Olympic Team secures berth in CFU final round.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
They needed a draw to secure the top spot and a berth into the next phase and that was the result the Trinidad and Tobago National Under 23 team achieved in Tuesday's final Group A CFU Olympic qualifying match in Paramaribo. The game between the hosts Suriname and T&T was tightly contested, finishing 0-0 leaving T&T on seven points ahead of Guyana (four points) who drew 2-2 with Netherlands Antilles in the second game of the double header.
The T&T team will however have to play its next match in the CFU final round without the services of defender Radanfah Abu Bakr who was sent off in the 84th minute on a second bookable offense after receiving a first caution in the 30th minute from Barbados referee Mark Forde. T&T had earlier kicked off the game without two regular starters who were injured striker Carlyle Mitchell and defender Corneal Thomas.
T&T substitute goalie Kareem Gray also had to come up big with a penalty stop in the second half. He replaced Kevin Mussio who came off with a head knock in the 53rd minute.
T&T coach Michael McComie made three second half changes with Gray replacing Mussio, Kendall Jagdeosingh being replaced by Hayden Tinto in the 62nd and US-based forward Stephan St Louis coming on for Simeon Augustus in the 74th .
"The boys started off this game well. We never entertained the idea of a draw but it so happened we got the one point which we needed to go through. Suriname played their best game against us but in saying that our guys applied themselves well in the sort of manner which we wanted," McComie told TTFF Media.
"We started off this tournament in a manner which allowed us not to relax for the follow up games but it meant that we were never left panicking. The players deserve all the credit because to play three games and not concede a goal is an accomplishment at any level especially away from home.
"They knew it would not be the ideal scenario coming here but they worked their legs off and did the job despite what people had to say about the team and its selection going into the tournament. The more impressive thing is that all these players came through the entire preparation and you sense that bit of relief after the final whistle because the initial goal was to progress to the next phase. Now they will return to their clubs and we will concentrate on our next opponents for the upcoming round. We will look at the teams in the Cuba and St Vincent group and prepare accordingly from there. We will also open back up the squad and maybe look at some other players we have in mind with an aim to strengthen the squad as we see necessary," McComie added.
T&T will now contest the CFU final at a venue and date in October to be determined. The winner of the group comprising Cuba, Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands and Bermuda and the winner of another group comprising St Vincent/Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia will join T&T in the next round. The winner of that final group along with another group winner will then progress as the Caribbean's two representatives in the CONCACAF final stage in 2008 towards the Beijing Olympics. Already through to the final phase are Mexico, Canada and United States.
Elsewhere, the Men's U23 Central American Preliminary Qualification will have two groups of three with Panama hosting El Salvador and Honduras from November 7-11, while Guatemala welcomes Costa Rica and Nicaragua from November 14-18.
Trinidad & Tobago: - Kevin Mussio (Kareem Gray 55th), Devon Drayton, Aklie Edwards, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Keon Daniel, Shane Calderon (capt), Kendall Jagdeosingh (Hayden Tinto 62nd), Larry Bacchus, Simeon Augustus (Stephan St Louis 74th), Marcelle Francois, Christopher Sam.
Suriname: - Ronley Ravenberg, Foline Abauna, Furgil Ong A Fat, Julio Fabian Afoemang, Jerome Strijder, Romano Sordam, Lionel Carolus (Raydel Schuurman 46th), Kenzo Huur (Geovanni Tiendari 74th), Vernon Etnel, Emilio Limon, Melvin Valies (Vahid Vinisie 78th).
