Trinidad claims place at the FIFA U-20 World

[Karl]

Under-20 Youth
Costa Rica tops Canada 2-1; Ticos, Trinidad claim last semifinal berths in CONCACAF U-20 Championship

3/11/2009 - MACOYA, Trinidad – Marcos Urena scored in the 72nd minute and gave Costa Rica a 2-1 victory over Canada on Wednesday, sending the Ticos to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship and a second straight trip to the U-20 World Cup.

The loss eliminated Canada and prevented it from reaching the U-20 World Cup for a fifth straight time. The result also assured Trinidad & Tobago of a semifinal berth and its first trip to the U-20 World Cup since 1990.

Trinidad confirmed its place in the semifinals later Wednesday, rallying with a pair of second-half goals to draw 2-2 with Mexico.

Costa Rica finished with seven points atop Group B, two ahead of Trinidad, and will face Group A runner-up Honduras in Friday’s semifinals. Group A winner United States will take on Trinidad in the other semifinal

Randy Edwini-Bonsu, who had both goals in a 2-0 victory over Mexico, gave the Canadians the lead in the 11th minute, but David Guzman equalized for Costa Rica in the 25th.

The result settled the last of CONCACAF’s four berths in the U-20 World Cup in Egypt September 24-October 16.

Juma Clarence scored in the 52nd and Uriah Bentick added another eight minutes later to lead Trinidad’s comeback from a 2-0 halftime deficit. Chivas de Guadalajara teammates Juan Ocampo and Antonio Salazar put Mexico ahead with goals in the ninth minute and first-half injury time, giving El Tri the only lead it held in the tournament.

Mexico, which was playing less than month after Juan Carlos Chavez replaced Jesus “Chucho” Ramirez as coach of the team, failed to qualify for the second time in three tries.

[Lazie]

Congrats to T&T. Now they did what they had to do, yet we failed again. Hey Gamma, maybe our players need to start listening some damn soca music.

[Hortical]

Maybe our players need a qualified and a competent coach.

[Karl]

Based on what I saw of us when we went to those age-group FIFA Championships (1999 and 2001) and what I saw in Ft. Lauderdale, it is not that we have regressed, but rather the other countries have progressed while we stood still.

If we do not wake up and institute good coaching/coaching immediately. Address our need to improve on our coaching product...they shall move further and further away!

...and catching up to the World's football powers will remain a dream!

[Jangle]

Sickko, here is a topic that you can use your position to open a national debate: Why can't Jamaica produce world class football coaches like how we produce world class athletic coaches?

[Karl]

Sickko, here is a topic that you can use your position to open a national debate: Why can't Jamaica produce world class football coaches like how we produce world class athletic coaches?

Serious thing!
...many people forget that we went to those Age-Group FIFA Championships and 'made fools of ourselves' with the quality...lack of quality we showed. All we remember is, 'we went'!

...and our our '98 team. Sure the '98 team played Croatia hard for approximately 55-60 minutes, Argentina for 45 miinutes...and defeated Japan against the run of play...but if you hear some tell it 'we balled them' all...we played as if we belonged!

It would be good, if they pull the videos out of the dust bin and look at the matches again.

NB: The '98 team gave far better performances against their competitors... 'miles' better...than the age-group teams did against their competition.

[Lazie]

Sickko, here is a topic that you can use your position to open a national debate: Why can't Jamaica produce world class football coaches like how we produce world class athletic coaches?

Apples and oranges. The problem is too many are fascinated with schoolboy football. Pump the money wasted on meaningless D Cup and Manning Cups into more structured youth leagues. Start dehso ...

[Karl]

Apples and oranges. The problem is too many are fascinated with schoolboy football. Pump the money wasted on meaningless D Cup and Manning Cups into more structured youth leagues. Start dehso ...

...and there you are wrong! ...as it is with T&F...we need to improve the coaching at the various school levels (primary to prep through to High School). There is is also the need for similar improvement at the Parish, Confed and JFF competition levels.

Hey! I am not ignoring or leaving out that the improvement must also be a seamless carring on through to and at our age-group national teams!

We need a system - primary through to national age-group level! The senior level will then take care of itself!

[Hortical]

With all due respect brethren, yuh chatting baloney on the forum. People are free to enjoy whichever sport they prefer. I did not attend a NPL game until I was an adult, and during my youth I only supported Manning Cup football.

They need to make the NPL more attractive and appealing to youths, and it needs to be family friendly as well. Why would someone bring a child to a game where the fans are telling the ref to go suck his ma@#%!

[Jangle]

I can't agree with you on that one Lazie. Schoolboy football is not funded by the JFF hence it has nothing to do with the national program. However, since schoolboy football already has a solid structure and strong support, I thing the JFF can build on that in conjunction with ISSA to help the national programs.

[Gamma]

congrats...~sniff~ .....

[Dunny]

It looks like T&T is the real football powerhouse in the caribbean.

[Jangle]

it's a paradox. Trinidad (any level) always struggle to beat Jamaica and chances are, we would beat them more often than not. Jamaica reminds me of likkle teams like Arsenal and Livafool who rise up to the challenge and beat the Empire during the season but fail to win the EPL. We just don't know how to win matches.

[Gamma]

'ey BWAY.....'ow yuh fi call up BIG SIIIIIIDEEEEEE name wid .... cho.... t&t? eh...try nuh pass yuh nes'...yuhzimi?

[HL]

Looks like!!!??

IS ...!!!!