T&T U-17 Women crushed 7-0 by El Salvador; TTFA HP programme fails to deliver again

Trinidad and Tobago’s dream of qualifying for the Morocco 2026 Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup was extinguished in just three games, as the young Women Soca Warriors were routed 7-0 by El Salvador in their final Concacaf Qualifier today at the Stadion Rignaal ‘Jean’ Francisca in Willemstad, Curaçao.

The result confirmed El Salvador’s progress to the Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship, with Trinidad and Tobago set to finish third in the four-nation group—ahead of only pointless Barbados.

El Salvador needed only a draw coming into today’s contest, after wins over Barbados (6-0) and Curaçao (2-0) respectively. In contrast, coach Ayana Russell’s charges needed all three points to advance, following a 2-2 draw with Curaçao and a 8-2 thumping of Barbados.

But the contest was one-way traffic from virtually the kick off.

Trinidad and Tobago set out to keep El Salvador from getting behind their back four, and look for chances on the break.

Russell’s troops did the first part reasonably well. However, the team was not nearly compact enough, with Trinidad and Tobago’s midfield five not retreating to adequately support their defence.

And El Salvador, exhibiting notable patience and poise on the ball, just kept the sphere moving until space inevitably opened up.

The final attacking count read: El Salvador 70% possession, with 28 attempted shots and 13 on target, along with 426 completed passes with 80% passing accuracy.

Russell, assisted by Women’s National Under-20 Team head coach Dernelle Mascall, clearly could not set her team up to frustrate El Salvador.

When the ball did change hands, Trinidad and Tobago mustered 101 passes with a passing accuracy of 44.8%, which ultimately led to six attempted shots with just one on target.

So, Trinidad and Tobago did not have much of an attacking plan either—not against an organised opponent.

Russell and Mascall have both operated as head coaches for the women’s side of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) High Performance programme since 2024.

Do we appear to be heading in the right direction? Does the High Performance programme offer much value to Trinidad and Tobago’s youth game—judging from performances since the pandemic?

Lest we forget, Russell’s U-17s lost 1-0 to a hastily arranged makeshift Secondary Schools Football League XI, coached by Desiree Sarjeant and Brian London, at the December Jewels of the Caribbean tournament.

(Admittedly, the Programme cannot fully prepare players with just training sessions. The initial blueprint, which the TTFA has not kept, was that all youth teams should have two residential camps with two international practice games at the end of each.)

Last Monday, TTFA president Kieron Edwards stated, via press release, that: “the TTFA is encouraged by the continued progress being demonstrated across our national youth programmes”.

Based on results alone, Edwards’ sentiments are delusional. But, considering the input of his own administration to the respective teams, it is closer to wilful misinformation.

The Women’s National Under-17 team were turned out of the Home of Football, and denied a pre-arranged camp for this campaign, because Edwards and general secretary Kareem Paul appeared to overbook lodging at the venue.

The Women were eventually bailed out by a generous parent, who booked them at the Cascadia Hotel.

The Men’s National Under-17s, incidentally, had similar issues in their preparation in Trinidad.

Both teams left Trinidad without travel gear, just plain tee-shirts that were hurriedly printed with TTFA logos and an assortment of long pants owned by the players themselves.

For Edwards to describe this sort of stewardship as evidence of “investment in our young players”, does not bode well for his thoroughly underwhelming tenure as football president thus far.

But, while Edwards travels first class on account of his current portfolio, it is the young men and women who suffer the embarrassment of the football body’s shortcomings—whether from poor preparation, equipment shortages, or the inadequacies of their support staff.

Today, the young Women Warriors fought from beginning to end. They tracked back, tackled, contested and drove forward, while trying their best to ignore the score.

Despite the scoreboard, Trinidad and Tobago have players who are good enough to walk into the El Salvador team.

Midfielder Jade Jones, defenders Hackeemar Goodridge and Layla Gregoire, attacker Sanni Wilson and 14-year-old winger Shiyah Matthews, in particular, showed good individual ability.

But the El Salvador girls are better prepared, with a clear and effective tactical idea—on and off the ball.

Yes, half of their team is imported from North America. But it is worth noting that their best player, captain Angie Alvarenga, is Salvadoran.

In Trinidad and Tobago’s midfield, Jones had 40 touches of the ball, with 21 passes, at a 23.8% pass accuracy; Rori Gittens had 32 touches with 18 passes at a 22.2% pass accuracy; and Zyesha Potts had 18 touches with 10 passes at a 60% pass accuracy.

That’s a combined 90 touches and 49 passes from Russell’s midfield trio.

Alvarenga, El Salvador’s answer to Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes, had 90 touches herself, with 63 passes at a 66.7% pass accuracy.

Arguably, that was where the game was won and lost.

Alvarenga opened the scoring with a header off a Cristina Quintanilla freekick in the 28^th minute, set up El Salvador’s second item with a threaded pass for forward Emma Torres in first half stoppage time.

And then, a minute later, she scored the goal of the game, with a rising first-time scorcher from 30 yards that went in off the underside of the bar.

Trinidad and Tobago were extremely unlikely to recover from that. The question was: should Russell set up her troops for damage limitation? Or try to push for a consolation goal?

Russell opted for the latter. And El Salvador scored four times in the second half and hit the bar thrice, to a solitary shot on target by Trinidad and Tobago.

It is easy to be wise in retrospect. But clearly the second half did not pan out the way that Russell would have hoped.

In the end, Trinidad and Tobago were fortunate not to get double figures.

The Women’s National Under-20 Team have their Concacaf competition to come—but not before the Men’s National Under-17 and Under-20 Teams take their marks.

In No Country for Old Men, irrepressible hit man Anton Chigurh asked his target, Llewelyn Moss: “You know how this is going to turn out, don’t you?”

Figuratively, if not literally, we have all seen this movie before.

After two years on the job, there is no sign that the Edwards-led executive has the answer. The result will be more afternoons like today for Trinidad and Tobago’s national youth teams—despite his fancy, fanciful rhetoric.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago U-17 (4-2-3-1): 21.Zofia Richards (GK); 2.Jessica Nesbitt (20.Alia Toussaint 79), 4.Layla Gregoire, 3.Hackeemar Goodridge, 5.Mateja Leben (16.Gyasi Lewis 46); 6.Rori Gittens, 15.Zyesha Potts (8.Chelsea John 79); 13.Giuliana Meyer (7.Shiyah Matthews 46), 10.Jade Jones, 11.Sanni Wilson (captain); 9.Tori Jean-Jacques (17.Shemaiah Toussaint 83).

Unused substitutes: 1.Saiya Smith (GK), 18.Alexia Dolland (GK), 12.Sydney Pollard, 14.Gianna Changar, 19.Khloe Kirton.

Coach: Ayana Russell.

El Salvador U-17 (3-4-1-2): 1.Jessica Silva (GK); 6.Jade Diaz, 4.Melanie Menjivar, 5.Zoe Castro (13.Iliana Molina 77); 12.Jade Delcollo (2.Zoe Aguilar 69), 10.Angie Alvarenga (captain), 8.Cristina Quintanilla (20.Daniel Jaen 77), 15.Jacqueline Quintanilla (11.Kaylen Alvarez 46); 16.Kylie Guardado; 17.Emma Torres, 7.Shirley Rivera (9.Ariana Jones 59).

Unused substitutes: 18.Kimberly Elias (GK), 21.Nathalia Melara (GK), 3.Eva Chicas, 14.Mia Alcala, 19.Georgina Herrera.

Coach: Debbie Gomez.

Referee: Smeedly Saint Jean (Haiti).

Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers

(Sunday 1 February)

Trinidad and Tobago 0, El Salvador 7 (Angie Alvarenga 28, 45+2, Emily Torres 45+1, 68, Kaylen Alvarez 51, Kylie Guardado 58, 71) at Willemstad.