U-20 Men set for final battle
U-20s Set for Decisive Clash with Costa Rica After 4-0 Win Over Sint Maarten
The Trinidad and Tobago Under-20 Men’s National Team will face hosts Costa Rica in a decisive Group E encounter at the Costa Rican Football Federation Field in Alajuela on Wednesday from 4:00 p.m. (TT time), with qualification for the next round of the Concacaf Under-20 Championship on the line. There will be a live broadcast on ESPN and Disney+
Head Coach Marvin Gordon believes his team has positioned itself well heading into the final matchday.
“We’re still in it, we believe, and we’re going to give it everything we have,” Gordon said following Monday’s victory. “From day one coming into this tournament, I knew we would likely have to beat Costa Rica to qualify. Now we have that opportunity.”
Dominant Performance Against Sint Maarten
T&T delivered a commanding 4-0 victory over Sint Maarten on Monday to move to seven points, level with Costa Rica at the top of Group E.
Goals from Chaz Williams, Dominic Joseph, Josiah Kallicharan and Giovanni Hospedales sealed the win in a performance that could have produced an even wider margin.
After surrendering a 2-2 draw to Bermuda in their opening match, the young Soca Warriors responded with a 5-1 victory over Barbados before completing the job against Sint Maarten to keep qualification hopes firmly alive.
Costa Rica also sit on seven points after being held to a 3-3 draw by Bermuda. However, the hosts currently lead the group on goals scored, meaning Trinidad and Tobago must secure victory to guarantee top spot and automatic progression.
Bermuda, on five points, remain mathematically in contention and will face Barbados earlier on Wednesday.
Squad Rotation and Belief
Gordon explained that careful squad management was part of the strategy heading into the decisive match.
“I believe in the 21 players I brought to this tournament,” he said. “We rested some key players because Wednesday’s match will require a full effort. The objective was always to give ourselves a chance on the last day, and we’ve done that.”
He added:
“The attitude and approach from the boys have been excellent. We’ll recover, meet as a staff, and decide on the best eleven to execute the plan. We know what’s required — we need to win.”
Current Group E Standings
Costa Rica – 7 pts
Trinidad and Tobago – 7 pts
Bermuda – 5 pts
Barbados – 1 pt
Sint Maarten – 1 pt
Trinidad and Tobago U-20 Squad
Starting XI vs Sint Maarten
Bryan Gafiuk (GK), Jeremy Meloney, Adam Pierre, Malachi Webb, Josiah Ochoa, Chaz Williams, Lyshaun Morris, Jadon Mc Shine, Jaden Chan Tack, Dominic Joseph, Josiah Kallicharan
Substitutes
Jadon-Paul Alexander, Sylvon Theophilus, Sheridan McNish, Jaydon Caprietta, Caden Trestrail, Phillip Nelson, Darrel Garcia, Colin Xavier Joseph, Talan Mc Millan, Giovanni Hospedales
With momentum on their side and qualification within reach, the young Warriors now prepare for their biggest test of the campaign against the group hosts.
