NIGEL GROVESNOR has ex-pressed satisfaction with his stint as coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 football team during their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) qualifiers, for a spot in the 2005 FIFA World Under-17 Championships in Peru. Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-17s lost 3-1 to Cuba at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella on Friday, the same result from their first leg on November 26 in Havana, to bow out of contention in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) qualifiers.
The Technical Director of the “Westmoorings Tigers” St Anthony’s said he felt honoured to serve his country. “I accepted and I’m proud of what has happened,” Grovesnor said. “It was a lovely experience and I don’t know what (the future) holds. It’s all up to the TTFF (the local governing body) and whatever the decision is, I’ll stand by it and respect it,” he said. “If it is they hired me to do something and I didn’t do it and they feel that I need to be replaced then I’ll accept that, nothing is wrong with that,” Grovesnor stressed. “But it was a lovely experience, my first (at the national level),” he said. Concerning Friday’s match, he was quick to point out that he felt disappointed. “It is obvious but we have to give credit to Cuba and wish them all the best,” he said.
“We scored first and we had a couple of chances afterwards but we needed to capitalise on (them) and we didn’t do it,” is how he described the second leg fixture. “We have to give credit to Cuba for holding themselves, being composed and disciplined. “They didn’t crack and, as we (were) attacking, since we want to try (to) win, we were leaving our defence thin,” he said. “The urgency was just to get the ball up and try (to) score and I think they got carried away with it,” he said. Grovesnor was adamant that the team, especially goalkeeper Nigel Thomas, defen-ders Khaleem Hyland and Ronald Joseph, midfielders Shastri Spencer, Silas Spann, captain Javed Mohammed, Stefan De Las and strikers Lester Peltier, Kyle McIvor and Matthew Bartholomew, remain together and not disband as previous TT youth line-ups. “That’s totally up to the TTFF,” said Grovesnor. “I would hate to know that (the team) is dissolved... these guys would just go their own ways.”
“I always said that (the authorities) need to keep these guys together and let them move forward just like what Cuba is doing,” he added. “The Cuban team lives together, they sleep together and we need to start something like that.” National Under-20 coach Anton Corneal was a satisfied man after his team drew the second leg 3-3 to advance to the CONCACAF Final Round 6-5 on aggregate. The Under-20 lads will face hosts USA, Costa Rica and Panama in the last round at the Home Depot Centre, California from January 12-16. According to Corneal, “It was the kind of game that we expected.” “We knew they were tough,” he continued. “I told people they were a good team. “I also knew we had the ability to step up and, in saying that, we did step up.”
The former Strike Squad midfielder added: “I thought it made men out of us — the two matches , the one in Cuba and the one here. Cuba is a good team, let’s not hide that fact.” “I thought we were more dangerous in the second half, which was also what I expected,” he stated. “We just need right now to make sure we prepare properly for the next round.” Corneal had mixed feelings when he was informed that US scouts, ably assisted by former national team defender Ansil Elcock, were taking a closer look at the TT’s strategies. But, as far as the next stage is concerned, Corneal noted: “We’ll start by giving them a couple of days off and then we’re going to plan if we can get some good practice matches and prepare for (the final round).”