Before even kicking a ball in their final Group B encounter with Mexico on Wednesday night, Trinidad and Tobago were made sure of a place in the 2009 FIFA Under 20 World Championship in Egypt following Costa Rica’s 2-1 defeat of Canada.
The Zoran Vranes-coached team became the only Caribbean team to qualify for the Finals and the second T&T Under 20 team to make it to the Youth World Cup after Bertille St Clair and captain Dwight Yorke led the local boys to Portugal in 1991. This time Leston Paul was the proud skipper with even more to celebrate on his 19th birthday.
The 24-team field is now complete with Australia, Korea Republic, UAE and Uzbekistan representing Asia. African giants Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa coming in from the mother continent. Europe will roll to Egypt with Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy and perennial favourites Spain. Surprise packages Tahiti will represent Oceania while Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela come in from South America and Egypt qualify automatically as hosts.
Substitute Juma Clarence scored in the 52nd with a clinical right footer into the net on his first touch for the game. Clarence came into the team as a replacement for the injured Jamal Gay. Defender Uriah Bentick then grabbed the equalizer eight minutes later with a beautifully taken left footed free kick.
“It’s a well deserved qualification for Trinidad and Tobago. I think we played the best football of the four teams and it paid off with this success,” Vranes said after the win.
“We worked very hard and of course you see tonight that there was reward for us. I changed the team just before the game because we were qualified after Canada lost and I felt some of our players would get rested for the semi final. It worked against us in the first half but my players picked themselves up and fought back very well. I am pleased with everything so far.
“Especially we want to thank all of you for your support and all the fans for coming out and supporting this team. And please keep on supporting because this team has (a) very good future,” he added.
Earlier on, Chivas de Guadalajara teammates Juan Ocampo and Antonio Salazar put Mexico ahead with goals in the ninth minute and first-half injury time.
The loss eliminated Canada and prevented them from reaching the U-20 World Cup for a fifth straight time. Costa Rica finished with seven points atop Group B, two ahead of Trinidad, and will face Group A runner-up Honduras in Friday’s semifinals. Group A winner United States will take on Trinidad in the other semifinal
Randy Edwini-Bonsu, who had both goals in a 2-0 victory over Mexico, gave the Canadians the lead in the 11th minute, but David Guzman equalized for Costa Rica in the 25th. The win sent the Ticos to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship and a second straight trip to the U-20 World Cup.
The result settled the last of CONCACAF’s four berths in the U-20 World Cup in Egypt September 24-October 16 with USA and Honduras coming out of Group A.
T&T meets USA from 7pm preceded by Honduras and Costa Rica in another semifinal clash on Friday at Macoya. The finals in Egypt will be played from September 24-October 16.
Young Warriors book Egypt spot.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).
Dwight Yorke became the old man of local football in the time Trinidad & Tobago took to qualify for their second FIFA Under-20 World Cup. Just over 18 years ago, Yorke captained the first English-speaking Caribbean team to qualify for a youth World Cup.
Last night, Leston Paul, a young man with a musician's name and a sweet touch on the football, became the second. Paul's 2009 squad did it without kicking a ball last night after Costa Rica defeated Canada 2-1 in the first match of a Marvin Lee Stadium doubleheader in the CONCACAF qualifying tournament. They have now finished among the top two in Group B and have earned an automatic spot to the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be played in Egypt from September 25- October 16.
Paul, who must have been just a few months old when Yorke's team qualified in 1990, also became the first national youth captain to lead his side to two World Cups, having led the T&T Under-17 squad which played in South Korea two years ago at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.
Twelve of those players also make up the current U-20 team.
All that is left for T&T's Young Warriors is to create a bit of history by beating the best in the region, and winning this country's first CONCACAF tournament. That long road would have begun last night against Mexico in the late match.
But thanks to Costa Rica who also booked their ticket to Egypt, the main task has been accomplished for Zoran Vranes' team.
Immediately on qualifying, Vranes changed his team, taking out regulars Leston Paul, Sean de Silva and Akeem Adams to give the subs a run against Mexico.
There was a big roar from Canadian supporters at the MLS last night when the "Canucks" took a shock lead against the run of play through Ghana-born striker Randy Edwini-Bonsu in the 13th minute. But they were soon under pressure again, as Costa Rica carved out chance after chance.
And Adam Street, the Canadian goalkeeper stopped everything Costa Rica threw his way until the 24th minute when central defender Juan Monge, curled in a free-kick from the top of the penalty area. The teams were then level at 1-1 causing a huge roar from the Trinidad & Tobago section of the crowd. Canada without the quality of the other teams, soaked up pressure and then tried to hit on the counter attack. But eventually, Costa Rica struck in the 72nd minute when Marcos Urena hit a grounder from 25 metres, which was too hot for Smith. As the ball flew past the Canadian keeper to give Costa Rica a 2-1 advantage, the "Trinis" in the crowd celebrated.
Smith later brought off excellent saves, changing direction and touching away close-up headers from Josue Martinez. But even Smith's great work could not save his team.
TEAMS
T&T: Glenroy Samuel (capt), Kevin Molino, Sheldon Bateau, Trent Lougheed (Daniel Joseph 45th), Daneil Cyrus, Qian Grovesnor (Juma Clarence 49th), Marvin Manswell (Nicholas Walker 70th), Jean-Luc Rochford, Uriah Bentick, Marcus Joseph, Aubrey David.
Subs not used: Akeem Adams, Leston Paul, Sean De Silva, Andre Marchan (GK).
Mexico: Liborio Sanchez, Nestor Vidrio, Juan Ocampo (Oswaldo Alanis 49th), Daniel Montes (Christian Sanchez 77th), Arnhold Rivas, Marco De La Mora (capt), Antonio Salazar (Nestor Calderon 83rd), Axel Velasquez, Jesus Duenas, Cesar Martinez, Luis Perez.
Subs not used: Miguel Centeno (GK), Javier Cortes, David Cabrera, Luis Silva.
GROUP - A
P W L D F A P
United States 3 2 0 1 5 0 7
Honduras 3 1 0 2 6 2 5
Jamaica 3 1 2 0 2 8 3
El Salvador 3 0 2 1 3 6 1
GROUP - B
P W L D F A P
Costa Rica 3 2 0 1 3 1 7
Trinidad & Tobago 3 1 0 2 3 2 5
Canada 3 1 2 0 3 3 3
Mexico 3 0 2 1 2 5 1
Coach Vranes eyes CONCACAF U-20 title.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).
NATIONAL Under-20 football team coach Zoran Vranes is setting his sights on winning the CONCACAF Under-20 Championships at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Tunapuna this weekend.
Trinidad and Tobago, by virtue of their qualification for the semi-final round, joins Costa Rica, Honduras and the United States as the CONCACAF teams progressing to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt from September 24 to October 16.
“Now we’re going to win the tournament,” he said in the post-game media conference, after the national team battled from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 against Mexico in their Group “B” meeting at Tunapuna. “It’s not going to be easy but we’ll try our best.”
The hosts will oppose the US in the second of back-to-back semi-finals at Tunapuna today at 8 pm, with Costa Rica meeting Honduras at five o’clock.
This is the second time that Trinidad and Tobago will participate in the Under-20 World Cup, after the Bertille St Clair-coached outfit, comprising captain Dwight Yorke, Jerren Nixon, Angus Eve, Clayton Ince, Michael McComie, Anthony Sherwood and the late Richard Theodore, played in the 1991 event in Portugal.
“I’m happy, of course,” said Vranes. “I believe the whole nation is very happy. This is something special for me too.”
Focussing on the local public, he noted, “Thank you very much for your support. We needed that as a young team. Trinidad has a future with (this team), that’s my opinion.”
On Wednesday, Costa Rica needed to defeat Canada to guarantee semi-final, and subsequently World Cup spot, for both themselves and Trinidad and Tobago. The Costa Ricans did so, with a come-from-behind 2-1 win to top Group “B”.
Vranes made a few last-minute changes to the starting lineup but insisted, “if I knew what would have happened in the first game, I would have changed the whole team.
“It was a perfect opportunity for everybody to show where they are now,” he added.
“I’m pleased with almost all of them. I know them, I expected them to play well,” continued Vranes. “(Secondary Schools League MVP Kevin) Molino surprised me a little bit because still I don’t know him.
“You can see, especially in the first half, he was a little bit scared (and) making mistakes. But, in the second half, he got some courage and played well.”
Admitting that Germany-based forward Jamal Gay is out of contention for this weekend’s matches (semi-finals and possibly the final) due to a hamstring injury, the Under-20 coach was impressed by the progress of the other strikers, especially Qian Grovesnor.
“He’s a guy who came from school (St Anthony’s College) and he’s now starting to learn some (tactical) things,” Vranes pointed out. “He’s responding nicely and he (corrected) some mistakes. He could be very good.”
Last year, the Under-20 squad won the Super League crown, as well as its knockout title.
“The Super League supported us very much,” said Vranes. “They did a good job.
“But I will ask for anyone who can make us participate in the Pro League,” he added. “We need stronger opponents.”
TT captain Leston Paul, one of the last minute omissions, revealed that the squad were in a relaxed mood after the Costa Rica-Canada result was confirmed.
“We went into the game more focussed and we came out with a 2-2 draw,” stated Paul, who also turned 19 on Wednesday. “We came from two goals down and we showed character.”
Uriah Bentick equalised for the hosts with a 59th minute freekick and he noted, “as a young boy, I always like to take freekicks because I play in the defence and I don’t get many chances to score.
“So when I get freekicks and penalties, I always ask to go and take it.”
The other World Cup entrants are hosts Egypt, Australia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan (Asia Zone), Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa (Africa Zone), Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain (Europe Zone), Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela (South American Zone) and Tahiti (Oceania Zone).