RBNYFL 24: Trendsetter clinch North U-16 title; Cox CS U16s advance

Trendsetter Hawks and Cox Coaching School got decisive triumphs in the Republic Bank National Youth Football League (RBNYFL) this weekend, as the final adjustments to the knockout bracket were made.

Trendsetter moved from second to first place in the North Zone Under-16 competition, as they saw off Santa Cruz United 4-2 at the Republic Bank Sports Ground in Barataria on Saturday.

Left back Jaquan Phillip followed up on his match winner against City FC last week with a double in Barataria, as Trendsetter held on for an ultimately comfortable win.

The result saw Trendsetter leapfrog Pro Series, the 2023 RBNYFL champs in that division, to snatch the zonal title on goal difference.

Trendsetter Hawks will now face Central Zone runners-up Gasparillo Youths in the Republic Cup quarterfinal round from 11.15am on Saturday 27 April at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella.

In another meaningful postponed fixture, Cox Coaching School thumped Smart Football Academy 9-0 at the Guapo Recreation Ground to sneak past Union Hall United in the Under-16 standings.

Union Hall, who already completed their fixtures, were second with a goal difference of +17 at kickoff. Cox CS needed a win by seven goals to beat their southern rivals to a knockout berth.

It was not as straightforward as it looks now. There were only nine minutes left on the clock when Michaei Esdelle got Cox’s seventh goal. But, for good measure, Kaliq Perez and Mikhael Bullock got two more late goals to see them finish nine goals clear.

Bullock, incidentally, got a beavertrick while Perez had a hattrick.

Remarkably, Cox Coaching School would have required another 15 goals to beat Point Fortin Youth Academy to first place.

Point Fortin kick off Saturday’s Under-16 quarterfinal round with a 9am fixture against Pro Series at Marabella while Cox tackle East Zone champs FC Ginga from 3.45pm at the same venue.

In the South Zone Under-14 division, second placed Union Hall needed just a draw against Smart Football Academy to ensure that third placed Premier Sports Club could not catch them.

If they wanted a chance of surpassing Cox Coaching School for the zonal title though, the Dexter Cyrus-coached team would have needed a victory margin in the vicinity of 28-0.

They gave the latter a good go.

Seven goals clear at the interval, with a hattrick by Djoshua Cyrus, Union Hall rattled in 10 more goals after the break to finish with a whopping 17-0 win. Cyrus (D) finished with four goals while Samuel Balfour and Sherkeel Campbell scored five times each.

It was more enough to ensure they advanced to the quarterfinal round as South’s second placed team, although they did not get close to Cox CS’s extraordinary +45 goal differential.

Premier Sports Club, who whipped GDD 5-2, finished third in the Under-14 category. Premier finished fourth at South Zone Under-16 level, thanks to a 1-0 win over the Dunstan Williams Soccer Academy this weekend.

Premier do advance to the knockout round at Under-20 level, though—and they underlined their prowess there with a 3-0 win over fourth placed Union Hall, with National Under-20 forward Malachi Webb among their scorers.

In the weekend’s other rescheduled fixture, Santa Cruz United held on to third place in the North Zone with a 2-1 win over Pro Series in Barataria.

Xavier Barrow put Pro Series ahead inside the opening five minutes, but Kevez Quintero replied with a double—including a last minute winner—to ensure bragging rights for Santa Cruz, although neither team advance to the knockout stage.

Republic Bank National Youth Football League results

East Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 20 April)

Trincity Nationals 3, Maloney RF FC 0 at Republic Bank Sports Club;

*–Maloney forfeit match due to a lack of playing uniforms

North Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 20 April)

Santa Cruz United 2 (Kevez Quintero 8, 80), Pro Series 1 (Xavier Barrow 4) at Republic Bank Sports Club;

Under-16

(Saturday 20 April)

Trendsetter Hawks 4 (Jaquan Phillip 17, 73, Jahda Riley 26, Jordan Grant 38), Santa Cruz Utd 2 (Tristan Franklyn 41, Elijah Lawrence 56) at Republic Bank Sports Club;

South Zone

Under-14

(Saturday 20 April)

Union Hall United 17 (Djoshua Cyrus 3, 25, 34, 58, Samuel Balfour 16, 31, 64, 75, 78, Sherkeel Campbell 30, 36, 42, 62, 71, Jeduthun Emptage 59, Aden George 65, 68), Smart Academy 0 at Guapo Recreation Ground;

Premier SC 5 (Malik Charles 45, 80, Daniel Steeling 55, Soren Shade 57, Ezekiel Garcia 60, Miguel Bobb 75), GDD 2 (Shaquille Taylor 2, Aiden McDonald 36) at Guapo Recreation Ground;

(Thursday 25 April)

Cox Coaching School 3 (Djbril Hamilton 3, Jaylon Carrington 38, 73), Uprising Youths 0 at Guapo Recreation Ground;

Under-16

(Sunday 21 April)

Cox Coaching School 9 (Kaliq Perez 7, 11, 74, Justin Tom 25, Mikhael Bullock 48, 61, 70, 80, Michaei Esdelle 71), Smart FA 0 at Guapo Recreation Ground;

Premier SC 1 (Avi Bhagwat 32 pen), Dunstan Williams Academy 0 at Guapo Recreation Ground;

Under-20

(Sunday 21 April)

Premier SC 3 (Kelon Williams 47, Akini Ramsey 54, Malachi Webb 74), Union Hall Utd 0 at Guapo Recreation Ground;

RBNYFL KO Stage

Quarterfinals

Under-14

(Sunday 28 April)

Cox Coaching School v Arima Araucans Academy, 9am, Republic Bank Sports Ground;

World Class Soccer Clinic v Union Hall United, 11.15am, Republic Bank Sports Ground;

Creek Sports & Cultural Club v City FC, 1.30pm, Republic Bank Sports Ground;

Cardinals Football Academy v Ultimate Unisons, 3.45pm, Republic Bank Sports Ground.

Under-16

(Saturday 27 April)

Pt Fortin Youth Academy v Pro Series, 9am, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;

Trendsetter Hawks v Gasparillo Youths, 11.15am, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;

Beatnix SC v World Class Soccer Clinic, 1.30pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;

FC Ginga v Cox Coaching School, 3.45pm, Mannie Ramjohn Stadium;

Under-20

(Sunday 28 April)

San Juan Jabloteh v AIA, 9am, Larry Gomes Stadium;

Pro Series v Premier Sporting Club, 11.15am, Larry Gomes Stadium;

Crown Trace FC v City FC, 1.30pm, Larry Gomes Stadium;

HVC FC v Evolution FC, 3.45pm, Larry Gomes Stadium.

Trinidad Girls

(Saturday 27 April)

MIC Matura ReUnited v Crown Trace FC, 9am, Trinity College Moka;

Pleasantville FC v Eastern Counties, 11.15am, Trinity College Moka;

Talent & Energy v Trincity Nationals, 1.30pm, Trinity College Moka;

Pro Series v San Juan Jabloteh, 3.45pm, Trinity College Moka;

RBNYFL Semifinal round

Under-14

(Saturday 11 May)

Cox CS/Arima Araucans vs World Class/Union Hall, TBD;

Cardinals FA/Ultimate Unisons vs Creek SCC/City FC, TBD;

Under-16

(Saturday 11 May)

PFYA/Pro Series vs Trendsetter/Gasparillo Yths, TBD;

Beatnix SC/World Class vs FC Ginga/Union Hall, TBD;

Under-20

(Saturday 11 May)

Jabloteh/AIA vs Crown Trace/City FC, TBD;

Pro Series/Premier SC vs HVC FC/Evolution FC, TBD;

Trinidad Girls

(11 May)

Matura ReUtd/Crown Trace v Talent & Energy/Trincity Nationals, 9am, TBD;

Pleasantville/Eastern Counties v Pro Series/Jabloteh, 11am, TBD.