T&T U-17s get first win on Korean soil.
By: Shaun Fuentes. (TTFF).[/size]
Some clinical finishing and sturdy work in the defense and midfield saw Trinidad and Tobago to its first win on Korean soil as the National Under 17 footballers scored a 4-1 victory over Cheonan semi-professional outfit Kyung Shin Junsun on a sunny Wednesday afternoon.
With the temperature rising to around 33 degrees celcius after the rain the previous day, Anton Corneal’s team also lifted its game with goals by US-born striker Aaron Maund (40th minute), Leston Paul (45th minute) substitutes Marcus Joseph (77th minute) and Ryan O’Neil (79th minute) sealed up the win for the visitors at the IT training pitch.
The game had been arranged the previous day and Corneal was eager to see his charges run out in World Cup territory following their two earlier games in Arnhem Holland. And Paul and his teammates didn’t disappoint, holding up the ball for long periods, keeping it steady at the back and forcing their opponents on the backfoot with some quick charges at different points of the game.
“I thought we had a good chance to play the game on a nice surface against a senior team with a few decent players. We got some goals and we still missed a couple more chances. We used this an opportunity to keep our fitness. It really was our last dress rehearsal before Monday’s game and it wasn’t a bad outing,” Corneal told TTFF Media after the win.
“We did some extra work at the end of the game because it’s one of our final days when we could really pushed them physically. We will work on set plays, defensive corners and free kicks on the offensive as well over the next few days,” Corneal added. “Maybe we could sleep a little bit better tonight but you can never tell because Monday’s a big day for all of us.”
Kevin Molino had T&T’s first crack at goal in the 7th minute when he powerfully hit over bar from just outside the penalty box after receiving a return ball from busy right winger Micah Lewis. Soon after Paul also missed the target but the Koreans settled down and created chances of their own. Midfielder Kang Yong-Ki tested Glenroy Samuel from 25 yards out in the 10th minute and striker Yoon Yeo-kuk, easily their most dangerous player on the pitch, saw his right footed free kick from 20 yards out cannon off the upright in the 20th minute.
Molino was guilty of giving up possession with bad service near the half line and the Koreans broke quickly. Fortunately for T&T, Yoon Suk-Ki had his effort cleaned up by an alert Samuel.
T&T then got its opening item five minutes before the break when Joseph played one inside from the right and a lurking Maunde got up well to volley past goalie Kang Dong-il at shoulder height on his near post.
Soon after a quick play out by goalkeeper Samuel saw T&T gunning up the right flank with Joseph moving in before squaring for Paul who clinically side footed home for a 2-0 T&T lead. Stephen Knox almost got a third moments later but he tried the chip the advancing goalie rather than try to go around him.
Corneal introduced Sean De Silva, Sheldon Bateau and Ryan O’Neil at the start of the second half as T&T eventually ended the game with only three of its starting players on the field – Knox, Lewis and Paul.
On 50 minutes, Paul got up well to head Lewis’ right side ball but the goalie held on. Seo Jung-Soo pulled a goal back for the Cheonan club when he hit past Samuel’s right after T&T were caught napping at the back allowing the player to make inroads on the left of the box.
De Silva then hit straight at the ‘keeper and on 63 minutes T&T bombarded the Junsun goal. First Knox’s close range shot was topped by the goalie and then Paul’s follow up crashed against the upright after De Silva switched the play to Jean Luc Rochford for his right side serve.
Soon after substitute Joseph’s shot was stopped and De Silva’s follow up lacked precision. Minutes later De Silva turned provider, playing Joseph through and he wasted no time before hitting low and hard past Dong-il. O’Neil then completed the four with a neat strike, slotting home from just inside the box after being picked out by an overlapping Paul. De Silva almost added a fifth near the end but his drive struck the cross bar and his follow up attempt then came back off the upright.
The result left coach Corneal somewhat pleased but still cautious as TT look ahead to Monday’s game against Ghana in the FIFA Under 17 World Championship. The Colombians arrived in Cheonan at 1am on Wednesday and had one session later on in the day while Ghana didn’t only have two sessions on the day but also had their part of the hotel on the ground level at high noise level with drumming and loud chanting close to dinner time.
The parents of the 21 players are carded to arrive in Seoul on Thursday and the team will have two further sessions and will also review a DVD of Thursday’s game. The advice of Corneal and Wim Rijsbergen has been to play smart and up to this point, Paul and his charges have made a very strong attempt at doing so going into Monday’s opener.
