T&T U17s aim for win over Mexico
T&T U17s aim for win over Mexico
Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-17 footballers face their toughest test yet when they meet regional powerhouse Mexico in a decisive Group A showdown of the Concacaf Under-17 World Cup Qualifiers from 7 pm tonight at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
With only the top team in the group advancing automatically, T&T must do more than simply defeat the Mexicans. Coach Randolph Boyce’s young Warriors require a massive victory — by approximately a 10-goal margin — to overturn Mexico’s superior goal difference and leapfrog them into first place. Both teams could finish on nine points if T&T pull off the upset.
Barbados remain mathematically in contention as well and will look to keep their hopes alive when they face Saint Martin in the opening match of the double-header at 4 pm. The Bajans defeated T&T 1-0 in the opener and thrashed Sint Maarten 7-1, but like the hosts, they would need a commanding win and favourable goal difference swing to top the group.
After back-to-back heavy friendly defeats to Peru (6-0 and 6-1) and the narrow loss to Barbados, T&T responded emphatically on Monday with an 8-0 demolition of Sint Maarten — a result that restored confidence and reignited belief within the squad.
However, Boyce insisted the scoreline could have been even greater.
“It’s just about how they become comfortable in this scenario and in this situation,” Boyce said following the win. “They have to believe in their ability. We believe in them, but they need to believe in themselves that they can do it.”
He suggested that once that belief fully takes hold, the team’s attacking output can rise to another level.
Mexico, meanwhile, have looked every bit the tournament favourites. They opened with a 10-0 rout of Sint Maarten, followed by a 4-0 victory over Saint Martin, and continued their perfect run with a 4-1 win over Barbados on Monday.
When asked about focusing on the Mexicans, Boyce said his team would approach the contest on its own merit, confident that the lessons learned in recent high-level matches — particularly against Peru — would serve them well in tonight’s encounter.
Glasgow Sparks T&T U-17s to 8-0 Rout of Sint Maarten
Substitute Kanye Glasgow struck twice in an explosive second-half display as Trinidad and Tobago crushed Sint Maarten 8-0 to keep their Concacaf Under-17 World Cup qualifying hopes alive at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Monday.
The emphatic victory keeps T&T firmly in the race for top spot in Group A, with only the group winner advancing to the next round.
Although the turnout inside the Mucurapo venue was modest, the home supporters who were present made their expectations clear — they wanted goals. Sint Maarten had already suffered heavy defeats, losing 3-0 to Saint Martin and 10-0 to Mexico, and T&T were expected to capitalise.
Yet early on, Randolph Boyce’s young Soca Warriors struggled with their finishing.
Captain Jeremiah Daniel led a side that created several promising opportunities but lacked composure in front of goal. Adasa Richardson, J’Meke Watkins and Christian Pitt were all guilty of missing chances in the opening exchanges.
Watkins finally settled nerves in the 13th minute. Latching onto the ball in midfield, he surged past his marker, rounded goalkeeper Sudesh Singh and calmly rolled the ball into the empty net for 1-0.
Despite dominating possession, T&T continued to waste opportunities. Watkins missed a header in the 22nd minute after good work from Jasai Theophilus on the right, and two minutes later he fired wide when clean through on goal.
The breakthrough for a second goal eventually came in the 40th minute. Richardson delivered from the right and Pitt stabbed home to make it 2-0.
Sint Maarten nearly capitalised on a defensive lapse just before halftime. A miscommunication at the back gifted Raynicio Drenthe possession with an open goal at his mercy, but he dragged his effort wide in stoppage time.
Boyce’s halftime talk proved decisive.
Glasgow, introduced at the break for Watkins, transformed the tempo and cutting edge of the attack. In the 52nd minute he made it 3-0, pressing aggressively to dispossess defender Rainier Merien before finishing into an empty net.
The floodgates opened.
Three minutes later, Donovan Drayton finished from close range after Glasgow delivered from the left. In the 66th minute, Jeremai Nanton switched play brilliantly to Glasgow, who calmly slotted home his second of the match for 5-0.
Nanton continued to torment the defence and provided again in the 79th minute, bursting down the right and pulling the ball back for Adasa Richardson to power home T&T’s sixth.
Finn De Freitas added a seventh in the 84th minute, and Nanton capped the dominant display with a stoppage-time strike to complete the 8-0 demolition.
The result lifts T&T to second in Group A on six points, ahead of Barbados on goal difference, setting up a decisive clash against Mexico to close out the group stage.
With only the group winner advancing, Thursday’s showdown will determine whether Boyce’s young side can continue their journey.
