Shante Helwig-Correia’s curling kicks proved to be a challenge for the Canadian defence and goalkeeper Sabrina O’Angelo all night Friday at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.
So when she floated a right side free-kick into the middle of the penalty area in the first half and O’Angelo failed to claim it, happy noise erupted when Khadisha Debesette eventually scrambled the ball over the line.
The cheering did not come from a handful of friends and family either. It came from a crowd that more or less filled the covered section of the stadium. Under-17 girls football was bringing out more of a crowd than senior regional cricket!
It was one aspect of a revealing night in Marabella.
On the business of the crowd---enthusiastic and a mixture of boys and girls, parents and children---it was probably the result of the large representation of players from the Southland on the national team.
According to Trinidad and Tobago women’s Under-20 coach Jamal Shabazz, who was also in the audience that night, about 75 per cent of the T&T Under-17 team are from South, the home of school powerhouses Debe High School.
’That community support was there but in the men’s game that is different,’ Shabazz told me later. ’The Debe High posse comes as a group which is something to note going forward.’
Certainly the atmosphere on the final night of the international four-team tournament was right for a positive performance. And the charges of national technical director/U-17 coach Even Pellerud rose to the occasion.
They earned a 1-1 draw after Canada’s speedy, solidly-built striker Haisha Cantave beat goalkeeper Keri Myers at her near post in the second period.
The equaliser was no surprise, but the result was a landmark one. No Trinidad and Tobago age-group women’s team had ever managed parity with the Canadians before. And while the ’Soca Princesses’ did not win any of their matches against the Canadians, Jamaica and tournament winners Mexico, they were only beaten once, and that by the top team.
Watching the Princesses play Friday, in addition to seeing Mexico turn back Jamaica 2-0 in the first match, it was easy to appreciate T&T’s other results.
The group, made up largely of locally-based players, did not have the individual or technical skill on the ball of the Mexicans. And the more robust Canadian girls had a physical advantage and played with greater fluency and pace from defence to attack. But the Princesses had heart.
Even though it was poor finishing and an upright that probably prevented the North Americans from winning the game, the Trinidad and Tobago players showed themselves to be good battlers, with stamina.
’The decision to bring in Mr Pellerud to be the director of women’s football and specifically be coach of the under-17 team for the World Cup is proving to be a very good decision,’ declares Shabazz. ’We’ve seen in one year at every level of the women’s game an improvement in intensity and competitiveness.’
For the slowly-emerging women’s game, these are therefore encouraging times.
The input of the highly-respected and experienced Pellerud, himself previously attached to Canada, is being felt throughout the system.
The fact that the national team were able to achieve reasonable results without having to call upon many of the overseas-based players or T&T-qualified foreigners is testimony to his work thus far.
In this case, you have to give the jacket to Jack, as well as his Football Federation.
But as Friday’s game progressed and the Princesses routinely gave up possession in midfield, it struck me that the problems so often seen in the boys at this level are also being reflected among the girls.
I wondered if the women’s game in general was adequately supplied with proper coaching.
Shabazz reckons, yes.
’There are a lot of good coaches,’ he says. ’Richard Hood (assistant to Pellerud) is showing that he has what it takes to become a top coach internationally in the women’s game. Both himself and Marlon Charles worked with these kids and brought them up to a level where Mr Pellerud has taken over.’
He adds: ’They are showing they have the enthusiasm and ability. The big thing in having Pellerud is being able to benefit from his experience, just as Anton Corneal and Michael Maurice benefitted from Leo Beenhakker’s experience.’
The current issue facing Pellerud, however, is September’s Women’s Under-17 World Cup on home soil. To make a notable impression on that bigger stage, the national team will have to up their game further.
Shabazz agrees.
’Mr Pellerud is not a great believer in possession... This is an area we will need to put more emphasis on in the coming weeks, not necessarily to make the team a possession team because that is not his style, but to improve the quality and the control in passing.
’Our ability to press and squeeze will be maximised if we can make three or four good passess.’
Whether such improvement comes or not, however, there ought to be no shortage of public encouragement for these girls come September.
They are working hard enough. Support in the stands is not too much for them to ask.