T&T girls advance to CONCACAF final round.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 17 Women’s Team booked its place in the final CONCACAF Women’s Under 17 Championship by virtue of securing three victories in their Caribbean final stage of action at the Marvin Lee Stadium.
The last of the three wins came in style for the hosts as they outplayed Surinam 7-0 on Monday night to top the group with nine points, four more than second placed Surinam.
The T&T team, coached by Marlon Charles, dominated and were up 4-0 at half time in what had expected to be a much closer affair. A win for Surinam would have qualified them ahead of the T&T girls who had previously won 6-0 over St Kitts/Nevis and 4-0 over Grenada. Moriah Shade, captain of the T&T team, led from the top with four well taken goals.
The petite Elizabeth Ng Wai, the playmaker in the T&T team with deft footwork that would make Ronaldinho smile, had two early chances for the hosts. First in the 8th minute she looked on as her effort was cleared off the line and then moments later she hit over bar. Three minutes later Ng Wai raced through on goal but over pushed the ball into the advancing goalie.
T&T’s opening item would come in the 24th minute when Jonelle Warrick collected on top the right of the penalty box and neatly chipped home. On 27 minutes the lead doubled when Shade squeezed one past goalkeeper Genevra Kamiran after Ng Wai had opened up space for her.
And then in the 39th minute Shade converted from close range for a 3-0 lead as Surinam fell apart in quick time. There was time for one more before the break when Kamiran failed to hold an incoming cross and Shade was on spot to nail home on the far post.
T&T never let up and the onslaught continued one minute into the second half when Ng Wai played a clever ball through for substitute Shakira Salandy to run on to and hit home in her first play of the encounter. There was more for the jubilant T&T fans to make noise about when Shade clinically headed into the net from an incoming left side corner on 49 minutes.
Soon enough there were chants “We want ten” but Surinam were determined not to collect double figures after showing promise in their earlier two games against Grenada and St Kitts/Nevis. At the same time the likes of midfielder Jenelle Kissoon, the persistent Rehana Omardeen, Tiana Bateau and Camille Borneo kept things stable on the defense for T&T. T&T got on the scoreboard one more time in the 59th minute. This time it was Karyn Forbes curling a free kick from 20 yards out over the goalkeeper for a 7-0 lead.
Surinam at least defended hard in the remaining minutes to keep the score at 7-0. In the earlier encounter, Grenada got goals from Cherese Hood in the 34th minute and an impressive free kick strike from 25 yards out from Serene Drakes to clip St Kitts/Nevis 2-0.
T&T, winners of Group B will now join Jamaica and Puerto Rico as the Caribbean qualifiers to the 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship. Along with the Caribbean representatives the eight-team tournament will include Costa Rica, El Salvador from Central America and Canada, Mexico, USA from the North Zone. The CONCACAF tournament, with dates and venue to be determined, will qualify three teams to the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2008.
Moriah puts Suriname in shade.
By: Nigel Simon (Guardian).Co-captain Moriah Shade scored a beaver-trick, which included a first half hat-trick as host T&T clobbered Suriname 7-0 to top the Caribbean Women’s Under-17 First Round Group B Qualification which secured the final spot Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship.
With the win in the feature match of a double-header at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya on Monday night, the T&T Soca Princesses now join Jamaica and Puerto Rico as the Caribbean qualifiers to the eight-team Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship along with Costa Rica and El Salvador from Central America and Canada, Mexico, USA from the North Zone.
The Concacaf tournament, with dates and venue to be determined, will qualify three teams to the inaugural Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup New Zealand later this year. Going into Monday’s group decider, the Marlon Charles-coached T&T team (six points), needed only a point against Suriname to move on in the tournament, while the latter needed win.
And from as early as the second minute, the Soca Princesses had the Dutch-speaking girls on the defensive with Karyn Forbes and Jennel Kisson orchestrating things in midfield. Within the first ten minutes, the signs were evident that it was going to be an uphill task for Suriname as T&T pressed for an opening, with the nippy Elizabeth Ng Wai and Shade making a few inroads.
However, all their efforts were thwarted by the Suriname girls until the 22nd minute when Ng Wai set up winger Jonelle Warrick for the opener to put her team 1-0. Ng Wai played a ball out the top right hand corner of the Suriname penalty-area where Shade and Warrick were both unmarked.
The latter collected the ball, took two touches towards the goal before she unleashed an unstoppable right footer into the far corner of the goal which gave goalkeeper Genevra Kamiran little chance.
With a goal to their credit, the Soca Princesses stepped up a gear and after seeing one of her attempts saved by Kamiran, Shade latched onto a clever deft pass from strike-partner Ng Wai, raced towards the Suriname goal, before coolly side footing the ball past a stranded Kamiran for a 2-0 cushion in the 25th minute.
The score quickly became 3-0 in the 37th minute when Shade rose unchallenged in the penalty-area to head home a right-sided Worrick corner, seconds after Kamiran had done well to tip around the post, a Ng Wai attempt.
Two minutes, the T&T captain completed her hat-trick to extend the lead to 4-0 when she was on spot to tap home from less than three feet out of goal after goalkeeper Kamiran had dropped what looked a simple catch from another Worrick corner.
T&T managed to create a few more chances before the break, but in the end had to settle for a 4-0 lead, which drew a standing ovation from the packed covered stands, who in carnival-like atmosphere had walked with their plastic bottles, iron and bottle and spoon.
The crowd hardly had time to get into their seats for the start of the second-half when Ng Wai nicknamed “Chinee” threaded a pass to substitute US-based Shakirah Salandy (who replaced Affiyah Matthias) who held off a tackle from Suriname captain Manouska Dompig to sneak a right footer off the post and past Kamiran for a 5-0 score-line, sending the crowd into jubilation.
It was now no way back for Suriname, who to their credit still battled away against the host, but lanky striker Cynthia Sital, who had scored in her two previous matches was not as that effective, being easily handled by central defenders, co-captain Tiana Bateau and Camille Borneo.
At the other end, T&T continued to bombard Suriname and in the 48th minute Shade headed in her fourth and the team’s sixth from another pint-point Worrick corner while Forbes made it 7-0 in the 58th minute with a scorching left footed shot from about 30-yards that flew over the head of Kamiran like a rocket.
Coach Charles, then rang in the changes with Ng Wai and Kissoon, who terrorised the Suriname players all night long being replaced by debutants, Jamila Murphy and Denielle Jack. With Ng Wai and Kissoon out of the attack, T&T seemed to ease off the pressure, but their chances still fell for Murphy, Worrick, Salandy and Shade to add to the score-line.
Luckily for Suriname, they were all off the target and despite the many chants from the vociferous crowd of “We want ten goals, we want ten” the score remained 7-0. When the final whistle came from referee Monique Ras of Aruba, the T&T girls took a well deserved bow from the crowd, after which the celebrations continued, as they were joined by over-zealous parents, friends and well-wishers alike.
In the opening match, Grenada got goals from Cherise Hood (35th) and Serene Drakes, a stunning long-range free-kick) to blank winless St Kitts/Nevis to end in second spot. T&T ended with maximum nine points, five ahead of Grenada and Suriname, with Grenada having a better goal-difference.
Caribbean Under-17 Women’s First Round Group B Qualifier.Monday’s Result[/b]
T&T 7 (Moriah Shade 25th, 37th, 39th, 48th, Jonelle Worrick 22nd, Shakirah Salandy 46th, Karyn Forbes 58th) vs SURINAME 0.
GRENADA 2 (Cherise Hood 35th, Serene Drakes 62nd) vs ST KITTS/NEVIS 0.
Teams:Trinidad & Tobago:[/b] - Chrystal-Anne Taylor-Lewis (GK), Camille Borneo, Jonelle Warrick, Sharice Arthur, Tiana Bateau (co-captain), Elizabeth Ng Wai(Jamilah Murphy 58th), Afiyah Matthias (Shakirah Salandy 45th), Moriah Shade (co-captain), Karyn Forbes, Rehana Omardeen, Jennel Kissoon (Denielle Jack).
Subs not used: - Anastacia Lewis, Daystar Swift, Attiya Penco, Tanieka Welch.
Suriname: - Genevra Kamiran (GK), Mijensa Rensch, Scharona Jubitana, Manouska Dompig (captain), June-Rae Paujalie, Sharon Marjanom ((Caroline Moentari 54th), Steffie Aroepa, Kimberly Simson, Salome Tolud, Cynthia Sital (Stephany Miranda 62nd), Gabrielle Seedoorf (Melissa Sowma 85th).
Subs not used: - Euredice Schoonland (GK), Aretha Topawiro, Charell Halfhide, Farida Rozenblad.
Final Group B standingsTeams P W D L F A Pts[/b]
T&T 3 3 0 0 17 0 9
Suriname 3 1 1 1 4 10 4
Grenada 3 1 1 1 4 6 4
St Kitts/N 3 0 0 3 1 10 0
Charles: T&T have fair chance.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express).[/size]
Soca Princesses crush Suriname 7-0Building on the current foundation. That's national women's coach Marlon Charles' formula for the Trinidad and Tobago's Under-17 girls preparations ahead of the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Under-17 Championship in June.
T&T's Under-17 girls reached the CONCACAF leg of qualification for the FIFA Women's Under-17 World Championship in New Zealand later this year with a crushing 7-0 victory over Suriname in the final match of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) qualifiers at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya on Monday night, thanks to a beaver-trick from captain Mariah Shade.
Charles admitted that T&T's opposition in the CFU leg of the tournament posed negligible threat to the home side, who romped to 6-0 and 4-0 victories over St Kitts/Nevis and Grenada, respectively, in their previous two matches.
At the same time, the former national player was not short of praise for his charges, for their hard work, indicating that he was very impressed with their showing. He insists, too, that they offer a lot of promise for the CONCACAF qualifying tournament ahead.
"The thing about it is that this is a young team and this is their first time playing in this kind of tournament. But when you look at the foundation, we've got a lot to work with for the tournament in June."
Playing against the likes of this week's opponents is a far cry from teams such as USA, Canada and Mexico, who lie ahead in the next round. The other teams to qualify include Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Costa Rica and El Salvador.
But Charles thinks, because of the ability of his players, as well as the fact that this is a youth tournament, his team will have a fair chance in the CONCACAF tournament.
"Mexico, USA, Canada are some of the teams that will more advance. It's going to be a fair competition as long as everybody prepares properly."
On Monday night, T&T dominated so much that Suriname failed to get a shot on goal, while the hosts had many and seven of them got past the grasp of Suriname goalkeeper, Euredice Schoonland.
Jonelle Warrick, the impressive 12-year-old winger, started the rout in the 23rd minute. She tested the waters from just beyond 18 metres and succeeded in finding the far post.
From then on, it was the "Shade show".
She played a neat passing game with forward Elizabeth Ng Wai, whose through ball into the penalty area in the 26th gave Shade enough space and time to beat Schoonland to her left.
Shade combined with Warrick to provide the home team's third goal, heading in a good right side cross from the winger on the bounce. By then it was apparent a rout was on the cards.
Ng Wai won T&T a corner and the swerving effort from Warrick slipped through the hands of Schoonland and at the feet of Shade, who did not miss.
The only respite for Suriname came during the interval and even that could not last long. Upon the resumption, 30 seconds had gone when half-time substitute Shakirah Salandy was put through by Ng Wai and won the one-on-one contest with Schoonland.
Two minutes later, the Surinamese custodian was picking the ball out of her net once more, after Warrick's accurate free kick found the head of Shade, who registered her fourth.
"Ten! Ten! We want ten!" the T&T supporters chanted. They got the seventh from the boot of Karyn Forbes, who curled Sharice Arthur's pass over Schoonland's head and into goal in the 59th.
T&T goalie Annastacia Lewis would have been lonely with just a solitary touch of the ball as the home side totally overwhelmed the visitors.
It's now left to be seen, though, whether T&T can step up to the next level in their quest for a World Championship spot.
"We're now gonna go back to the drawing board," said Charles, who indicated he was "very happy" with his team, "and start looking at speed of play now. At the next level you've got to play faster. They've also got to work on being stronger, fitter and work on technically doing things a little bit quicker.
"I just want to look at the foundation that we have, and build on it."
In the earlier game, Grenada got past St Kitts-Nevis 2-0, with goals from Cherise Hood in the 35th and Serene Drakes in the 62nd.
Under-17 girls shine at qualifiers.
By: Kern De Freitas (Express).In the wake of their stunning performance, Kern De Freitas profiles three of the players who hammered in a few of the 17 unanswered goals.
Trinidad and Tobago's Under-17 women's football team, in their first foray into the international arena, left quite an impression on the spectators at the Marvin Lee Stadium between February 14 and 18.
They were, of course, expected to prevail in the four-team Caribbean Football Union (CFU) qualifying competition, and join counterparts Jamaica, USA, Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Canada and Costa Rica in the CONCACAF round. With the likes of Grenada, St Kitts and Suriname visiting T&T for the CFU tournament, it was almost a foregone conclusion.
But this T&T team has impressed all who have seen them. Under co-captains forward Mariah Shade and central defender Tiana Bateau, they played like a unit, each showing that they are blessed with a wealth of talent and technical skills.
With the CONCACAF qualifiers coming up in June, the young Soca Princesses resumed training over the weekend at UWI SPEC in St Augustine, and coach Marlon Charles, although admitting there is still a lot of work to be done, feels his team has a "fair" chance to be one of the three teams to earn a place in the World Championships in New Zealand later this year.
"We're now gonna go back to the drawing board," said Charles, "and start looking at speed of play now. At the next level you've got to play faster. They've also got to work on being stronger, fitter and work on technically doing things a little bit quicker.
"I just want to look at the foundation that we have, and build on it."
Mariah ShadeAt 16, Mariah Shade has already made her debut on the national Under-20 and senior women's teams, and stepped proudly out on the field as co-captain of the T&T squad, along with gifted central defender Tiana Bateau.
Shade, a form four student at Debe High School, was a member of the girls football team that won the South Zone in the 2007 Secondary Schools Football League.
For the last two years, Shade has played club football with Petrotrin, and she is not only a striker with a penchant for scoring goals, but can fit into other positions in the field if called upon, as illustrated in the Suriname encounter when she moved into the right wing position in the second half. She netted four goals in the 7-0 rout.
Spectators have been impressed with her ball control and ability to head the ball, which Shade insists comes naturally.
"I don't see it so much as a technical move, because that's a natural thing for me. In terms of controlling the ball - that was a developmental stage for me because at the beginning, I wasn't too good at that," Shade told Adrenalin.
She dreams of someday playing with one of the big European clubs, such as Arsenal, Barcelona or Manchester United.
Jonelle WarrickAt just 12 years old, Jonelle Warrick is the youngest in the T&T line-up, but she showed herself to be just as able. The Form One Bishop's Anstey (East) displayed her good crossing from either wing and set play skills in the tournament, which she practises with her father, Joel. Jonelle grew up in a footballing family - her father coaches Jabloteh's girls, of which she is a member, her elder brother Andron also plays, and big sister Shanelle is on a football scholarship in the US (she was featured in Adrenalin last month). Jonelle doesn't mind one bit being part of a football-mad family. "I love football - I'm not just following the line," she insists. "I don't use my hands. Even if I break my hand I can still play 'cause I can run with the ball. And plus football can take you further than a lot of sports. Football can take you the furthest."
Jonelle likes the challenge of playing football against boys, and credits her sister, also a very clever footballer, in helping her improve as a player.
"If I was playing against her I would try to beat her. She will make me play harder because she won't give me easy. She plays more like a boy. She has a lot of dribbles that I hope she can teach me."
Jonelle even helped her primary school, Dinsley Government, to national victory, and has transferred those skills to her new school team.
She is definitely up to the task of helping T&T to qualify for the World Championships. "Some of the girls in other countries will be playing hard and very fast. We have to also play more [international] matches, and a little more against boys that are stronger than us to help push us more."
Elizabeth Ng WaiShe was hardly the biggest player on the field, but proved a handful for the defences in each match. Elizabeth Ng Wai even has her own personal fan club: her family.
Like skipper Mariah Shade, the 16-year-old attends Debe High School and plays for Petrotrin. In fact, she and Shade are classmates and friends.
Ng Wai's forte, to the delight of many screaming fans, is her exciting dribbling skills, and she is also a great passer of the ball. Yet for a striker, she seems remarkably unselfish. It is no surprise, that she has visions, like Shade and Warrick, of playing for a big international club.
Ng Wai's love for the sport stemmed from playing with her twin brothers Mark and Matthew, now 19, and her obsession quickly progressed beyond theirs.
"They didn't really want it how I wanted it. I have the love for it. They play football like a hobby, and I just had a more strong love for it."
Whether she is playing for school, club or country, Ng Wai is proud to be on the field, especially in national colours, and she recalled her recent debut. "I didn't get the feeling until I stepped on the field and heard the national anthem play. Seeing the big flag, and all the support, then I realised how it was to play for the national team.
" Normally I play more relaxed and stuff, but for the national team I play my heart out. I played so hard - I never play so hard before."
Her parents and family are at every match, and makes sure she is on time for every training session, even if it means a long drive from Gulf City, where she lives.
Ng Wai is a firm believer that although the team is inexperienced, the right training and international practice games can help them prepare well for a shot at a World Championships berth.
"We (T&T) will always have confidence in ourselves. I'm not the kind of person to say we don't have a chance. We will get a chance to be in this next World Cup."
So what does she enjoy outside of football? A long pause as she thinks. "Nothing really. Play a lil guitar and stuff with my brother. I like to lay back and listen to a lil music, go to the beach, but we don't go often. Other than that I love football."
T&T Goal Scorers:Jonelle Warrick 24th, Moriah Shade 27th, 39th, 44th, 49th, Shakira Salandy 46th, Karyn Forbes 59th.
T&T striker Elizabeth Ng Wai, right, attempts to elude Suriname captain Manouska Dompig in their Caribbean Women’s Under-17 First Round Group B Qualifier at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya on Monday night. T&T won 7-0 to top the group and advance to the Concacaf Final Round. ...Photo: Anthony Harris.
