 1 +25 6
Guyana 2 1 0 1 14 3 +11 3
Suriname 2 1 0 1 4 4 +0 3
British Virgin Island 2 0 0 2 0 36 -36 0
U-17s scrape past Suriname 3-1 face Guyana.
T&T Guardian Reports.
T&T’s Under-17 footballers need only a draw against Guyana today to seal first place and a spot in the final round of Concacaf FIFA World Cup qualifiers, after taking a nervy 3-1 win over Suriname, on Thursday night.
The match followed Guyana’s 13-0 thrashing of a demoralised British Virgin Islands (BVI). Both games were staged in a double-header at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.
As a result, the Shawn Cooper-coached T&T remains on top of the four team standings with six points, three more than both Guyana and Suriname, with the BVI on no points, while all teams are with one match to play today, in another double-header back at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
The second match between the two opening day winners T&T and Suriname was in fact scrappy, as both teams looked a shadow of those which dropped the BVI (23-0) and Guyana (3-1), on Tueasday.
It, however, proved that T&T’s win versus BVI could not determine the quality required against better opposition, such as the USA and Mexico, which is already into the final Concacaf qualifying round.
FC Santa Rosa winger Kishun Seecharan, who bagged a hat-trick in the first match against BVI, opened the scoring in the 28th minute in the most unorthodox fashion, from what should have been a routine clearance from the Suriname defence, ending up being deflected by the T&T player into the back of the net.
However, Suriname, a team possessing pacey and some technically inclined players, quickly responded, albeit from another unintentional finish from T&T fullback Maurice Ford who steered a low cross into his own net.
In the 38th minute, T&T took its second lead with the goal of the fixture through on of the liveliest and most exciting players Akeem Garcia, who received a smart pass from Fatima College and Police FC striker Brent Sam and curled his effort into the back of the net. Leading 2-1, T&T entered the second half determined to make its opportunities count.
Two minutes in the young “Soca Warriors” found their third through W Connection midfielder Jabari Mitchell, who took a shot just outside the left hand side of the penalty area, which squeezed through the legs of goalkeeper Savio Proeger, in a moment of horror for the Surinamese.
An insurance item for the team in red almost came with roughly 15 minutes remaining, when Sam struck the post with a header after being found through a perfectly weighed cross from Matthew Woo Ling, who was introduced at the start of the second half. Woo Ling was brought in and livened the match with majectic ball control and passes.
In the end of the relatively untidy encounter, T&T got the win nontheless and went top of the standings, with its last match against Guyana to be played today. Guyana, which struggled against Suriname in a losing effort on Tuesday slotted 13 unanswered goals against the BVI in the opening match on Thursday.
BVI are out of contention to advance, while Guyana and Suriname stands with a mathematical chance of qualifying granted results elsewhere goes in their favour. T&T is expected to join Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti and automatically qualified teams in the USA, Mexico and Canada in the Concacaf round of qualifiers, which kicks off on April 6, 2013 in Panama.