Adan Noel scored one minute into second-half stoppage time and Trinidad & Tobago defeated Guatemala 1-0 on Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship.
Trinidad finished its Group C play with four points from two games, three better than Jamaica and four ahead of Guatemala, which must beat the host on Saturday to advance.
Noel's strike came somewhat against the run of play, driving a rebound from 23 meters after his free kick struck the Guatemalan wall.
Guatemala, which had coach Gary Stempel expelled in the 30th minute, was reduced to 10 men immediately after the goal when keeper Johnny Navarro, who already had a yellow, was ejected by Barbadian referee Trevor Taylor apparently for dissent.
Neither team generated much offensively at the start, with both sending passes awry. Possession and chances improved in the second half, and with Guatemala's Luis Perez putting a left-footed shot over the crossbar.
An increasing number of half chances followed, however, with Navarro tipping a speculative effort from Trinidad over the crossbar.
In the 74th minute, Albert Barrientos came close for Guatemala, which looked the more likely team to score. Guatemala outshot Trinidad 19-11, but only seven of the 30 chances were on goal.
Teams
Trinidad & Tobago: - 1.Quesi Weston; 3.Nicholas Marcano, 4.Dario Holmes, 5.Damani Richards (Yellow 56'), 7.Neil Benjamin, 8.Duane Muckette (capt), 10.Jomal Williams, 11.Garvin Samaroo (15.Isaiah Noreiga 72nd), 17.Kiel Pierre, 6.Adan Noel (Yellow 80'), 9.Shackeil Henry (12.Dwight Quintero 85th).Coach: - Shawn Cooper.
Guatemala: - Johnny Navarro (92 Yellow', 92 Red'), Luis Ruiz, Alvaro Tuna, Luis Perez (Christopher Ramirez 54th), Cristian Jimenez (Yellow 4') (Jonathan Hernandez 90th), Gererdo Gordillo, Bryan Lemus, Franklin Garcia (Yellow 78'), Julio Ortiz, Albert Barrientos (Yellow 51'), Jose Avila (Hristopher Robles 63rd).
Coach: - Gary Stempel (Red Card 31').
STATS SHEET:
Shots: - Guatemala 19, Trinidad & Tobago 11 .Shots on Target: - Guatemala 3, Trinidad & Tobago 4.
Saves: - Guatemala 3, Trinidad & Tobago 3.
Fouls: - Guatemala 16, Trinidad & Tobago 18.
Corner Kicks: - Guatemala 4, Trinidad & Tobago 5.
Offsides: - Guatemala 5, Trinidad & Tobago 0.
Attendance: - 600.
Referee: - Trevor Taylor (Barbados).
Venue: - Jarrett Park, Montego Bay.
Game Type: - CONCACAF U-17 World Cup Qualifier.
Standings (Group C):
P W D L F A Pts
Trinidad & Tobago 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
Jamaica 1 0 1 0 2 2 1
Guatemala 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
T&T U-17s defeat Guatemala 1-0.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
A 91st minute winner by Adan Noel pushed Trinidad and Tobago to a victory away from qualifying for the 2011 FIFA Under 17 World Cup as they got the better of Guatemala 1-0 in their closing Group C encounter at Jarrett Park on Thursday.
The win means T&T are through to the quarter finals and will meet either Canada or Honduras depending on how the closing set of matches in Group C and D finish on Saturday.
Head coach Shawn Cooper was elated at the end of the winning performance but warned that there was still a vital encounter coming up next Wednesday.
“The boys fulfilled my expectations more than they exceeded it,” Cooper told TTFF Media
“I told you before we got to Jamaica that we were working on the defensive part of the game and you also expressed some concern on our firepower up front and again I told you not to worry that we would get the goals when we needed it.
I’m happy to see that the boys have not let us down today,” Cooper added.
As to how he now prepares for a quarter final clash against either Honduras or Canada, Cooper said : “Tonight we will have a deserved cool down and then sit and discuss our approach for the next few days.
We will also sit and get the advice of our youth development officer Anton Corneal and plan our approach for the game.
We have already looked at the Canadian team and they appear to very organized and we will also have a further look at Honduras.”
Looking back at his team’s build up for the tournament, the former Naparima College and W Connection coach said he was never concerned.
“The trip to Colombia paid dividends. We wanted to prepare against oppositions that would give us that feel of what the Central American teams would bring and I think that was a key.
And then at home we decided to play against some of the clubs and some persons disagreed with that but at the end of the day it fitted in with our schedule and here we are today.
We now have to take all of this into our next game which will determine whether we progress or not.”
Cooper dedicated the progress to the quarter finals to the fans back home.
“I personally would like to dedicate the win to the T&T public and I hope they continue to give us that support with their prayers and especially to all our families who are supporting us.
We will try to bring it back home for them and give the country something to celebrate and be proud of,” Cooper concluded.
Ja set for epic battle after TT stun Guatemala.
By: Howard Walker (Ja Observer).
PERFECT STAGE!
A late goal by Adan Noel propelled Trinidad and Tobago to a 1-0 win over Guatemala 1-0 and into the quarter-final of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship here at the Montego Bay Sports Complex yesterday.
The Soca Warriors lead the group with four points from two games ahead of Jamaica with one and Guatemala, who are pointless.
Noel, struck the decisive goal in the 90+1 minute after his initial free-kick rebounded into his path and he made no mistake the second time of asking.
Tomorrow, hosts Jamaica and Guatemala will battle to the end to secure the second qualifying spot from the Group C, with Jamaica needing just a draw to advance.
T&T, who were outplayed for long periods of the game, can consider themselves lucky as an early penalty and several missed chances by Guatemala kept them in the hunt.
While T&T players were celebrating, Guatemala's goalkeeper was red-carded by referee Trevor Taylor in the 92nd minute after he rushed to the centre circle and kick-started the game, prompting his teammate to kick the ball at an empty T&T goal.
The shot nevertheless missed but Taylor, who had given him a yellow card in the 90th minute, flashed the red at him.
He joined his coach Gary Stempel who was also sent into the stands by the referee in the 31st minute.
It wasn't the greatest of game technically, but T&T did what they had to do and can rest comfortably over the next few days.
T&T's head coach Shawn Cooper was glad for the revenge win after losing to their opponents in 2009.
"We played a defensive system and forced them to shoot from outside. Our defence played deep and I thought they committed too much offensively and got caught," said a jubilant Cooper.
Meanwhile, Guatemala coach Gary Stempel said he thought they got enough chances to win and put the game away. "We took the risk by committing in attack and come Saturday, it is a do or die game with nothing to hold back."
Guatemala only had themselves to blame but set the stage for an epic battle with hosts Jamaica for that second qualifying spot.
Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) qualified for the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship yesterday afternoon when a stoppage-time goal by Adan Noel gave them a 1-0 win against Guatemala in their Group C game at Jarrett Park, in Montego Bay.
By virtue of T&T's win, host nation Jamaica, the third team in the three-team group, only need to avoid defeat in their game against Guatemala on Saturday to join T&T in the quarter-finals. However, they will probably want to win handsomely and top the group to avoid meeting Canada, who look all set to top Group C.
"Qualifying for the quarter-finals means a lot to us ... the team is young and inexperienced and came here to prove a point to the public back home," said T&T's coach Shawn Cooper. "This is not just for us, it is for the entire Caribbean."
In what was a keenly contested game in parts, Guatemala had the better of the early exchanges but solid defending by T&T kept most of the action away from their goalkeeper. However, the first chance fell to T&T in the 12th minute when Garvin Samaroo got to the edge of the box but fumbled.
Guatemala gradually began to take control midway the half and created several openings. On one such opening in the 20th minute, Franklin Garcia got away inside the box but had his shot blocked by an alert goalkeeper Quesi Weston, who had a good game.
After watching another Guatemala chance going to waste in the 32nd minute when Garcia pounced on a cross before the goal and fired wide, T&T wasted the easiest of chance in the 35th minute when Jomal Williams got to a rebound but hooked his shot high.
Good start to second half
Guatemala started the second half well and just missed taking the lead in the 46th minute when Bryan Lemus fired wide from six yards.
After T&T created and wasted a chance in the 60th minute when Garvin Samaroo got into the box, hesitated and lost possession, Guatemala wasted a similar opportunity two minutes later when Luiz Perez was dispossessed before the goal.
Midway the half, the fans were treated to good end-to-end action with both teams taking turns putting pressure on each other. However, Guatemala, who displayed better passing skills, looked the more composed of the two teams.
With time running out in the game and a draw looking the likely result, T&T got a free kick on the edge of the Guatemala penalty area moments into stoppage time. The initial kick by Noel was blocked by the wall but he fired home the rebound.
"This is sweet revenge for us because the last time we met Guatemala, in the 2009 tournament, they embarrassed us 3-0," said Cooper.
Today's games (at Jarrett Park): - 12:30 p.m: Costa Rica vs El Salvador. 3 p.m: USA vs Panama.