U-17 players looking to prove worth at World Cup stage
By: Randy Bando (ttproleague.com)
Trinidad and Tobago U-17 and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh hero Kevin Molino promises the best of performance by the national team later this year in the 2007 Under-17 World Cup in Korea.
A jubilant Molino told ‘ttproleague.com’ on the national team’s arrival at the Piarco Airport on Monday night, “We are not just going to participate in the World Cup. We are going to work hard and hopefully get some good results.”
The Jabloteh youngster had only featured in his first match of the qualifying group in the final game against Jamaica and scored the only goal of the match to secure a spot in the World Cup for his team.
Molino calls it the best goal of his life, “I feel great because this is the most important goal in my life.”
He also admitted it was a tough qualifying group while thanking Coach Anton Corneal for believing in them, “It was a tough qualifying group throughout for the team. I had only played against the Jamaicans and I they are really tough.”
“Coach never gave up on us after we lost our first two matches. He motivated us a lot on moving on from the losses and I think that helped the team a lot,” he said.
The Jabloteh player also praised his Pro League Club for his development, “My Club, San Juan Jabloteh had a lot to do with my development during my U-14 and U-16 stages which helped me a lot as a player and all my hard work has paid off now with the national team,” said the young national hero.
Team captain and Defence Force player Ryan O’Neil also stated they were not going to the World Cup to make up numbers.
“I assure you, at Korea we would do our best,” said the lanky Defence Force defender.
O’Neil also admitted it was a tough run for his team in the qualifiers but a strong team spirit and the physical strength of the team helped them get the results they needed.
He said, “It took a team effort to win our last two matches and qualify after going down in our first two matches. I think our fitness helped a lot in our comeback to earn a spot in the World Cup. As team captain everyone looked to me to set the example and before our last two matches I told the guys, don’t drop your heads, lets go out and win these matches,” said the young Pro League player.
O’Neil is now delighted on his team’s achievement saying, “I feel great as part of the first U-17 team from Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for an Under-17 World Cup,” he ended with an exhausted smile.
