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The Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 football team got a rough lesson in their opening warm-up match yesterday evening as they fell 4-0 to hosts, Panama, in Panama City.
The young “Soca Warriors” are preparing for the CONCACAF leg of their Chile 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup campaign, which has not been helped by severe financial shortcomings. At present, none of the national youth team’s technical staff is receiving stipends and they are likely to go unpaid for nearly a month on international duty during the upcoming CONCACAF qualifiers.
(Courtesy Mexsport/CONCACAF)
However, head coach Shawn Cooper was happy for the chance for a pre-tournament camp, which is funded by the Ministry of Sport, and he saw the positive side of Monday’s clash with one of the confederation’s top international youth teams.
“It was a very good exercise for us,” Cooper told the TTFA Media. “The scoreline was not what we would have wanted but that’s not the most important thing for us at the moment. We’re working on a few aspects of our game play in relation to how we will face the teams we are up against in the Group stage in Honduras.
“The team is still gelling at the moment and today’s match was part of the process towards achieving that.”
The junior Warriors play Guatemala on February 27 in their opening CONCACAF qualifier at the Francisco Morazan Stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. They must also face Group A outfits Honduras, Jamaica, USA and Cuba within two weeks with the group winner qualifying directly for the World Cup while the second and third place teams will enter a four team play off with two qualifying berths at stake.
Group B is comprised of: Canada, Haiti, Panama, Mexico, St Lucia and Costa Rica.
Trinidad and Tobago football fans are unlikely to see any of the matches although Sport Minister Brent Sancho suggested that he hopes to introduce live streams of international games in the near future.
“One of my aims is to ensure that people in T&T can view every event across the world involving T&T athletes,” Sancho said in a press release, “and I have commissioned a feasibility study into the logistics and costs of streaming sports events on the Ministry of Sport website so that we can provide total access to the citizens of T&T.
“While this will not be available in time for this tournament in Honduras, it will be there when these boys play in the U-17 World Cup finals in Chile later this year.”
Editor’s Note: Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 coach Shawn Cooper talks to ex-T&T U-20 World Cup player and Academy director Anthony Sherwood on youth development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWNoPb1whJo
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I like it too minus I don’t think I agree with his philosophy on defenders
I liked the interview Anthony Sherwood. Was good to hear how he sees football too. I always enjoy those interviews. Tony clearly asks the right questions.
Feedback on the video?
Anthony Sherwood talks to U-17 coach Shawn Cooper on youth development in T&T: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWNoPb1whJo
Agree with Brent Bennett. All Brent Sancho get is a lil corbeaux sweat. Lol.
Anthony Sherwood, who is the Arsenal boy?
Thanks Tony. I’m gonna take a listen. You’ve got to share all of those convos here. I will put some on the site too
highlights of the game…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgxHvngkyDg
Oh I was talking bout the highlights
We actually do these videos from the perspective that our youngsters will have an acute understanding of what national team coaches look for in players (they become more focused in their training) so keep that it mind, but it turned into a synopsis of what’s going wrong with youth development as a whole resulting in a weaker national team – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWNoPb1whJo
Anthony Sherwood, you’re holding back pal. Share the video with us!
Highlights of the game were posted on-line – most of the goals came from set plays which are things that can be ironed out before the first game…spoke with Cooper just before they left and did a little video interview with him…very interesting what he identifies as the problem he is seeing as the national team coach regarding youth player characteristics.
Lol true. Yuh right
Prince Borde I agree with yuh. We need tge warm up games. Some of these kids probably think they are way better than they are, so ah good, sound cutass can only help.
Lol. True Brent Bennett!
Oh geez. Look I just happy the fellas getting warm up games. They need them badly.
If you read the article, you would have seen it was a statement of intent that they are exploring the feasibility of at present. It’s not a done deal.
Having said that, the track record for decision making does not inspire confidence.
Brent I don’t think scoreboard matters in warm up games. You want to win. But once they improve and implement what the coach wants by the tournament. Not sure if a beating matters at this point
By the time Sancho feasibility study finished is time to find another wok lol…. anyway the boys need this cutass to realize we eh that good. Should be good motivation for the fellas.
How Nixon look?
Did any thought go into his statement? Logistics, broadband penetration, production, costs….
I see they still not paying people. So tired of this nonsense.
Guess Live streaming is a new coach and the live streaming will help us to improve Shows you what I know about football
Somebody should explain to him that streaming the game online is nowhere close to being the same in terms of reach as a tv broadcast. Broadband penetration in Trinidad and Tobago isn’t that high.