’Mexico are better than us,’ declared Even Pellerud, Trinidad and Tobago’s Norwegian director of women’s football, following a two-match tour to the Central American country by a 20-member T&T Under-17 women’s team.
The tour was used as preparation for the 2010 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup which Trinidad and Tobago will host next September.
Mexico won the first match 3-1 and rallied from two goals down to take the second match 5-2.
In the second game on Saturday, first half goals by Brianna Ryce in the 23rd minute and Khadidra Debesette in the 20th put T&T ahead 2-0 at half-time, but the home team hit back in quick succession after the break.
Tanya Samarzich led Mexico’s comeback with goals in the 54th, 62nd and 65th minutes, while Fabiola Ibarra and Christina Murillo added further items.
Pellerud said his team had an excellent first half, but got tired.
’We played a 4-5-1 formation and we won the first half,’ he said. ’They came at us a bit in the second half and the combination of fatigue and altitude eventually took its toll on the players. So in two matches we played very well in one half, but not so good in the other.’
Pellerud admitted that some of the six foreign-based players who were used in the two-match series were not as fit as the 14 locally-based ones, who have a regular strenuous training schedule in preparation for next year’s FIFA tournament.
’Mexico started taking a lot of shots from distance and almost everything went in,’ added Pellerud. ’Our goalkeeper (Saundra Baron) will be in exceptional form for the World Cup, but she came into the match a bit unfit and was panting a bit in the second half.
’We had just one day to incorporate the foreign-based players into the team and that is something we will have to work on doing much earlier.’
Pellerud said the tour was good experience for his team who would like to make a good impression as World Cup hostesses next year.
’We are having a tournament in February, but we would still like to have games likes these against Mexico every month or so,’ Pellerud said. ’It is the only way we will know what area we need to improve in.’
A one on one with Even Pellerud.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
National Women's Coach Even Pellerud tells us about his life in Trinidad and Tobago for the past ten months. He talks about why he believes there is reason to continue working in T&T and his hopes for the future of the women's game here. Find out what he thinks about the possibility of facing former team Canada in next year's FIFA Under 17 Women's World Cup.
View Part 1 and Part 2 Videos of Pellerud's interviews.