The Trinidad and Tobago national under 20 team defeated Chaguanas All Stars 2-1 last Thursday at the Green Park Recreation Ground Boundary to claim the Jack Warner Cup.
However, almost a week later the under 20 team were defeated by their senior counterparts 2-0 in a rematch at the training pitch at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. This would be the second time both teams have met this year as the first match ended in a 3-3 stalemate.
At yesterday's match it was reported by Soca Warriors Online member (Patriot) that the T&T senior team got goals from Radanfah Abu-Bakr and Kerry Baptiste as the senior team propelled to a 2-0 win in what was described as a dull-affair particularally by the senior team.
Head coach Russell Latapy decided to go with an anonymous goalkeeper and left-back, Kareem Joseph, Keyeno Thomas and Dennis Lawrence in defence. Hayden Tinto, Densill Theobald, Keon Daniel and new Joe Public signee Trent Noel in midfield while Devon Jorsling and inform striker Kerry Baptiste were the two strikers.
The under 20 team were in full gear against their senior opponents who seems as though they came out for a little scrimmage started far more positively and earned two quick corners in the first five minutes of the game but nothing came of it.
But after that early surge, the senior team took control of the game, although, there were few chances created by either team.
Then on a quick breakaway under 20 captain Leston Paul sent Qian Grosvenor clean through a stagnant T&T back-line and his shot was only parried by the senior team goal-keeper, but the on-rushing Trent Lougheed could only look on as his lunge came a split-second to late, with the loose ball being cleared.. barely !
The remainder of the first half saw shots from Jorsling, Baptiste and Trent Noel, but all were saved. Dennis Lawrence had a nice header that sailed over-bar. Densill Theobald tried his luck at goal from outside the penalty box, but to no avail.
Now while the Senior team dominated possession, it should be pointed out that the Under-20's seemed more compact in the back and actually maintained a high defence in spite of all the pressure they were absorbing. But the score-line would remain 0-0 at the half.
The second half saw the introduction of five substitutes in Aklie Edwards, Radanfah Abu-Bakr, Makan Hislop, an unknown replacing an unknown at left-back and the return of Lyndon Andrews who had no impact whatsoever. Three goalkeepers were also used in the match.
Interestingly, the pattern of the first half repeated itself, with the Under-20's again settling earlier and earning a quick corner, as well as creating some nice chances which forced a few saves from the senior team goalie.
Patriot reported that "I am now going to save myself the trauma of having to relive the next 30 minutes of play and skip to minute number 75-80 when a corner taken by Russell Latapy was headed home by Abu-Bakr to give the Seniors a very slim and uncomfortable 1-0 lead."
Trent Noel and Densill Theoblad both played the full game and their was little "boom-kick" in evidence from either squad, as both attempted to play constructive football and one-time passes.
The second goal would come from a sleek through ball from none other than the magician himself Russell Latapy to Kerry Baptiste who rounded the keeper to make it 2-0 and that was the final score. Sadly it's Latapy's last warm-up match before his team meets El Salvador in it's do-or-die match August 12th.
El Salvador will face Colombia in a friendly at the Robertson Stadium, Houston on Friday before flying out to Trinidad while Russell Latapy still await his foreign based players and will not name a team because he intends on pulling off a few surprises.