T&T Under-20 women footballers went down to El Salvador 3-0 in their opening match of the Concacaf Under-20 Women's Championships at the San Cristobal Panamerican Stadium in the Dominican Republic, on Friday. And they would need to improve drastically if they are to have a chance of advancing out of the group.
Coach Jason Spence's charges were almost totally outclassed and on another day the scoreline might have been worst. With preparation for the tournament starting late last year, coupled with no preparation match or matches the young T&T players, despite their abundant talent, struggled to offer regular attempts at the El Salvadorian goal, and instead faced one-way traffic coming at them all evening.
El Salvador's smooth-passing game expectedly earned them a one-nil advantage after the 23rd minute when Lesly Paola Caldron Valle beat Akyla Walcott.
Thereafter, it was more of the same as T&T faced a succession of relentless El Salvadorian attacks that they were later rewarded for. Two minutes before the half-time interval Josseline Jimena Uribe Arevalo fired past Walcott for a 2-0 cushion which they took to the break.
T&T, in 2020 under coach Richard Hood, were through to the quarterfinal round of the tournament, a feat that Spence and his team were hoping to emulate, however, they were a shadow of the talent that made up their unit on the day.
For them, attacks on the El Salvadorian goal were few and far in between, while the nerves that gripped the players after more than two years with active play, posed more of a hazard in their defence.
El Salvador could have scored almost anytime they attacked. In the 54th minute, they may have felt unlucky not to score when Isabel Recinos was picked out from a right side corner and her powerful right-footed drive struck the underside of Walcott's crossbar before bouncing to safety behind the goalpost.
Later a defensive blunder by Chrissy Mitchell put Calderon inside the penalty area. Calderon instead of going to goal, centred for the onrushing Andrea Maria Maestre Samayoa who took aim but still turned it wide.
However, there was no stopping Linda Marcela Guillen Abarca three minutes from the stroke of regulation time, when the diminutive defender lashed it hard with the outside of her right foot from a free-kick and the ball went low beyond the outstretched arms of Walcott for a 3-0 score.
T&T will now have it all to do when they meet St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday.
Also yesterday, the USA hammered Nicaragua 6-0.
T&T TEAM
1 Akyla Walcott, 2 Ashante Wilson-Campbell, 3 Moenesa Mejias, 4 Latifha Pascall, 6 Chrissy Mitchell, 7 Sarah De Gannes, 8 Marley Walker, 17 Jhelysse Anthony, 10 Maria-Frances Serrant, 9 Tori Paul, 12 Celine Loraine
Subs
5 Derisha Bristol, 13 Darianne Danielle Henry, 14 Lillian Ancilla Selvon, 15 Temia Sherkira St Clair, 16 Chelsea Ramnauth, 18 Aaliya Alexander, 19 Shurella Mendez, 30 Charlize Hood, 31 Aaliyah Brianna Trim
