Trinidad and Tobago face powerful Mexico from 7.45 tomorrow night when the four-nation National Under-17 Women’s Football Tournament continues at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
The tournament is a warm-up for the 2010 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which takes place in T&T from September 5-25.
The Mexican girls were the only winners on Sunday’s opening night, getting past Canada 2-1 via an 86th minute Dianne Gonzales penalty, although their opponents greatly assisted them by missing several scoring chances.
In the second game, except for the final 20 minutes, Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Princesses were largely disappointing when playing out a 0-0 draw against arch-rivals Jamaica.
Although T&T did not field their strongest team, neither of the Caribbean squads looked up to the same standard of the Central and North Americans.
The Jamaicans twice threatened, both from dead balls, but otherwise the Reggae Girlz struggled to create clear openings.
The first half was diabolical but Jamaica came closest to scoring in the 21st minute, when defender Shauntae Brown met a free-kick at the back post and lobbed the ball over little T&T goalkeeper Keri Myers and onto the top of the crossbar.
Near the end, keeper Myers gathered the ball at the second attempt after Brianna Ryce’s free-kick almost pushed her back into the goal.
Speaking afterwards, Jamaica coach Vinimore Blaine seemed to have almost given up any hope of grabbing one of CONCACAF’S two qualifying spots for the second Under-17 Women’s World Cup, to be hosted by T&T.
’Based on what we saw tonight, we have a lot to do and I don’t think we have the time to do it,’ said Blaine, who also explained that his team had been training for just one week and are to leave for Costa Rica next week to compete in the CONCACAF Zone World Cup qualifiers, following the four-nations tournament, which runs until Friday at Marabella.
’Still, we are happy to get a result against a Trinidad and Tobago team that has been in training,’ he added.
Likewise, Trinidad and Tobago’s Norwegian technical director Even Pellerud was not pleased and is hoping for a better showing against Mexico. But he knows it is a big task, having lost twice during a January tour of Mexico, including going down 5-2.
Pellerud felt that the tension of playing before a good turnout of fans had initially gotten to his players on Sunday.
’I think the performance in the first half was not good,’ he said. ’I think we performed better in the second half, but overall I am disappointed.’
A dull first half saw T&T taking half hour before finally troubling Jamaican keeper Shantel Graham through Canada-born midfielder Sidonia Hoareau, who shot wide of the far post before going off injured near the end of the first half.
Midfielder Anique Walker came on as a 66th minute substitute for Victoria Swift and immediately tranformed the home team’s play.
Undoubtedly the smartest player on the pitch, Walker got wide midfielder Nykosi Simmons into the game and the latter immediately began to trouble the Jamaicans with several crosses which went dangerously past the Reggae Girlz goal.
Playmaker Walker also set up substitute striker Kedeisha Castillo with a short pass into the penalty area in the 75th minute and although Castillo did well to weave past three defenders, she missed a clear goal by trying one dribble too many and allowed the Jamaican keeper to smother the ball.
It was all Trinidad and Tobago late in the match.
’We should have scored a couple of goals, but overall I am not pleased,’ said Pellerud. ’We cannot give the ball away easy as we did against Jamaica. From now on we will play teams that are stronger than Jamaica. They will press us more and we will have less possession, so we cannot afford to give away the ball as easily.’
Commenting on not playing Khalia Taylor and some other starters, Pellerud said the main purpose of the match was to give some of his players playing time against international opponent before the start of the World Cup.
TEAMS:
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: 1-Keri Myers (Goalkeeper), 2-Camille Borneo, 6-Khadisha Debesette, 16-Rehana Omardeen, 3-Tineisha Cobham, 15-Camille Charles, 8-Victoria Swift (19-Anique Walker, 66th), 14-Sidonia Hoareau (11-Khadidra Debesette, 44th), 18-Diarra Simmons (Kedisha Castillo, 57th), 10-Nykosi Simmons, 7-Brianna Ryce
SUBS NOT USED: 20-Linfah Jones (GK), 12-Annette Mims, 4-Patrice Vincent, 5-Shalette Charles
JAMAICA: 1-Shantel Graham (GK), 6-Shauntae Brown, 12-Teola Caine (Sh’nell Briscoe, 46th), 8-Lotoya Duhaney, 16-Davia Morriso (18-Remona Hyde, 73rd), 10-Shenika Williams, 17-Shanese Brown, 9-Trudi Carter (Captain), 5-Renee Freeman (yellow, 47th), 11-Shanise Foster, 2-Tisha Campbell-Henny (4-Natani Tomlinson-Traill, 77th)
SUBS NOT USED: 15-Nicole Broderick, 14-Shashonna Bennett, 13-Chris-Ann Chambers, 3-Rohemma Bennett
UPCOMING MATCHES:
TOMORROW
5.30 p.m.--Jamaica vs Canada, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium
7.45 p.m.--Trinidad & Tobago vs Mexico, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium
FRIDAY
5.30 p.m.--Jamaica vs Mexico, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium
7.45 p.m.--Trinidad & Tobago vs Canada, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium