Outclassed! Canada KO Trinidad and Tobago U20s, in one-sided showdown

A shellshocked Trinidad and Tobago were eliminated from the Concacaf Under-20 Qualifying series at home tonight, after a 3-0 loss to Canada at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.

Touted by technical director Anton Corneal as the most gifted collection of players in over a decade, the young Soca Warriors’ road to the Chile 2025 Fifa Under-20 World Cup turned out to be shorter than Chacon Street.

Their entire campaign lasted three matches and five days. Presumably, there will be an inquiry, with recriminations to follow.

How could Trinidad and Tobago be so comprehensively beaten by a team that did not have their first training session until two weeks ago?

How could head coach Brian Haynes suggest that he merely worked with the collection of players put together for him by Corneal and his local assistants? What exactly has he been doing on the island for the past four months then?

It is worth remembering that Fifa-appointed Normalisation Committee chair Robert Hadad never reinstituted a technical committee for his four-year term and, remarkably, did not recommend that the new TTFA Constitution should include one either.

In its wake, two dozen talented teenagers are managed by a head coach, technical director and technical staff that have not always appeared to be on the same page.

Tonight, arguably, was a case of the chickens coming home to roost.

At the playing of the Canadian national anthem before kickoff, Canada’s starting players—linked with arm over the shoulders of teammates on either side—shifted from side to side to the music.

It was the first and last time that the North American players were seen shaking at the Hasely Crawford Stadium tonight.

As has been customary for the competition, the host graciously allowed their visitors the first goal attempt—this time a free, aimless header off a free kick.

However, Canada, unlike Trinidad and Tobago’s prior Caribbean opponents, did not give the ball back. Presumably, that is how they were raised.

For the first 15 minutes, the Soca Warriors barely got out of their half of the field. And, by the 10th minute, they were trailing. Canada captain Jesse Costa found space down the right flank, after a North American overload, and delivered a precise cross into the area which forward Myles Morgan swept home.

Nominal Trinidad and Tobago playmaker Lindell Sween turned away from an opponent and released Michael Chaves into space in the 16th minute, only for the latter player to concede possession with a heavy touch.

A minute later, flanker Derrel “Zoom Zoom” Garcia won a corner kick after a positive exchange with left back Duhrell Young.

The 5,000-odd supporters roared in encouragement, hoping that it was the start of a heroic fightback. But it was fool’s gold.

It was not until the 84th minute that Trinidad and Tobago registered their first shot on target of the night, via a speculative effort by Rio Cardines. By then, Canada were three goals up, the fat lady had finished her rendition, and vehicles were already exiting the venue on to Wrightson Road.

Cardines’ shot, by the way, was patted down by Canada custodian Gregoire Swiderski—swatted away like so much of what the host nation tried.

Haynes vowed to outwork, outplay and then outscore Canada. Instead, Trinidad and Tobago were comprehensively outclassed.

Canada, defended in a 4-1-3-2 formation. However, in possession, they went 3-4-3 with their midfield four operating as an inverted pyramid, with one anchor and three playmakers.

In contrast, Trinidad and Tobago employed a 4-2-3-1 formation. But the maths was not mathsing.

The hosts’ midfield trio of Abayomi George, Levi Jones and Sween were trying to keep four Canadian midfielders in check, which proved an impossible task.

When roving Canadian attacker Santiago Lopez pushed high to join Morgan as an orthodox forward, Trinidad and Tobago full back Rio Cardines called Chaves back to help the defence—turning the host team’s most dynamic attacker into an auxiliary right back.

In the end, it’s safe to say that nothing worked. The twin island republic had better luck containing the oil spill in Tobago.

On the ball, Haynes’ back four punted the ball forward at every opportunity. Were they afraid of what they imagined the Canada press would look like? Were they trying to contest second balls without ever actually getting bodies close to isolated forward Larry Noel?

Haynes might have some explaining to do.

What is clear is that nothing cooked up in the Trinidad and Tobago dressing room came close to making a match of the Group D decider.

In the 21st minute, Lopez’s free kick from the edge of the area was turned on to the post by Panton. Four minutes later, Morgan, surprised by his freedom, missed contact on what would have been a free header inside the box.

Panton was tested again by Costa in the 36th minute, as the goalkeeper tidied up his own error. Lopez lobbed wide when a misplaced pass by Francois left him one-on-one with the Trinidad and Tobago custodian in the 39th minute.

And, two minutes later, Morgan flashed a shot inches wide after a George turnover.

The good news was that Trinidad and Tobago trailed 1-0 at the interval. And if that was the upside in a must-win match for the Warriors; well…

Nine minutes after the restart, Canada got their second, as Costa and midfield anchor Alessandro Biello carved open the opposing defence with Lopez lashing home the presented chance. He celebrated the goal with hands cupped over his ears, glaring at the covered stands.

Outplay nothing.

Haynes immediately replaced Jones with the more graceful Josiah Ochoa. And Ochoa began straight away to look for the ball and seek out passing options.

But Trinidad and Tobago’s problems clearly ran deeper than personnel. Ochoa misplaced almost every pass.

Chaves looked a shade of himself, Sween was like a square trying to fit into a round-hole.

Everywhere, there was energy without direction. And the white shirts of Canada moved the ball around and bided their time, before clipping passes beyond uncoordinated attempts at winning possession.

Haynes added Lyshaun Morris, Malachi Webb, and Tyrell Moore. He might have even asked Russell Latapy to leave the commentator’s box and give it a go. It would not have mattered.

Fresh legs cannot compensate for an inadequate plan.

In the 79th minute, substitutes Kimani Stewart-Baynes and Kevaughn Tavernier combined for another breakaway goal and some spectators turned to the exit.

The fat lady was in full cry.

In stoppage time, Cardines kicked out an opponent and sparked a flare up between the two teams. But the subdued response to the final whistle by the local players suggested that they knew they were well beaten.

Dream over.

At the 2023 Concacaf Under-17 Championship, played in Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago were edged 3-2 by Canada—although the twin island republic, coached by Shawn Cooper, played for 70 minutes with 10 players, after an early red card to Rio Cardines.

Canada, still led by head coach Andrew Olivieri, found things a lot easier in Port of Spain under Haynes’ Trinidad and Tobago team.

Was there any lesson to be learnt in Port of Spain tonight? History does not offer much room for optimism.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 1.Ailan Panton (GK); 7.Rio Cardines, 3.Russel Francois, 4.Cody Cooper (captain), 2.Duhrell Young (5.Lyshaun Morris 59); 8.Abayomi George, 6.Levi Jones (15.Josiah Ochoa 55); 13.Michael Chaves (19.Malachi Webb 78), 10.Lindell Sween (14.Tyrell Moore 78), 11.Derrel Garcia; 9.Larry Noel.

Unused substitutes: 18.Bryan Gafiuk (GK), 21.Makaya Taylor (GK), 12.Jeremiah Cateau, 16.Akil Henry, 17.Jaden Williams, 20.J’lon Matthews.

Coach: Brian Haynes

Canada (3-1-3-3): 1.Gregoire Swiderski (GK); 15.Adam Pearlman, 6.Lazar Stefanovic, 3.Christian Greco-Taylor (14.Ethan Schilte-Brown 83); 4.Alessandro Biello; 10.Jesse Costa (captain), 8.Jeevan Badwal, 20.Santiago Lopez (17.Kevaughn Tavernier 68); 2.Theo Rigopoulos (12.James Cameron 83), 21.Myles Morgan (19.Tavio Ciccarelli 61), 9.Oumar Diallo (11.Kimani Stewart-Baynes 46).

Unused substitutes: 16.Ivan Pavela (GK), 18.Nathaniel Abraham (GK), 5.Sergei Kozlovskiy, 7.Tiago Codinha, 13.Mattei Schiavoni.

Coach: Andrew Olivieri

Referee: Shavin Greene (Guyana)

Concacaf U-20 Qualifying result

(Tuesday 27 February))

Trinidad and Tobago 0, Canada 3 (Myles Morgan 10, Santiago Lopez 54, Kevaughn Tavernier 79) at Hasely Crawford Stadium.