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Trinidad and Tobago registered the first win of their 2026 Concacaf U-20 Qualifiers series today, as they rebounded from Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Bermuda to thump Barbados 5-1 in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
The result means the young Soca Warriors finish atop of Group E today with four points from two outings, although Costa Rica only play their first match this evening against Sint Maarten.
(via TTFA Media.)
The group winner alone will advance to the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship—to compete for a spot at the 2027 Fifa U-20 World Cup and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. But today’s emphatic result should lift any nerves within the team, before they play minnows Sint Maarten next on Monday afternoon.
Coach Marvin Gordon made five changes to his starting team from the Bermuda tie.
Playmaker Dominic Joseph, flanker Chaz Williams, defensive midfielder Jadon McShine, full back Lyshaun Morris and central defender Jeremy Meloney replaced Colin Joseph, Malachi Webb, Caden Trestrail, Talan McMillan and Sheridan McNish respectively.
(via TTFA Media.)
Gordon suggested that the success of his changes showed the depth in his squad.
“The reason behind the changes is I believe in the full squad,” he said. “We needed to freshen it up and give players the opportunity to show that we can compete and play the style of football we’re coaching at this level.”
In truth, Barbados just could not live with Trinidad and Tobago’s upbeat tempo and high press. And while Bermuda disrupted Gordon’s tactical plans with a high press—which forced his defenders to go long—they were able to build the ball from the back with few hiccups today.
The Warriors should have gone ahead in the third minute, when Joseph hit wide from inside of the opposing penalty box off a cross from overlapping left back Jaydon Caprietta.
But, just two minutes later, the two-island republic opened the scoring. Captain Derrel Garcia’s cross from a short corner kick routine fell to midfielder Josiah Ochoa at the far post for a simple tap-in.
(via TTFA Media.)
Ochoa turned provider for Trinidad and Tobago’s second goal in the ninth minute, with a slipped, diagonal pass into the run of a galloping Caprietta, who produced a fine angled finish to beat Barbados custodian Damario Harewood.
And Joseph got a third item for the Warriors in first half stoppage time, off a low cross from Williams.
The result did not flatter Trinidad and Tobago. It was a one-sided contest.
The offside flag denied striker Phillip Nelson his first goal of the tournament, within 35 seconds of the restart. But a fourth goal duly came, in the 70th minute, when substitute Josiah Kallicharan deftly tucked the ball away after a through pass from Garcia.
(via TTFA Media.)
Barbados got a chance to claw a goal back from the penalty spot in the 74th minute, after McShine brought down attacker Jordan Bryan from behind inside the Trinidad and Tobago box.
But goalkeeper Bryan Gafiuk dived to his right to stop his namesake’s subsequent kick.
“Bryan [Gafiuk] has been fantastic throughout the tournament […] and today he was no different,” said Gordon. “A big save for the penalty.”
To rub salt in Barbados’ wounds, Garcia got Trinidad and Tobago’s fifth off a goalkeeper blunder in the 89th minute.
(via TTFA Media.)
Garcia’s free kick went straight at Harewood and should have been a regulation catch. Somehow, Harewood got both hands on the ball before fumbling it across his own goal line.
Still, Barbados did get their consolation item.
Substitute right back Talan McMillan afforded too much space to Barbados wing back Kamari Johnson, and the latter’s cross was headed home by attacker Tre Moore—with Trinidad and Tobago defender Jeremy Meloney on the wrong side of his opponent.
(via TTFA Media.)
But there was plenty for Gordon to be pleased about in their 5-1 triumph, as his players were better on and off the ball against a thoroughly outclassed Barbados team.
“We knew we needed to play much better than the last game, and I thought today we really put the ball down and moved it,” said Gordon. “I thought there was some good ball movement. All the goals were good goals.
“[…] We knew we needed three points. I think the boys worked hard in achieving the objective today.”
(via TTFA Media.)
Trinidad and Tobago need two more wins, against Sint Maarten and Costa Rica, to advance.
“We continue to believe, we continue to fight and then we see how it goes against Costa Rica to the end,” said Gordon. “[…] Believe, work hard, try to do what we do on the training park on game day—and just believe. That’s all we have to do.
“We’re trying our best to get ourselves out of this group.”
(Teams)
Trinidad and Tobago (4-3-3): 1.Bryan Gafiuk (GK); 13.Lyshaun Morris, 4.Adam Pierre (14.Talan McMillan 64), 2.Jeremy Meloney, 5.Jaydon Caprietta (16.Jaden Chan Tack 46); 15.Jadon McShine, 8.Josiah Ochoa (6.Caden Trestrail 46), 17.Dominic Joseph; 11.Chaz Williams (7.Malachi Webb 64), 9.Phillip Nelson (19.Josiah Kallicharan 64), 10.Derrel Garcia (captain).
Unused substitutes: 18.Jadon Paul-Alexander (GK), 21.Sylvon Theophilus (GK), 3.Sheridan McNish, 12.Colin Joseph, 20.Giovanni Hospedales.
Coach: Marvin Gordon.
Barbados: 18.Damario Harewood (GK); 2.Amari Layne, 13.Karim Wade, 15.Zachari Yard (captain), 4.Ajanie Payne, 5.Kamari Johnson, 7.Ross Bourne, 20.Xavier Bayne, 10.Jordan Bryan, 14.Micaiah Clarke, 17.Tre Moore.
Substitutes: 1.Benjamin Everett (GK), 21.Kai Cunningham (GK), 3.Kebra Bruce, 6.Ronan Lee, 8.Reuben Jacobs, 9.Jaydan Gomez, 11.Eragon Bridgeman-Seale, 12.Tashay Jones, 16.Azahri Dallawy.
Coach: Fabian Massiah.
Referee: Okeito Nicholson (Jamaica).
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
