Trinidad and Tobago national men's Under 20 team were late last night crown 2014 Caribbean Champs after disposing Haiti 3-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
St Ann's Rangers starlet Kadeem Corbin netted a hattrick in the 34th, 81st and 85th minute respectively to deny the Haitians.
The well talked about striker took home double trophies for his consistent performance throughout the tournament when he were rewarded the 'MVP' and the golden-boot awards for most goals with 5.
Both Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti will represent the Caribbean at CONCACAF level along with Cuba, Aruba and hosts Jamaica. The Under-20 CONCACAF Championship is scheduled for January 2015 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Cuba meanwhile, clinched the third place prize earlier with a 2-1 win over Aruba at the same venue. Eddy Saname had given Cuba the lead in the 54th minute before Aruba responded through Ricky Hodge in the 84th to tie up the score and then three minute before regulation time Cuba's top striker Frank Lopez netted the winner in minute 87.
The 2015 CONCACAF Under-20 Finals will include a field of twelve teams: five from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), four from the Central American Football Union (UNCAF), and three from North America.
The tournament will crown the Confederation champion at the Under 20 age level, and qualify four teams to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015.
Mexico are two-time defending CONCACAF Under 20 champions, having claimed the title in Puebla, Mexico in 2013 and in Guatemala City in 2011.
U-20 Caribbean Cup Final
Trinidad & Tobago 0 v Haiti 0
Kadeem Corbin 34
Kadeem Corbin 81
Kadeem Corbin 85
Third Place Play-Off
Cuba 2 v Aruba 1
Eddy Saname 53 Ricky Hodge 84
Frank Lopez 87
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago: 1.Johan Welch; 2.Shannon Gomez (capt), 3.Martieon Watson, 4.Jesus Perez, 5.Maurice Ford; 8.Neveal Hackshaw, 17.Akeem Humphrey; 11.Levi Garcia, 18.Jabari Mitchell (16.Kion Joseph 75th), 15.Aikim Andrews (12.Kishun Seecharan 56th); 9.Kadeem Corbin (14.Matthew Woo Ling 88th).
Unused substitutes: 21.Javon Sample (GK), 7.Akeem Garcia, 10.Andre Fortune, 13.Josiah Trimmingham, 19.Nicholas Dillon.
Coach: Derek King.
Haiti: 12.Steve Sanon; 7.Nerlin St Vil (4.Mike Guillaume 55th), 2.Stephane Lambese, 15.Jean Jean-Baptiste (capt) (16.Exillien Fritz 84th), 18.Paul Narkendel, 6.Demas Fernander; 8.Venel St Fort, 14.Alessandro Campoy; 9.Desire Jonel, 19.Junior Joseph, 10.Woodensky Cherenfant (20.Fredlin Monpremier 80th).
Unused substitutes: 1.Guitho Charles (GK), 5.Wilmond Oracius.
Coach: Jerome Velfert.
Referee: Yadel Martinez (Cuba).
Venue: Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Attendance (approx): 4,200.
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T&T blank Haiti 3-0 in CFU final.
By Ian Prescott (Express).
Young Warriors rule
Two out of two, and still there is senior men national team qualifying for the 2014 Caribbean Cup to come in October.
Kadeem Corbin struck a hat-trick, as a Trinidad and Tobago team won a second Caribbean tournament hosted within a month, when the Young Warriors defeated Haiti 3-0 in the 2014 Caribbean Men’s Under-20 Championship, joining the women’s national team as Caribbean champions.
Among those witnessing the final on Friday night at Hasely Crawford Stadium were Caribbean Football Union president Gordon Derrick and Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Raymond Tim Kee.
Once again, St Ann’s Rangers striker Kadeem Corbin provided an attacking spark for T&T and the only goal of the first half in the 34th minute.
Promising 16-year-old striker Levi Garcia had earlier made two lazy efforts, when refusing to chase catchable passes. But when he produced a burst of speed into the penalty area, he left the left-back for dead and set up Corbin with a short pass which the tenacious striker got a long leg to, and rolled in at the near post. Haiti goalkeeper Steve Sanon had gone looking for a cross and was left for dead.
It would be safe to say that Group A won by T&T was the stronger of the two, after runners-up Cuba beat the Group B second team Aruba 2-1 for third spot. Haiti were worthy final opponents, but struggled to assert themselves as they did when finishing Group B unbeaten.
Against T&T, the equally quick, but superior Group A winners, Haiti spent much of the match defending, their lethal players Jonel Desire, Cheremfant Woodensky and Junior Peterson Joseph unable to make the powerful runs which won matches against Aruba, Dominican Republic (2-1) and St Kitts-Nevis (5-2).
T&T controlled centre field where Akeem Humphrey had a particularly good first half.
He showed skill and precision in midfield, and so too did simple, but intelligent central defender Mattieon Warson, who made several timely interceptions.
Playmaker Alessandro Campoy was Haiti’s outstanding player.
It as no wonder the closest the Haitians came to a first half goal was when Campoy let fly from outside the box, sending T&T goalie Johan Welch flying to pluck down a goal-bound shot on the stroke of half time.
Welch made up for a couple of lapses in earlier matches, with some timely interceptions of his own, justifying coach Derek King’s confidence that he was “good” despite early tournament lapses.
Haiti did make an made effort make an effort to get level and when a ball into the box fell kindly for Joseph. It looked a sure goal. But, slipping and sliding, the T&T left-back Ford swept the danger away.
The exclamation point was put on a tactical encounter when substitute midfielder Kishun Seecharan escaped and passed infield to Corbin, who scored into an empty net in the 84th after going past keeper Sanon.
Corbin also beat a defender to the ball when putting in Levi Garcia’s pass for a third in the 86th minute.
Corbin’s hat-trick inspires T&T to title.
By Andrew Gioannetti (Guardian).
A hat-trick from forward Kadeem Corbin inspired T&T to a second Caribbean title in less than a month after a talented group of national Under-20 players defeated Haiti 3-0 in Friday’s final to capture the CFU Under-20 Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.
The U-20 boys joined T&T’s senior women’s team as Caribbean champions, after the latter won the inaugural CFU Women’s Championship late last month, also as tournament host.
Both teams will now shift their focus to their respective Fifa World Cup tournaments, both of which will take place next year.
The final followed a third place playoff, which saw Cuba trump Aruba 2-1 in a dramatic finale.
For Corbin, 18, who received the”Most Valuable Player” and Golden Boot awards after finishing top scorer of the tournament with five goals, bagged a goal in the first half and completed the hat-trick with two more late in the second, all in true strikers’ fashion.
They came following tremendous and selfless assists from wingers Levi Garcia and substitute Kishun Seecharan. Corbin’s hat-trick, added with his brace against Curacao last Sunday took his tally to five goals, more than any other player.
There seemed to be a consensus that T&T saved their best effort for last against a disciplined Haiti, which never looked like giving up three goals after its solid defensive first half display.
The young Soca Warriors took a while to settle in as the Haitians marshalled four players around Garcia and left-mid Aikim Andrews, breaking plays down at every turn.
But then in the 35th minute, T&T broke the deadlock after a beautiful assist from Garcia, who only moments before made the switch from the right to the left flank.
He received a pass close to the half-way line, burst forward to the byline, turned and passed to Corbin who then lunged forward for the finish.
It was a rare first half opportunity for T&T which was perfectly executed. Then, nearing half time, Haiti had a couple of fair chances to score but was bitterly disappointed by unconvincing finishes.
In the 43rd minute, Haiti’s Jonel Desire, after bursting his way through T&T’s defense, sent T&T keeper Johan Welch sprawling with a shot that sailed wide. The Haitians then had a another couple of half-chances, which turned into moments of panic.
Midfielder Alessandro Campoy of the away team took a snap shot midway in T&T’s half, but Welch was alert and instinctively parried the ball wide for a corner. The set-piece resulted in Haiti’s best chance of the match, with Nerlin St Vil receiving the ball in the box with a broad sight of the goal, but his effort was wasted with a skied effort.
Haiti’s squandered chances haunted them in the second half and it didn’t help that the away players were becoming visibly fatigued. But, Haiti did have full sight at goal all the way forward to the 71th minute, when an aerial ball over T&T’s defense found Desire, who was clattered and the ball cleared by a last-second tackle from Maurice Ford much to the delight of a nervous home support.
Five minutes later, T&T scored the second goal, the one needed for breathing space. And, the players involved made it look easy. Seecharan, who substituted Andrews in the 57th minute, made a darting run down the right flank, laid off for Corbin, who remained composed when wrong footing the goal keeper for an easy finish. And, in the 85th minute, Corbin completed his hat-trick after Garcia presented his second superb assist of the match. The stadium, flocked with roughly 3,000 spectators, went into in a frenzy.
The title win was essentially the icing on the cake as the two finalists, as well as Cuba and Aruba, were assured their spots at the Concacaf final round of 2015 World Cup qualifiers.
The four teams joined automatic qualifiers Jamaica (Concacaf host), USA, Canada, Mexico, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, for the Concacaf Championship, which runs from January 9-24 in Jamaica.