U-20s go under in final warm-up before playoffs.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 20 footballers played maybe their best five minutes of attacking football in the same number of matches but striker Lester Peltier and his teammates were left probably wishing they could at least say the word “equalizer” in Spanish as the visiting Venezuelans came away 3-2 winners in the second of two friendlies at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar on Sunday.
Following Saturday’s 1-1 draw, with the second being played on a slightly dryer surface, the Venezuelans with a few changes to their starting team, looked a much more organized and skilled outfit as they rushed to a 2-0 lead inside the opening twenty minutes.
They took the lead on 10 minutes when Tamanaco Piedrahita’s free kick bounced off a T&T player in the box and Luilly Garcia was on spot to tap home the loose ball inside the six yard box.
Before that T&T managed to make inroads into the opposition penalty box but squandered at least two decent chances on goal with Carlyle Mitchell being chief suspect.
And in front of a slightly better crowd by a couple hundred than Saturday’s match, the hosts fell further behind when, following a Radanfah Abu Bakr hand ball on the right of the box, Francisco Colina’s free kick was deflected and Anton Irwin blasted the loose ball home for his second goal in the two games.
Finding it hard to penetrate the Venezuelan back line, T&T tried to at least maintain a fair amount of possession. And on 32 minutes, their first item came after a well orchestrated attack initiated by Khaleem Hayland. It was Silas Spann who floated one over from the left to the far post and there was Hayland sliding in to connect past goalkeeper Tito Rojas.
Venezuela held the edge at the interval but things got ugly following that. Two minutes into the break, it appeared as though Marvin James unintentionally made body contact with the Venezuelan after a foul call and referee Richard Piper immediately gave him marching orders, much to the disapproval of the fans. But for the Venezuelans in the stadium particularly the Embassy crew led by Gilberto Jaimes, head of trade and commerce and representative of the Ambassador to T&T Vinicio Romero, they were enjoying at least seeing their countrymen holding the advantage both in terms of players and goals.
In the 55th minute there was another stoppage and this time the altercation involved players of both teams resulting in a two minute stoppage and a couple minutes later, the expulsion of Piedrahita followed.
T&T almost conceded a third goal in the 63rd minute when goalie Adrian Foncette tried to reach a wide pass back and Colina got his shot in before, forcing McKenzie Cadette to clear off the line.
The home team, playing in all white, were not that fortunate in the 67th minute though as after Abu Bakr tried to screen a ball for his advancing ‘keeper to claim on the inside edge of the box, the chasing Anderson Arias got a foot in and played the ball over for Irwin to head into an unprotected goal for a 3-1 advantage.
Three minutes later though, T&T put themselves back into catching distance when a Abu Bakr’s touch on the ball following an incoming free kick led to Rojas loosing his grasp and Matthew Bartholomew was right there to slot home for a 3-2 scoreline.
The closing twenty minutes had more heated moments. On 72 minutes a rash challenge by Roberto Sales on Hayland raised tempers causing even the T&T subs to rush off their bench towards the tussle occurring on the touchline closest to their bench. For their altercation, both Hayland and Sales were shown red cards.
And as Brian Williams introduced Aaron Downing, Peltier and Akiel Harlet at the expense of Elton John, Cadette and Spann in the 75th minute, T&T took another ten minutes or so to turn on the tempo. Bartholomew showed a sneak of his ability, when he controlled and turned fluently as he lobbed one just over bar from the top edge of the box. A minute later he then unselfishly gifted an opportunity to a lurking Peltier but he alone could explained how his shot flew wide of the upright.
Pressed into their own half, Venezuela survived another close shave in the 89th minute when Bartholomew again played into Peltier’s path just on the inside left of the box but his snap shot went wide of the near left post.
The rush of action near the end even saw Juan Guerra collecting his second yellow in the 90th minute but he managed to escape the red as injury time played out.
The T&T team will continue its preparations this week before heading out to Kingston on December 1 for the CFU first leg encounter with Jamaica at the Harbour View mini stadium on December 3.
Referee Richard Piper directs Radanfah Abu Bakr to stay clear as he attempts to cool things down
The Venezuelans try to reason with the Ref
Radanfah says cool it now after game held up
Tamanaco Piedrahita is given marching orders
Referee Piper makes sure the two ejected players make their way to the dressing rooms while the T&T subs get ready to go on in the 75th minute
