T&T U-17 women exposed in Costa Rica.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).Charles: Plenty work to doMarlon Charles always maintained that the work had just begun when his junior "Soca Princeses" swept through their Caribbean Group B Under-17 qualifying series a month ago.
Now, after participating in an eight-team international tournament in Costa Rica last week, the national women's coach knows that lots of work have to be done before Trinidad and Tobago host the CONCACAF final round qualifying series for the 2008 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup tournament in three months' time.
"First of all, we didn't win any matches (in Costa Rica)," Charles declared. "From the moment the first ball was kicked...in the very first match against one of the American teams, some of our girls were struggling to keep up with the pace of the game. Some of the good, young players we had simply did not have the physical strength to play at that level. With these small, skilful players, we saw that as soon as bigger girls put a body on them, that was it. They could do nothing."
The junior Soca Princesses left Trinidad as an unbeaten bunch after cruising through their Caribbean Group B qualifiers, where they beat Grenada (4-0), St Kitts-Nevis (6-0) and Suriname (7-0). But playing against tougher teams from South, Central and North America, the T&T girls struggled.
Chile, hosts of South America's Under-20 qualifiers, had their Under-20 squad at the tournament, as did Honduras and Costa Rica. The Americans sent four teams.
Trinidad and Tobago had the youngest team in the tournament, including players such as 12-year-old Form One student Jonelle Warwick.
Chile handed T&T their biggest defeat, winning 9-1, while all four American teams won by at least six-goal margins.
The best Trinidad and Tobago result was a 5-2 defeat to the Costa Rica U-20s, while the game against Honduras was washed out by bad weather.
Charles was frank, stating that the problem was not just playing against older teams. He said his girls simply struggled to deal with the pace and the intensity of football at a higher level.
Trinidad and Tobago also suffered a goalkeeping crisis and halfway through the tournament put a tall defender in goal.
Charles said it was important that the goalkeeping improve before T&T host the CONCACAF Under-17 World Cup qualifiers in July.
"Everything that went to goal scored," Charles said. "Eventually, we took the chance to put Daystar Swift in the goal. Although she is a defender, she is over six feet tall, so we hoped to at least cut out the crosses. Since then, she said that is where she wanted to play in the first place.
"So, we spoke to (Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation technical director and former national goalkeeper) Lincoln Phillips and we are trying to arrange for him to work with her. We are also looking at a girl in North Carolina, who has been recommended to us...and to also improve the current keepers."
Despite the heavy defeats, the national coach felt the experience was beneficial to his charges.
The team resume training today, hoping to step up on what they had done previously. Charles also hopes to have another stiff test before the CONCACAF qualifying kicks off.
"As a coach, I am seeing that we need to be in this tougher enviroment," said Charles. "I think going to Costa Rica was an opportunity for these girls to grow...and I think they did grow. They are tougher players now, because as the tournament went on, we began to get better.
"We need to play regularly at this next level...not just in tournaments, but at all levels. The experience was good for the young girls, because they saw the level they have to reach. Playing against teams like Grenada and St Kitts will do nothing for us."
Regular play needed: T&T Under-17 coach Marlon Charles...the work has only just begun.
