T&T’s Under-20 Men’s team was beaten in their final training match of their seven-day training camp in Guyana, on Sunday, going down 1-0 to a Guyanese Elite All Star team at the Leonora Stadium.
The Guyanese team, coached by Morvant Caledonia United coach and founder Jamaal Shabazz, comprised of several players based at home in Guyana who are currently preparing for the coming Caribbean Cup qualification. Midfielder Vurlon Mills got the lone item in the 7th minute after a right-sided cross bounced favourably off his right shoulder and past the bewildered T&T goalkeeper for the win.
The result folowed a 2-0 victory for the young Warriors against Alpha United, on Friday. The team was scheduled to return home yesterday to continue its preparations at a planned training camp in Panama, on October 7. They will begin the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Final Round of qualifications between October 22-26, in Curacao, ahead of the Concacaf Finals in Costa Rica next year.
Preparations are expected to intensify in Panama City as the players will train on an artificial surface that will be similar to the conditions they will face in Curacao.
Coach Brian Williams, in giving his account of the match as well as the value of the Panama camp said: “It was a very pleasing performance for me in this final game against the Guyanese Elite team. The players, even after conceeding an early goal, showed a lot of enthusiasm and we were very organised with a lot of ball possession for large parts of the match. We also created a few decent chances at goal, so overall I was satisfied with the way we handled the match. The two games served us well at this stage.”
In anticipation of the Panama camp, Williams said: “This definitely will be the most important part of our build-up. It will allow us more time together as a team and we will be away from any distractions at home which will allow the coaching staff to have the players for a long period, where the concentration level will be high heading into the tournament in Curacao.”
He added: “We will announce the final squad at the end of the month and from that period no player will be allowed to play for the Secondary Schools or their clubs before we leave for Panama and then head to Curacao for the tournament. The local players will be allowed to play for the schools for this week until the end of the month and then we are asking them to refrain from taking part in any matches between month-end and the team’s departure for Panama.”
“I think the players who are serious about representing the country understand the importance of this decision and they are committed to the cause and the ambitions we have as a country to make strides in world football,” Williams said.
The former Strike Squad defender who has been given the responsibility as coach, pointed said: “The Panama tour is something we are grateful for and we want to say thank you to the TTFA for organising it and ensuring also that all our overseas-based players are in the country in the first week of October before we head off to Panama.”
The staff of the U-20 team is expected to release a schedule of matches to take place during the training camp in Panama. T&T is grouped with Haiti, Cuba and St Lucia in Group B where matches will be played at the Ergilio Hato. The young Warriors will open against Cuba, on October 22, before facing St Lucia on October 24. They will then complete their campaign with a match against Haiti on October 26.
Group A of the tournament comprises hosts Curacao, Bermuda, St Kitts/Nevis and Antigua/Barbuda. The top two teams will advance to the semi finals as well as gain automatic passage to the CONCACAF Final round which will be played in Costa Rica in February 2017.
The semi-finals will be played on October 28th and the final and third place match will take place on October 30th. The top five teams from the CFU Final round will advance to the CONCACAF stage.
