TTFF News - T&T U17s punished by clinical USA... quotes, stats included

T&T U17s punished by clinical USA

Issued by Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media Officer in Kingston, April 30, 2007

 

Trinidad and Tobago’s Under 17 footballers put themselves in a must win situation in their remaining two matches against Canada and hosts Jamaica to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the FIFA Under 17 World Championship after going down 3-0 to United States at the National Stadium,Kingston on Sunday.

 

The young T&T side, after showing great promise in the first half, at one point dominating possession play and enjoying large periods in the opposition territory, conceded goals at critical stages of the match. First up Liberian-born striker Alexander Nimo opened for the Americans as early as the second minute, then Ellis McLoughlin ended the half well with a 38th minute strike and Nimo struck again in the 62nd minute. T&T even managed to out shot the Americans 11-10 with six shots being on goal as compared to five by the eventual winners. The difference, evidently, was that three of those shots went in for the US.

 

Coaches give their thoughts

 

Canadian head coach, Trinidadian Stephen Hart said he felt T&T had played well enough to at least avoid going home empty handed from the encounter while American coach Hackworth said in the post match press conference that his team were pushed to the wall at one stage.

 

“It was a pretty strange match overall,” he said. “We scored early, which is good but then we dropped into a defensive shell which wasn’t good. We regained momentum in the game with some solid possession and got a second goal going into halftime with the game in control. We got the third goal in the second half and, as young kids are prone to do, I think we lost our composure a little bit by having a player thrown off and get three yellow cards. In the end, we did kill the game off, get our three points with a shutout.”

 

As for Corneal, his only hope now is six points from the remaining games against Canada (four points) and Jamaica (no points)  with the hope that both USA (three points) and Costa Rica (four points) finish off without conceding points too. That would see T&T at least sealing third place and a spot in the World Championship.

 

“We know what we have to do in the next two games. The good thing is that we are still in with a chance and we showed today that we could compete. I thought apart from the early goal, we came back strongly and we forced the Americans in their half for long periods. But then we were ill-discipline and we gave up goals at points in the match just when we seemed to be getting back into it. Our finishing needs to be better because the Americans showed today that even under pressure, once you score the pressure eases and goals win matches.”

 

T&T concede early but kept their heads up

 

Despite falling behind early after Nimo ran on to a long pass on the right from Daniel Wenzel, slowed it down and then cut in past an off balanced Akeem Adams to shoot home from close up past goalie Glenroy Samuel.

 

The early goal seemed to have settled T&T rather than throw them off as they became the more aggressive team, winning balls and pressuring the Americans in their half. On five minutes Adams had a powerful effort over bar and a minute a later Sheldon Bateau floated one over and it dropped for Ryan O’Neil but he skied over bar.

 

T&T began to show that it could compete and even outplay the Americans who had played in every previous FIFA Under 17 World Championship. But the boys from Bush land remained disciplined and organized in their approach and pounced on T&T when it mattered most.

 

T&T also had to contest with an American team which got very physical in their play as the game progressed.  On 28 minutes T&T lost midfielder Chike Sullivan to a viscious tackle by Abdusalam Ibrahim, forcing the player to be taken to hospital for treatment and x-rays on his shin. Later on, ten minutes from full time, goalscorer McLoughlin was ejected by El Salvador referee Elmer Bondilla for an elbow challenge on Jean Luc Rochford. Moments before that the same McLoughlin was also guilty of spitting on Rochford and after the match American coach John Hacksworth did enquire from the T&T staff which of his players had committed the nasty act.

 

T&T born player Sheanon Williams, a former Joe Public trainee, was also very aggressive in his play, picking up a caution in the 24th minute but was able to have an assist on USA’s second goal.

 

Midway through the first half, T&T pressed and kept the Americans at bay.

A cross from the right set up Daneil Cyrus perfectly and his left footed crack brought the best out of goalie Zack MacMatch.

 

But the Americans had the last laugh before the break as Williams got behind the T&T defense on the right and squared for McLoughlin to nail home low from just inside the box.

 

The second half started with the Americans seemingly contented with their 2-0 lead but they managed  a couple chances because of lapse defending by T&T.  On 53 minutes William Schuler hit wide after a free kick was swung over and then Rochford tried to beat a man in his half, lost possession with the play leading to Williams having a crack which flashed inches past the upright. Up to that point, midfield playmaker Leston Paul was having a relatively quiet game and that continued for the remaining time.

 

Just before the 60 minute mark, goalie Samuel, who had little to do except for the three goals, had a long throw out for Rochford on the right and he raced down the flank before swinging over and the ball got to substitute Sean De Silva atop the box but his one time shot was well blocked by a defender.

 

USA hung in there without conceding and then got their third item to kill the game as a ball from the left allowed Nimo to shoot home without any pressure.

 

On 68 minutes a good run by Rochford on the right saw him play it over and the ball fell for De Silva atop the box but his snap shot with the outside of the right foot didn’t come down in time, passing the crossbar on its way out.

 

De Silva also had a free kick from 30 yards out go over in the 74th minute and then a minute later a Rochford free kick on the right saw Kevin Molino’s diving header force the goalie to push out to his left. The only other incident of note to follow was the sending off of McLoughlin. The T&T players, some of them with tears in their eyes, had  a brief talk from Corneal on the pitch after proceedings before heading back to the Knutsford Hotel. T&T have a three-day break and next play Canada on Friday evening from 7pm.

 

Line ups – T&T: 21-Glenroy Samuel; 3-Ryan O’Neil, 4-Akeem Adams, 16-Marcus Joseph (9-Chad De Freitas, 61),  5-Akeem Adams, 18-Micah Lewis; 15-Chike Sullivan (19-Kevin Molino, 31), 6-Leston Paul, 14-Jean-Luc Rochford; 11-Daniel Cyrus (8-Sean Desilva, 58). 10-Stephan Knox

Subs not used: 1-Jesse Fullerton, 2-Aubrey David, 7-Brenton Balbosa, 12-Robert Primus, 13-Stephan Chang, 20-Isaiah Fergusson

 

USA: 18-Zach MacMath; 2-Sheanon Williams (4-Howard Turk, 67), 3-Mykell Bates, 6-Daniel Wenzel, 15-Brek Shea; 19-Alex Nimo, 8-Jared Jeffrey, 17-Greg Garza, 11-Abdusalam Ibrahim (7-Nicholas Millington, 65); 13-Billy Schuler (10-Byran Dominguez, 79), 9-Ellis McLoughlin.

Subs not used: 1-Josh Lambo, 5-Thomas Meyer, 12-Brendan King, 14-Jesse Paredes, 16-Brandon Zimmerman, 20-Alex Dixon.

Head Coach: John Hackworth