Ayanna Russell, T&T Red Angels coach and Dernelle Mascall, who coached the local White Angels team at the just-concluded First Citizens Jewels of the Caribbean Women’s Football Tournament, believe the tournament has put them in a better position for the CONCACAF Women’s Qualifiers in January.
Mascall, whose White Angels finished fourth in the tournament with a win and draw, told the media after the final day that she now knows where her charges are at and where they need to be. In the early match on Friday at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Balmain, Couva, the White Angels were beaten 2-0 by St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Cherish La Borde netted a brace that led her team to eight points in the third position at the end, just one adrift of the Red Angels.
The White Angels took the fourth position with four points.
“This tournament was perfect for us, this was a perfect opportunity for those who are based abroad for us to see them, a chance to see them at a competitive level, so it served well,” Mascall said.
“Each opponent we had to play differently and in every game, we had to play differently, so I am proud of the girls, they were very coachable. We had to implement new tactics, and at times we had to play a little quicker. We made demands for individual players. The game-changers were, to call the players and they had to step up, and I think introducing all 23 players into the game,” she said.
Meanwhile, Russell’s Red Angels went down 2-1 to regional rival Jamaica in the final match.
After losing to the Jamaicans for their lone loss last week coach Russell and her charges were hoping to gain revenge on the final day, however, the Jamaicans flipped the script with an opening goal in the 18th minute from Alyssa Stephenson for a 1-0 advantage that silenced the cheering fans.
The prolific Orielle Martin breathed life into the T&T girls with a 32nd-minute strike that knotted up the scores at one apiece. Martin, the scorer of four goals in the team’s opening match last Sunday at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar, Arima held the role of ‘go-to’ player against a team that was bent on getting the top position in the rivalry between the teams.
T&T’s plans were later dashed as Tiny Seaton made herself a giant among the Under-20 women who will all be springing into action at the ONCACAF Qualifiers in January, with her goal in the 60th minute that sealed the title for her team.
Russell said she was proud of her charges despite the losing result Friday.
“It was a competitive match, Jamaica versus Trinidad is always a competitive match but unfortunately the result didn’t go in our favour, but we are proud of our young ladies. Every game we got better, every game we started to buy into the game model and how we would like to play,” Russell told the media.
With nine points entering the final match, the Red Angels still maintained the second-place finish with the Jamaicans heading the five-nation pack with 13 points.
According to Russell though, the tournament will be a big help for the CONCACAF tournament next month.
She said, “This was huge because it gave us an opportunity to see the young ladies, and our objectives as a staff were really to give everybody an opportunity to play and give them a chance to be selected for the CONCACAF tournament in January.”
