USA rout T&T U-15s 6-0; Latapy’s troops eliminated from CONCACAF Championship

Trinidad and Tobago were eliminated from the CONCACAF Under-15 Championship with a game to spare after their second successive Group B loss today at the IMG Campus in Bradenton, Florida.

The young Soca Warriors were routed 6-0 by hosts, the United States, on the heels of a 4-0 loss to Costa Rica yesterday.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Under-15 Team forward Justin Araujo-Wilson (left) tries to escape from a Republic Bank XI defender during action at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 15 April 2017.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA Images/Wired868)

Ten goals conceded with none scored and zero points, the Warriors have no choice of advancing to the knock out stages. However, they can expect another tough test on Wednesday when they face a Canada team that will be aiming to ensure their own progress.

Canada lost 1-0 to the United States on Sunday but rebounded to beat Costa Rica today. So Canada and Costa Rica both enter their final group matches with three points and will be competing for one available spot alongside the US.


It was always going to be tough for Trinidad and Tobago to match them but head coach Russell Latapy has had the team in training for much of the year and there was an invitational tournament in Cayman Islands along with a pre-CONCACAF friendly by way of warm-up.

Trinidad and Tobago drew with Manchester City, DC United and Tampa Bay United with a solitary loss to Houston Dynamo before they faced international competition. But they still came up well short when the confederation’s championship kicked off.

Latapy’s own record as national youth coach, since he returned to Trinidad last September, has been humbling with defeats to Haiti and Jamaica and a solitary win over Bermuda at Caribbean Under-17 level last year before he picked up the National Under-15 Team.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 Team coach Russell Latapy (centre) reacts during 2017 World Cup qualifying action against Bermuda at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 18 September 2016.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

In his defence, Trinidad and Tobago have played second fiddle to Jamaica and Haiti long before Latapy took up the reins while Costa Rica and the United States enjoy tremendous records against the twin island republic.

After Sunday’s loss, Latapy told the TTFA Media that his under-15 players have good technical quality but lacked in the areas of tactical awareness and game management.

“We are a much better team than we were earlier in the year,” said Latapy, “but we still need the experience of playing international games in which this here is part of the process.”

Trinidad and Tobago U-15 Starting Team (x USA): Trinidad and Tobago: 1.Jahiem Wickham (GK), 16.Marc Wharfe, 4.Antonio Chee Ting, 3.Darian Bradshaw, 13.Zachary Welch, 6.Jabari Lee (2.Randy Antoine 62), 9.Ezekiel Kesar (15.Adriel George 52nd minute), 8.Josiah Allen (5.Cephas St Rose 46), 11.Jaiye Sheppard, 10.Josiah Edwards (7.Jean-Heim Mc Fee 12), 17.Justin Araujo-Wilson.

Unused substitutes: 18.Kernel La Fon (GK), 12.Rhowen Stewart-Williams, 15.Adriel George, 14.Aamal Julien.


Coach: Russell Latapy

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52 comments

  1. You mean we have a program?? I must be living in another country.

  2. I Wonder if the next keeper will get a chance cause the first choice got 10 in 2

  3. They does forget when they no longer climbing the ladder.

  4. If you as a coach know that they’re unprepared then why waste money?

  5. Under 15 players locally function in what environment exactly? They are forms 1-3. What is our national program for this age group? What are the under 15 players doing in the USA and Mexico?
    Please people. We don’t want to invest in talent and expect results out of thin air. Then, when that doesn’t happen, we blame the coach? Give me a break

    • Roger Collin Pierre it seems people (read that as bandwagonists) don’t understand football. In the US, Britain, Spain any of the footballing nations, a 15 year old would be enrolled in a football academy, eating, breathing and sleeping football. How do they really expect our kids to compete with that? You should ask people what was Wayne Rooney doing at age 15? What level of football was he playing? But hey, it always easier to just blame d blasted coach and leave our heads in the sand!

  6. Why is that ball boy on the field whilst the game is going on?

  7. We keep doing this nonsense to the Youth. It is very bad on the mind of a youth, to start of losing this badly as a young player. It will be hard to now change to a winning mindset.

    Latapy needs to learn to coach, start at local youth level and prove yourself. We must stop making a person coach because on name, and start on merit.

  8. An thats it these guys comong in because the played outside and have some experience of outside football however youth coaching and senior team coaching is two major difference and his problem is wanting to oach youth teams the same way as senior team with the u 17 both him and Dwight over load the youngstrrs with high jagons . They do not come in with a philosophy a structure they just run a little screening select there w connection core of players and go out to play

  9. Earl Mango Pierre you missed the part that said that a deal has been struck because they owe the man money. That is why he was the choice for the job

  10. Yeah and not because you topped the Coaching course in Germany many years ago that you wudda be a bestest coach either and he himself has failed at youth level but now he is recycled to be the Technical Director in our sweet country. . Them really, really good yes.

  11. The fact that you was a good player does not mean you will be a good coach he failed at every level not only him all the coaches at youth level was already tried and failed ab they keep recicling

  12. Latapy needs to sit down and be an under study to an experience coach for a period of time, before being the head coach

  13. I think Lataz should resign after this tournament

  14. Well I have been saying this for years that the bootleg coaches in our sweet country/Caribbean lacks the tactical ability, they are still depending on the players abilities to win games for them. Them really god yes.

  15. Looked at Statistics for years and ex footballers don’t always make great coaches. They fail miserably plus let’s face it we’re a step behind the great teams always,the mentality and structure are not there.My question is how do you measure talent,how do see commitment,dedication especially when your team is losing by 4,and 6 goals come on man seriously.

  16. Question is SSFL in its new format killing our national teams. Should our national teams be part of it? Secondly should the tecvoc schools allowed back into the league?

  17. Our kids start at less than zero compared to these super teams. It was the group of death! More professionalism and commitment is needed in handling these youth. We also need to review how the talent pool is managed. We need to keep the “new” zonal team system alive. This team needs weekend camps abroad (South America and Europe) playing Elite teams or National Teams if possible. They will not be challenged to the required level here.

  18. After game 1 there was considerable discussion about tactical awareness. Is it not the technical/coaching staff duty to assess the comparitive technical and physical level of his charges to the opposition and devise a formation, strategy or philosophy to be competitive? 10 goals in two matches with Canada still to come says to me that the staff lacks tactical awareness. Losing can be accepted but its how you lose. I observed last year in the CFU-17 TnT had 3 points and needed a draw against JA to advance, after getting a shock equalizer against a better Jamaican team the technical staff opted to go for the win instead of parking the bus. Of course Jamaica won that game denying us a spot in CONCACAF. The technical staff lacked tactical awareness and did not manage the match. In that case and this the Manager was Latapy, everyone that I speak to tells me he has a brilliant football brain of which I have no evidence to disagree however these decisions, tactics and game management maybe a symptom of changes he needs to make in style or philosophy for U15 and U17 as babies can’t eat steak.

  19. Give him some time,good journey will follow Latas.

  20. Players don’t happen overnight.More training,discipline ,psychology diet before taken on the big stage. They are lucky it was only 6.

  21. Latapy was a great player , I think world class. As a coach his records says he is Hopeless. Sure we love him , but……..We need to move on

  22. Ok,forget everything now,back to work, back to scout players (talented players,not friends, friends of friends etc)and invest some money on staff

  23. We all know that our little lads don’t have half the opportunities that teams like the USA are privy to. It was good exposure for them and I won’t blame Latapy for their defeat. We need to get serious about investing in sports and fixing our administrative chaos – and not just with our mouths.

  24. Waist of time..waisting tax payers money

  25. when will we learn, great players don’t necessarily a great coach make

    • You put your finger on it right there, Marquito, with “necessarily.” When nobody is really in charge, we have to get burned before we realise that this one dos not have what it takes.

      And it is no different in the politics, where the lesson is that a great performer on the podium does not necessarily a great (or even a good!) (prime) minister make.

  26. Ammm what going on with that photo

  27. I really thought he would make difference with his knowledge and experience of playing in Europe

  28. I ask again…what is Latapy’s coaching record? Particularly with youth players?

  29. Always difficult to build a strong senior team when the juniors are under par.

  30. I wonder if they even took a shot at the opponents goal in the both games ? Them really good yes.

  31. I don’t mind the losses, if the team is second best. i have a problem with the lack of goals. why play football if you can’t score goals?

  32. Congratulations to my second sweetest country that is always serious and prepared to win plenty tournaments. and it is back to the drawing board for our Soca Worries. I wonder in what year to come will the TTFA Administration, our players and our bootleg coaches will get it right,and again they cannot even score 1 goal. Them really good yes.

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