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Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 Team coach Brian Williams selected a 23-man squad stuffed with south-based schoolboy talent for Caribbean Football Union battle in Curaçao from 21-30 October 2016.
Twelve of the 23-man squad either played for or still represent one of the country’s south-based schools including team captain and playmaker Jabari Mitchell and key striker Nicholas Dillon—who both represented Naparima College—while left back Keston Julien is a former Presentation College (San Fernando) standout.
The two teams played to a 1-1 draw.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
The remaining nine players with southern links are: Denzil Smith (Shiva Boys Hindu College), Kierron Mason (Marabella Family CC), Rondell Payne (Naparima College), Isaiah Garcia (W Connection), Kori Cupid (Presentation College, San F’do), Kareem Riley (Presentation College, San F’do), Shane Sandy (Naparima College), Jarred Dass (Stony Brook University—USA) and Isaiah Hudson (Naparima College).
Mason and Dass are former Naparima players while Garcia is a Shiva Boys past pupil.
Sandy, Riley, Payne, Smith, Cupid and Hudson are among nine local schoolboys in Williams’ squad, which also includes: St Anthony’s College winger Kathon St Hillaire and goalkeeper Jabari Brice, and East Mucurapo Secondary attacker Micah Lansiquot.
There was no room for the Shiva Boys Hindu College duo of Tyrel “Pappy” Emmanuel and Quinn Rodney, who were blanked by Williams after they controversially withdrew from a recent tour to Guyana.
Another more famous Shiva Boys alumni, Levi Garcia—who is cousin of full back Isaiah Garcia—misses out for another reason entirely, as he has his hands full at present with the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team. Williams was keen to include Garcia but conceded that he could not get the winger in time for the Curaçao competition.
Still, Williams, a former Strike Squad standout, is happy with the players who will accompany him to the CFU battleground.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
“We’ve selected what at this time we believe is the best selection of players for the tournament,” Williams told the TTFA Media. “We’ve seen some new players since the last tournament and the majority of the squad has been recalled and we have a couple additions…
“The preparation has gone on quite well and I am looking forward to this training camp in Panama, which I believe will be a really critical and much needed time together for the squad before we go over to Curaçao.”
The young Soca Warriors are scheduled to play training matches against unidentified clubs in Panama on 13 and 17 October before they open their campaign against Cuba on 22 October. Trinidad and Tobago will then tackle St Lucia on 24 October and Haiti on 26 October.
The top two teams advance to the semi-finals and gain automatic passage to the CONCACAF final round—which will be played in Costa Rica in February 2017—while the best third place group team also progresses as the Caribbean’s fifth team.
CONCACAF’s four top teams will represent the Confederation at the South Korea 2017 Under-20 World Cup.
T&T won 1-0.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
(Trinidad and Tobago team)
Goalkeepers: Jabari Brice (St Anthony’s College), Denzil Smith (Shiva Boys Hindu College);
Defenders: Taryk Sampson (Ma Pau Stars), Kierron Mason (Marabella Family CC), Rondell Payne (Naparima College), Jacob Sooklal (University of Ontario IT—Canada), Isaiah Garcia (W Connection), Kori Cupid (Presentation College, San F’do), Keston Julien (San Juan Jabloteh), Andrew Rullow (University of Charleston—USA), Noah Powder (New York Red Bulls II—USA);
Midfielders: Kareem Riley (Presentation College, San F’do), Shane Sandy (Naparima College), Jabari Mitchell (W Connection), Morgan Bruce (KRC Genk—Belgium), Jarred Dass (Stony Brook University—USA), Isaiah Hudson (Naparima College), Kathon St Hillaire (St Anthony’s College), Josh Toussaint (St Ann’s Rangers), Micah Lansiquot (East Mucurapo), Moses Jaikaran (Cengem Harlem Strikers);
Forwards: Nicholas Dillon (Central FC), Taofik Lucas Walker (DC United—USA).
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If I was the 19 year old player reading some of these comments from the names I see here it would have destroyed my confidence or highly motivate me. Hope it’s the latter for this kid.
Kids abroad go through a lot tougher a lot earlier. Our children are really sheltered in comparison.
Cafu probably got rejected from about four five clubs by Hudson’s age. But I also hope he channels it positively and strives to prove his doubters wrong.
I humbly disagree.
I am not asking you Duane. Read on any of the international players you read about abroad. Hart said that he went to Chivas youth game once and saw a kid reach down the flank and make two bad crosses with time and space. When he got the third ball, about a quarter of the crowd started making loud donkey noises.
Hart said he knew the kid would either crack or become as hard as steel and make it.
Not the same… that happens in any Village league…
It’s just my bias.
So you’re saying that somebody saying Hudson had a poor under-17 tournament is equivalent to about 8,000 people making donkey noises every time he touches the ball?
That happens in every village?
Trinidad football fans who haven’t travelled won’t know what a real crowd sounds like. Much less one that is putting pressure on a player or official.
No Breds… my point was the names I see destroying the youth is not just the nuts man or the heckler in the stands.
Ok. I hear what you’re saying. But I think it was just feedback. Something he would probably know already if he is honest.
Isaiah Hudsons he’s not a over rated player,he’s a very good player with a lot of potential,i took him in a top club in Europe and he was selected ,unfortunately somebody put personal interest before instead of the best for the boy,tmake him travel up and down and make him feel to much responsabilty for he’s age, Let him grow in a professional enviroment and you will see
Re DJW’s interests… Have the TTFA started acting on their pledge to compensate developmental clubs for national representation?
Great question. Can you point out where this pledge initially came from?
Which of the clubs have a development coach for discreet development work with individual players?
What is ‘discreet development work’ Trevor Bridglalsingh
Discreet meaning doing development work only for individual workers as different from doing team coaching as well.
Elite plAYER development requires a lot of time to be done Effectively
Okay I hear yuh
..Football is football. He didn’t inpress is all I am saying. We ‘ll see what his U20 tournament brings..
I hear you, but don’t agree with young people it’s ever that simple..
Keith, player selection is also about trust. If a coach is very familiar with a player over a long period and after screening believes he can trust the player best, I would definitely give leeway there as well..
..I know what player selection entails. And my good friend Brian is free to select him. I wish both of them well. I am also simply saying that Hudson was poor in the U17 tournament and didn’t impress. That’s all..
Lasana Liburd ur statement is not based in fact before DJW become president his players dominated national team selection so to do as its a new occurrence is to be in genuine
I’m happy to be ingenious. But I think you didn’t read my comment carefully. Try again. And read the last paragraph slowly. 😉
Lollll
Reading is fundamental lol
I did read ur comment bc it reflects that bc d team doing badly and d majority of players come from w there is bias and u should know better than to propagate that thinking as i always tell u wired is d gospel for sports especially football so u just putting it out there fans d flame
Malik Johnson and so is not being a follow the leader fool
Well Gordon, if you read my comment and that is what you got from it. You should ask someone to read it for you! 🙂
That’s y d society is d way it is today bc we have a bunch of functional illiterate as leaders at all spheres of life Malik Johnson
Calm down Gordon. If you read the story, you will see I am referring to a perception and not necessarily a reality. I was at pains to stress that.
And since DJW himself acknowledged that he would have to avoid conflicts of interest in his campaign, it would be dishonest of him to pretend he doesn’t know what that is now.
Gordon, I just re-read and I am taking away that there are layers of conflict of interest which could lead many to the conclusion that the coach must make certain decisions, some of which put his club employer before country. Normally, in mature socieities, people adopt strict conflict of interest protocols. For example, if I am President of TTFA, I really should not own or actively be affiliated with a club. Furthermore, several candidates should apply and be screened, before a final selection made, Not one person hired who is a member of said club which TTFA President owns and actively operates. There is then the player selection conundrum. It’s not proper Gordon. I know you understand that.. This is not a biased opinion, just the straight truth..
Gordon …. please we’re not naieve kids here we know what Jack and the current ttfa prezi is capable of. Are we directly accusing djw of this bias no we’re not. But we certainly aren’t naieve enough to put this as being beyond him. Nobody is turning anyone’s head because despite his movements being “less than tactfully executed” we have not accused him of anything because …in fact we don’t know do we? Or do we? lol …. you seem a lil defensive …just a lil ..
Interesting threads. Thanks guys
Cmon people if its a local coach let’s be real where ever the coach is from or associated with there is going to be a bias. You’re not gonna get away from that. This is probably why foreign coaches mesh better with team selection policies. But at the end of the day you want the best players and the best teams indiiferent of where they from.
The reality is once the national youth team coach is also an employee at the club owned by the president, the dynamics changes.
Normally a coach has to pick the team that can win him games and save his job. But what if the person to guarantee your job might have a stake in using players from his own club?
It is the sort of conflict of interest scenario that we were promised wouldn’t happen. But it has.
I’m not saying that is the case. Just that the situation means people will always wonder, especially if the team is not doing well.
You could’ve write the likes of Jabari Mitchell and Keston Julien/Jared Dass instead inno Lasana…really…really 😐
Hahaha. If Dillon doesn’t deliver they have no chance.
Steupse…will wait oui
Seriously Kirwin Weston?
If the man taking us to WC…yep
Once he knows true to himself that he is fair and impartial in his selection, I personally don’t care where the players coming from.
Once he selecting men on merit, by all means…choose who you want.
But once there’s bias in selection I have a problem. The team could have been selected from each region in T&T and bias could have still existed.
You could pick 23 men from Biche for me…once we getting results…and the coach in his judgement believes that’s the best 23 in the country
What’s your contribution La Horquetta Xf
Well the south teams (except for Benedicts blip this season) have shown that they have the best young talent in the land. Is 6 out of 14 in the Premier division, right?
Stuppes please ?
Correct Lasana Liburd he knows the players better than anyone else .
Keep in mind Hudson has trained more so with U20s than with U17s. It would be miraculous for him to develop the same chemistry.. just a thought..
I thought it looked an odd mix. A lot of defenders and wingers and not many holding midfielders from what I can see. But coach knows the players better than I do. So let’s see.
:/
No space for Yohannes..
Yes that man wss a real gentleman who cared about the players in his charge and he was not concerned about where you come from
Arima United
The good old days, now Coach Roderick Warner R.I.P was a boss Coach eh……BOOM
Mango we played against esch other in those times first when i wss at Fulham and then when I ead at Ayims United
And unless we return to the days of giving all players no matter where you from in our sweet country the chance to represent our youth teams eh, the under 20 team eh going no where the same like the under 17 team eh. Them really good yes.
Yeah I can back him on what he speaks of eh and that was the Coach Alvin Corneal the prolific left footed goalscorer back in his playing days. Them really good yes
..Over-rated player..
Or that. Lol.
Listen you guys may not know of what i speak beause you may not have been around as long as i have. I know of the days when you used to get a box of royal castle chicken when you done play an exhibition game for Trinidad and have yo travel home from where the game wss played. I know about players going to trisl and getting drop without kicking a ball
..Hudson was poor with the U17s and still made the cut. Hmm.
Well he was in the first Under-20 squad so I’m not surprised
If I were to pick a player from the U-17s to advance, it wouldn’t be him based on his play there.
Maybe Brian Williams thinks his form then was not a proper reflection of his talent. Maybe.
Was he playing with an injury in the U-17 qualifiers?
Timothy Rochford yes he was…
Interesting
He was apparently ill after game 1
Ill RoneilK Walcott? Apparently? OK then.
Yes we should
Nope …. if you make a statement like that …then clarify it ….take into consideration some local players who didn’t show up when invited to camp …. so clarify your statements
well if you following Trinidad football a long time you would know what I am talking about.
Sorry, just started. Can you explain?
The selection of players for national teams has always bee bias in favour of thearea where the coach comes from. If he from south well the team is filled with south players .if he from north the same applies in 1981 a certain national coach was from north and Maple has 8 national players but wss running 8th in the National league at the time. This is just one example of many that i have seen over the years
In this case though, the coach can point at the standings to justify his decisions. South schools are dominating at present.
Lasana just look at how the coach wss selected. There are reasons for all this. We pretend that we dont see these things but thats sport in Trinidad
Well, we wrote about the issues in the selection of the coach. And yes he is attached to a particular club.
But I’m saying that we can’t ignore the fact that the south schools have been terrific too.
I don’t agree it has always been biased based upon where the coach is from, since firstly Bertille StClair didn’t pick mostly Tobago players. Secondly, this coach called quite a few players from various areas. Some came to screening, and others did not. Some performed in screening and others did not. It will never be a perfect process, but any coach has to pick whp he feels comfortable with.. Be that as it may, when it comes to the way coaches are assigned, and the way we decide which players are to be screened, is definitely up for serious improvement!!!
Then you agree that the selection process is not good yhen Mr Brian Jordan
I am saying there isn’t always a bias based upon coach being from a particular area
I am also saying we live in Trinidad and Tobago. Scant attention is paid to scientific, data driven processes and as a result we get short shrift in decisions in every arena..
The coach picks the players he believes will win him the games. In his mind foremost is winning game/s and whom ever he believes will bring him to that place will be selected.
Brian Jordan it it not always just about winning games for the coaches.
Firstly, It is always about a bias as to who he can relate to and control to play the game he thinks will yield positive results.
Secondly, some coaches love to showcase players, albeit for personal gain or fame, especially players who in their opinion havent had the exposure and deserve a break. Which is also a bias.
Never said it was.
I know Kester Lendor said that but i was just trying to link the two points
Lol.. called my name though..
Btw, it may not be everything, but results do matter.. winning should matter
I hear you
What bias is that?
The bias continues. Thats why we struggle all the time
Sorry, what bias are you referring to?
A few foreign talents huh?
Hmmmmmmm