T&T U20 women finish with win over Panama.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Trinidad & Tobago Women´s Footballers got two consolations from the CONCACAF Under 20 Women´s Tournament in Vera Cruz on Sunday.
The Jamaal Shabazz coached team defeated Panama 3-1 to finish third in Group A of the CONCACAF Under 20 World Qualifying series. A hattrick from US-based striker Maylee-Attin Johnson helped T&T to third spot behind Mexico which they lost 2-0 to and Canada which defeated them 7-1 in the opening match. Canada and Mexico will now move on to the semi finals to be played Wednesday.
However so impressed was Mexican Coach Leonardo Cuellar with the T&T team that he invited them for two warm up matches at senior women´s level in April in Mexico City.
"The T&T girls have made tremendous improvements in their play and apart from the mistakes they made at the back proved that they play with the top CONCACAF teams,” Cuellar said.
"I do not know why your team did not play like this way against Canada,” he added. Cuellar stated that he felt T&T was now a team that would pose as a strong opposition to Mexico and others.
“T&T would be an excellent opponent for us as a warm up going to our UNCAF qualifying tournament at the end of April. They are quick and skillful and on the same level with our Central opponents.”
A hattrick by Johnson with goals in 6th, 45th and 69th paced T&T to its only win in the tournament.
The star striker who was a favourite with the Mexican fans completed a hattrick with a spectacular header and 69th minute, to become the first T&T player to score a hattick at CONCACAF level. Joan Rodriguez got the only goal for Panama ten minutes from the end.
T&T Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz said he was a bit disappointed with the results and the errors made at the back because of lack of composure by the T&T girls.
"I think we can feel happy that knowing that we can play at this level but we need psychological particularly in terms of the girls believing in themselves and being better focused. We gave up soft goals against Canada just as we do against the USA but we came out and fought against Mexico who is just as good a team as Canada. We need a specialist person in Psychology to help us in our work of developing the women´s program,” admitted Shabazz.
"I am what you will call a Ghetto or Bush Psychologist who can tell them about how David slew Goliath and to strive to be like the male ‘Soca Warriors’ and get them to listen to Maximus Dan´s song but the team needs more than that. We need an expert in that field who can teach them techniques in total concentration.”
"I remember I asked Mexico for a game last July and they refused and now without us asking, they want to play us at senior level.
At the conclusion of the first round on Monday, the winners and runners-up of each group will earn a place in the event’s semifinals at Veracruz’s Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes on 25 January, with the winners of the semifinal games earning a place as CONCACAF representatives in FIFA’s U-20 Women’s World Championship. The T&T girls were expected back last night (Monday night).
Canada takes first-place honours in Group A.Canada took first-place honours in Group A of the 2006 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Final Round after a 3:2 victory over the host Mexico at the Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes in Veracruz on Sunday.
COMPLETE STANDINGSKara Lang opened the scoring for Canada (3-0-0, 9 Points) with just four seconds into the match, making it the fastest goal in the history of CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Qualification.
Sophie Schmidt increased the lead in the 17th minute of the first half, but Monica Ocampo got Mexico (2-1-0, 6 Points) on the board with a goal in the 23rd minute-mark.
Schmidt had her second tally for the
maple leafs three minutes into the second half, but Verónica Charlyn Corral scored for the
tricolor in the 79th minute.
Both Canada and Mexico had already qualified for the semifinals from Group A and will meet the Winner and Runner-up from Group B on Wednesday in Veracruz.
In an earlier Group A encounter on Sunday, Trinidad & Tobago (1-2-0, 3 Points) defeated Panama (0-3-0, 0 Points) by a 3:1 score.
Maylee Attin-Johnson scored in the sixth, 45th and 69th minutes, respectively, for the
soca princesses, while Joan Rodriguez had the only goal for the
canaleras with 10 minutes remaining in the loss.
The 2006 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Final Round continues on Monday with the last matches of Group B at the Estadio Rafael Murillo Vidal in Córdoba as Jamaica (1-1-0, 3 Points) takes on Surinam (0-2-0, 0 Points) at 12:00 and then the USA (2-0-0, 6 Points) meets El Salvador (1-1-0, 3 Points) at 14:30.
At the conclusion of the first round on 23 January, the winners and runners-up of each group will earn a place in the event’s semifinals at Veracruz’s Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes on 25 January, with the winners of the semifinal games earning a place as CONCACAF representatives in FIFA’s U-20 Women’s World Championship.
CONCACAF’s third spot in the FIFA event will be determined by a third-place play-off game between the two losing semifinalists at the Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes on 27 January, before the two finalists meet for the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 crown later in the day.
2006 CONCACAF WOMEN’S UNDER-20 FINAL ROUND Group A: Veracruz, MEXICO; Estadio Luis Pirata Fuentes22.01.2006:
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – PANAMA 3:1 (2:0) (A: 300)
Maylee ATTIN-JOHNSON 6’, 45’, 69’ – Joan RODRIGUEZ 80’
TRI: 21-Julieann McDougall – 2-Ayana Russell, 4-Katrina Meyer, 5-Kia Rigsby (73: 13-Bianca Walker), 7-Dernelle Mascall, 8-Patrice Superville, 9-Maylee Attin-Johnson-C, 10-Aveann Douglas, 14-Marissa Mohammed (65: 20-Tamar Watson), 18-Stephanie DeSouza (58: 11-Janie Francois), 19-Kennya Cordner. Booked: Meyer 29’, Attin-Johnson 37’
TD: Jamaal SHABAZZ
PAN: 1-Laila Fuertes – 2-Kendra Chavarria, 3-Mayra De La Rosa, 4-Karol Solis (60: 16-Yaideth Espino), 5-Yadira Pacheco, 6-Belisa Belloso (45: 18-Veronica Asprilla), 9-Joan Rodriguez, 11-Sumara Samuels (80: 8-Katherine Sanchez), 15-Nicole Abrego-C, 17-Nayeli Machado, 19-Carmen Quintana. Booked: Quintana 34’
TD: Noel DEVEAUX
R: Sandra SERAFINI (USA)
MEXICO – CANADA 2:3 (1:2) (A: 4000)
Monica OCAMPO 23’ pen; Verónica Charlyn CORRAL 79’ – Kara LANG 1’; Sophie SCHMIDT 17’, 48’
MEX: 1-Anjuli Ladron De Guevara – 3-Nancy Gutierrez, 4-Leticia Villalpando, 5-Isabel Valdez, 6-Rebecca Juarez, 7-Maria De Lourdes Gordillo-C (78: 17-Janet Mendez), 8-Christine Yvette Nieva (72: 19-Monique Cisneros), 10-Monica Ocampo (30: 9-Verónica Charlyn Corral), 11-Tania Paola Morales, 15-Rebecca Mendoza, 18-Nancy Gandarilla. Booked: none
TD: Leonardo CUELLAR
CAN: 20-Erin McNulty – 3-Sophie Schmidt-C, 4-Caroline Vanderpool, 5-Emily Zurrer, 7-Jodi-Ann Robinson, 8-Veronique Maranda, 10-Amanda Cicchini, 11-Desiree Scott, 14-Aysha Jamani, 15-Kara Lang (70: 13-Rheanne Sleiman) (88: 19-Lisa Collison), 16-Paige Adams (42: 6-Kaylen Kyle). Booked: none, Sent offs: Robinson 38’
TD: Ian BRIDGE
R: Dianne FERREIRA-JAMES (GUY)
Group B: Córdoba, MEXICO; Estadio Rafael Murillo Vidal23.01.2006:
JAMAICA – SURINAM (12:00)
R: Verónica BRITO BRITO (MEX)
USA – EL SALVADOR (14:30)
R: Shane DESILVA (TRI)
GOALSCORERSVerónica Charlyn CORRAL (MEX) - 6
Jodi-Ann ROBINSON (CAN) - 4
Maylee ATTIN-JOHNSON (TRI) - 3
Aysha JAMANI (CAN) - 3
Patricia Elizabeth CAMPOS (SLV) - 2
Patricia Gabriela CARONA (SLV) - 2
Lauren CHENEY (USA) - 2
Tania Paola MORALES (MEX) - 2
Christine NIEVA (MEX) - 2
Monica OCAMPO (MEX) - 2 (1 pen)
Amy RODRIGUEZ (USA) - 2
Sophie SCHMIDT (CAN) - 2
Reanner SLEIMAN (CAN) - 2
Lisa COLLISON (CAN) - 1
Omolyn DAVIS (JAM) - 1
Christina DIMARTINO (USA) - 1
Aveann DOUGLAS (TRI) - 1 (1 pen)
Eden HINGWING (CAN) -1
Kaylen KYLE (CAN) - 1
Kara LANG (CAN) - 1
Alexandra LONG (USA) - 1
Veronique MARANDA (CAN) - 1
Rebecca MENDEZ (MEX) - 1
Kelley O’HARA (USA) - 1
Kimmia PARKER (MEX) - 1
Amanda POACH (USA) - 1
Kenesha REID (JAM) - 1
Joan RODRIGUEZ (PAN) - 1
Peta-Gaye SOMAN (JAM) - 1
Isabel VALDEZ (MEX) - 1
Source:concacaf.com
