A double from Presentation College San Fernando left-winger Jaiye Sheppard in the 34th and 60th minute respectively, helped T&T rallied from a goal down to steal a sweet 3-2 victory over Caribbean-rivals Jamaica at the IMG Soccer Stadium in Florida.
T&T's number-9 striker Justin Araujo-Wilson also got on the scoresheet as the former Defence Force prolific goalscorer continues his fine goalscoring form making it 3-goals in 2 games. Having former T&T strikers Stern John (coach) and Kenwyne Jones (his assistant) as his mentors will certainly be good contributors to the player's development.
T&T extracted perfect revenge after a humiliating 8-1 defeat to Jamaica when both teams met two years ago in the Concacaf Under-15 Championship at the same venue. Former T&T coach Russell Latapy was at the helm then and both goalscorers (Wilson) and (Sheppard) were also part of the team.
Both teams meanwhile, are competing in the 2019 CONCACAF Under 17 Men’s Championship and with the results it means that T&T are through to the second rounds. Jamaica on the other hand is still very much alive if they could beat Bermuda which will see them play Group G runner-up.
Trinidad and Tobago will meet Mexico next, which will no doubt be their toughest assignment in the tournament thus far. Mexico sits on-top of the Group having yet, to concede a single goal in their first two outings and, in this tournament.
The team that finishes as Group winners will face Group B winner Puerto Rico, while runner-up will have to tackle Group G third-placed team.
Head-coach Stern John told the TTFA Media. “I’m delighted for the boys. I spoke to them about the importance of this match and the fact that it is the biggest Caribbean derby and they went out there and demonstrated exactly how they felt about it. They followed my instructions an stuck to the plan. I think they had a bit of a score to settle as well from a previous match a couple of years ago,: said John.
“Now we have showed that we came here to compete because I don’t think anyone gave us a chance coming into this tournament. Now we’ve proven them wrong and I’m backing my boys to keep their heads high and continue playing good football. It’s still a far way off in terms of qualifying for Brazil but I will give them credit for pulling off two wins and showing that they are no pushovers,” John added.
Teams
T&T: 1.Isaiah Williams; 2.Nigel Carraby, 3.Luke Savery (Yellow 69), 4.Jordon Britto, 5.Cephas St Rose; 6.Zachary Welch (capt) (10.Andrew De Gannes 85th), 7.Jaiye Sheppard (Yellow 61) (17.Kevan Kahoussi 72nd), 19.Ajani Fortune, 8.Tyrese Pierre, 14.Jerrell Nixon (11.Jean-Heim Mc Fee 67th), 9.Justin Araujo-Wilson.
Unused substitutes: 20.Kahlil Oliver; 13.Gary Griffith III, 15.Jeremy Lashley, 16.Keilon Burnett-Acevaro, 18.Isa Sayeed, 12.Curtis De Leon.
Coach: Stern John.
Jamaica: 20 Shamar Haffenden; 4.Damian Jones, 5.Scott McLeod (capt), 6.Kenroy Campbell (Yellow 43), 18.Dandre Miller (Yellow 71, 85 = Red), 7.Dwayne Atkinson, 10.Jamone Shepherd, 12.Cristojaye Daley (8.Gregory Cousins 70th), 17.Kenroy Stoddart (14.Isaac Scott 55th), 16.Rajay Wright, 19 Tajay Grant (15.Giovanni Mittoo 69th).
Coach: John Gilchrist.
Referee: Armando Villarreal (USA).
Videos:
Stern John reactions after 3-2 victory over Jamaica
CU17 JAM 2-3 TRI | Highlights
Group E Results
Venue: IMG Soccer Stadium, Florida.
T&T 3 (Jaiye Sheppard 34, 60, Justin Araujo-Wilson 44) v Jamaica 2 (Cristojaye Daley 17, Isaac Scott 90)
Mexico 5 (Efrain Álvarez 10, Luis Martínez 16, Santiago Muñoz 56, Israel Luna 82, Kevin Mariscal 87) v Bermuda 0
Group E Standings
P W D L F A Pts
Mexico 2 2 0 0 6 0 6
Trinidad & Tobago 2 2 0 0 6 3 6
Jamaica 2 0 0 2 2 4 0
Bermuda 2 0 0 2 1 9 0
Upcoming Games
May 5th
Jamaica v Bermuda
Mexico v Trinidad & Tobago
RELATED NEWS
Soca Warriors seize dance floor; Araujo-Wilson and Sheppard help T&T U-17s enact revenge over Reggae Boyz.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).
The Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 Team will meet Mexico on equal footing on Sunday after the junior Soca Warriors maintained their 100 per cent group record this evening with a battling 3-2 Concacaf Championship win over regional rivals, Jamaica, in Brentford, Florida.
Two years ago, the two aforementioned Caribbean nations met at the same venue in the Concacaf Under-15 Championship and the result was a humiliating 8-1 win for the young Reggae Boyz. There was none of that nonsense today and, at the final whistle, it was Jamaican players who slumped to the ground and buried their faces in the grass.
Winger Jaiye Sheppard and forward Justin Araujo-Wilson might have especially enjoyed the result. They were among five Trinidad and Tobago players today—including captain Zachary Welch, defender Cephas St Rose and substitute Jean-Heim Mc Fee—who were victims of that mauling, two years ago.
Sheppard and Araujo-Wilson were particularly influential in the preparing of the cold plate of revenge served to the ‘land of ackee and saltfish.’
Jamaica could have had no idea about what was coming their way. For most of the game, the Boyz enjoyed over 60 per cent of ball possession and it was they who struck first. The match was 17 minutes old when flanker Dwayne Atkinson whipped in a cross from the right side which Cephas St Rose failed to cut out and Cristojaye Daley rammed home with a left footed volley.
Trinidad and Tobago custodian Isaiah Williams got a hand to the Jamaican effort but could not keep it out. Daley was the only change in the Jamaica team that lost 1-0 to Mexico on Wednesday while Williams was one of three alterations to the Warriors team that downed Bermuda 3-1 in midweek.
But T&T coach Stern John—who replaced another 2006 World Cup standout Russell Latapy at the helm of the youth team—did not have to wait long to see his inclusions come into their own.
The bit about ‘forwards being the first line of defence’ is no empty cliche with this squad. And as Jamaica were harried into conceding possession in their own half of the field, Araujo-Wilson found midfielder Tyrese Pierre whose diagonal ball was turned in at the back post from an acute angle by the lunging Sheppard in the 34th minute.
It was completely against the run of play but, improbably, Trinidad and Tobago went ahead in the 44th minute as the Jamaican defence failed to deal with a deep free kick aimed at gangly six-footer Jerrell Nixon.
The ball broke for Araujo-Wilson and he enhanced his reputation as a poacher of some promise with a controlled first time volley past Jamaica custodian Shamar Haffenden.
Araujo-Wilson celebrated with a sprint to the half-line to hug John. John, of course, is Trinidad and Tobago’s record senior international goal scorer and a former England Premier League striker with Birmingham City and Sunderland AFC. Assistant Under-17 coach Kenwyne Jones is a former Premiership forward with Southampton, Sunderland, Stoke City and Cardiff City.
Araujo-Wilson, a former Fatima College schoolboy, could hardly find better mentors.
Jamaica never stopped plugging away but their malaise only grew in the 60th minute, as Nixon held off opposing full back Kenroy Campbell before whipping in a brilliant cross that Sheppard converted with an improvised header.
Sheppard, an unused substitute against Bermuda, showed what the goal meant to him as the Presentation College (San Fernando) student whipped off his shirt to celebrate—and received the mandatory booking for doing so.
Jamaica’s next booking was far costlier as central defender Dandre Miller got a second yellow card and marching orders after a cynical foul on Araujo-Wilson. The Trinidad and Tobago ‘number 9’ was virtually unplayable and should have stretched the Warriors lead with another dynamic run on the break, only to be denied by the legs of Haffenden.
At the death, the twin island republic tried to see off the match with negative ball possession and instead conceded a late goal as Atkinson burst past Savery and pulled back for substitute Isaac Scott to finish, after being granted far too much space in the T&T penalty box.
But it did not spoil a memorable outing for the young Warriors, whose returns so far have made a mockery of their chaotic preparation for the competition.
“I spoke to them about the importance of this match and the fact that it is the biggest Caribbean derby,” John told the TTFA Media, “and they went out there and demonstrated exactly how they felt about it. They followed my instructions and stuck to the plan.
“I think they had a bit of a score to settle as well from a previous match a couple of years ago.”
Mexico, who defeated Bermuda 5-0 this evening, and Trinidad and Tobago both have six points after two matches and meet to decide the group winners from 4pm on Sunday. Mexico have a superior goal differential and need only a draw to top the group.
The winner between Jamaica and Bermuda will advance to the Round of 16 while the loser will be eliminated. Jamaica, due to a better goal difference, will advance with a draw.
The top four nations from the Concacaf Championship advance to the Brazil 2019 Under-17 World Cup.
“Now we have showed that we came here to compete because I don’t think anyone gave us a chance coming into this tournament,” said John. “Now we’ve proven them wrong and I’m backing my boys to keep their heads high and continue playing good football.
“It’s still a far way off in terms of qualifying for Brazil but I will give them credit for pulling off two wins and showing that they are no push overs.”
Junior Warriors stun Jamaica.
By Walter Alibey (Newsday).
A double strike from T&T's prolific forward Jaiye Sheppard in the 34th and 60th minutes confirmed T&T's passage to the next round of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship with a 3-2 victory over Jamaica at the IMG Academy in Florida, USA yesterday.
With two teams progressing from the group, the win puts T&T in contention to win Group A when they face the giants of Mexico in their final match tomorrow afternoon.
The young Soca Warriors were almost certain of advancing after an impressive 3-1 triumph over Bermuda in their opener on Wednesday.
But they got a major scare when the young Reggae Boyz jumped out front courtesy a 17-minute strike from Christojae Daley. The talented Jamaican striker waited in anticipation as Dwayne Atkinson took the ball past two T&T defenders on the right side before delivering to him to fire into an open goal.
T&T, coached by Stern John, a former T&T international, settled in the game nicely thereafter, but they had to wait until the 34th-minute for the equalizer. Sheppard of Presentation College, San Fernando, turned hope into reality by converting at the far post, a goal that came after Justin Araujo-Wilson dribbled into the Jamaican danger area, before releasing to an unmarked Sheppard at the back door to fire home.
But as the match approached the half-time interval, T&T took the lead. Sheppard from a 43rd-minute free-kick saw the Jamaican defence struggle to clear the ball, and it fell nicely for Araujo-Wilson to beat the goalkeeper at the far post to send T&T to a 2-1 advantage.
And after the break, the T&T team assured themselves of a place in the second round, when Jerrel Nixon, son of former T&T striker Jerren Nixon, stormed down the right flank and whipped in a cross for Sheppard to head home in the 68th minute for a 3-1 lead.
Down by two goals, the Jamaicans were then reduced to 10 men when Dandre Miller received marching orders for his second bookable offence in the 84th minute.
Still, it did not prevent the Jamaicans from fighting, and they were rewarded for it with a consolation item in the 93rd minute.
Isaac Scott found himself at the end of a right-side centre from Atkinson inside the area, and he picked his spot nicely, by firing beyond the outstretched arms of T&T goalkeeper Isaiah Williams.