COOPER NAMES 20-MAN SQUAD FOR CONCACAF U-17S
COOPER NAMES 20-MAN SQUAD FOR CONCACAF U-17S
Trinidad and Tobago’s U-17 Men’s head coach Shawn Cooper on Wednesday announced a 20-man squad for the upcoming CONCACAF Men’s U-17 Championship in Guatemala.
Cooper conducted a final training session on home soil before the team departs for Kingston on Friday for a residential training camp during which they will be hosted by the JFF and also face Jamaica’s U-17s in two friendlies on February 4th and 7th.
The squad includes five players from the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premiership champions, St Benedict’s College including Lyshaun Morris, Josiah Ochoa, Derrel Garcia and Jeremiah Niles and Malachi Webb.
Three players from the Premiership runners-up Fatima College were also called up. They are goalkeeper Jaden Ottley, defender Jaden Williams and striker Michael Chaves.
To add some foreign experience to the roster, Cooper included Crystal Palace’s Rio Cardines. The US-based players such as Ailan Panton, Samuel Duncan, Jeremiah Cateau, Armani Rowe, Dominic Wilson and Tyrell Moore were also selected.
“I, alongside the staff, had a very tedious task in selecting these players. But, I think that they are working very hard and they are looking forward to this competition.”
He continued, “Going through the screening, we wanted players who could have added value to us and not (those who are) just equal to some of our (current) guys. I think, going through the process, we realised that there were about five or six players who can add some sort of experience to the young chaps that we have coming out of the SSFL.”
“We also have an under-14 player – Seth Hadeed – who came through the screening and we will be taking him to Jamaica. So, the squad (for the Jamaica trip) will not be of 20 (players), but it will be 21. We think his development needs a game or two at the top level because, as far as I see, he’s (a step) above most of the (other) under-14s.”
“I have always thought that, when picking an under-17 team, you must select about three youngsters who will be around for the next under-17 (cycle) for some continuity, and Seth Hadid is one that I think has a bright future and I’m looking for big things from him.”
Hadeed of Fatima College will travel with the squad to Jamaica for the two friendlies.
See Cooper’s full Press Briefing below
Cooper also believes that the players he selected, despite having no international experience, are capable of competing at the Championship. “They have a lot of potential”, he said, “(I think that) going to Jamaica will prepare them. They will have an idea (of what playing other countries will be like) because, remember, we haven’t played any international games before.”
“Most of them are just playing with their secondary schools. (But) we (do) have a couple of players coming from the US and England who would have a bit more experience. But, because we didn’t have the opportunity to go through the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) qualifying stage, we were barred from giving the boys the chance (of international football) going into this final leg of (the) Concacaf (Championship).”
T&T opens its campaign against Canada in Group F on February 11th before facing USA on February 13th and Barbados two days later. After Group Stage play, the top three nations in each group will advance to the knockout stage, joining the four 2022 Concacaf U-17 Men’s Qualifiers (CU17Q) group winners: Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico.
The Round of 16 matches will take place February 18 and 19, at both venues, followed by the Quarterfinals (February 21 and 22), Semifinals (February 24) and Final (February 26) in Guatemala City.
All knockout stage matches will be played in a single match direct elimination format and the four semifinalists will qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2023.
