Sween and Chaves thrill, as Trinidad and Tobago U-20s down Jamaica 3-2

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-20 Team head coach Brian Haynes started his tenure with a 3-2 international friendly win over Jamaica today at the UTT Campus in O’Meara, Malabar.

At one stage, the young Soca Warriors led 3-1 and there might easily have been more goals for the hosts if Haynes kept three of his four attackers—Lindell Sween, Michael Chaves and Malachi Webb—on the field longer.

Sween and Chaves, in particular, were unplayable at times and scored and assisted on one goal each, while Webb bullied Jamaica fullback Malachi Molina throughout and had one snapshot rebound off the heel of the post.

Although Jamaica’s Swedish head coach John Wall had a different spin on things.

“Looking at the goals that we suffered, it’s pretty evident that we could have cleared the first one,” said Wall, who had several North America-based players in his squad, including Inter Miami II midfielder Kobi Thomas. “The second one was from a corner and the third one was a penalty.”

Smokes and mirrors from the Jamaica coach? Maybe. But it is wise not to get too carried away by friendly results.

Jamaica were not that bad. Trinidad and Tobago still have lots of room for improvement.

Four weeks before the Concacaf Under-20 qualifying series, Haynes is still laying the tactical foundation for his side.

“We didn’t take any set plays or corner kicks [against Jamaica] that were planned,” said Haynes. “It was just put the ball down and play—because we haven’t worked on that yet. We haven’t worked on the attacking third yet.

“We are still working on the defensive and the middle because I know we are going to play against teams that are good offensively. So if we stop the goals from leaking and we get ours, we will do fine.”

While Haynes held his first screening session in late November, Wall has been on the job since March 2023. For the first 10 minutes, Jamaica purred—as the young “Reggae Boyz” flooded their midfield with bodies and worked passing triangles all the way to the half line.

“They were good on the ball and I wanted to respect that,” said Haynes. “I didn’t want to put a high press and all of a sudden we are opened up behind.

“What we did is stay nice and compact.”

The problem with Jamaica’s interplay in the opening half hour, as Wall admitted, was a lack of variety. It rarely led to a diagonal, switch ball to either flank or any meaningful attempt to stretch the Trinidad and Tobago defence.

“Even though they had a possession, it wasn’t to the point that they were breaking lines and going between us,” said Haynes. “That gave us confidence to know that they couldn’t play through us; and then we could go press.”

In the ninth minute, Sween picked the ball off Jamaica left back Rolando Barrett near the half line but the San Juan North schoolboy, who campaigns with Morvant Caledonia United in the TTPFL Tier One, failed to get enough sting behind his shot.

He did not let them off the hook on the second opportunity, although it owed much to Chaves’ hard work. Close your eyes and picture a ravenous mosquito on a humid day—it’s a near perfect image of the Trinidad and Tobago forward mercilessly trolling a defender who he identified as being suspect on the ball.

Chaves harassed Jamaican Kyron Horsley McKay before picking his pocket, and Sween completed the move with a thumping finish at the near post in the 13th minute. The goal came against the run of play.

“It’s the confidence you get from good defending,” said Haynes. “When we said: hey, you’re really good on the ball Jamaica; but you are not going through.”

Seven minutes later, Trinidad and Tobago doubled their lead from a corner kick as Sween and Jlon Matthews exchanged passes and the former crossed with his right foot for giant midfielder Levi Jones to head home

Sween, Matthews and Jones represent San Juan, Malick Secondary and Presentation College (San Fernando) respectively. If they could pull off such a slick set piece routine on the fly, then the young Warriors should really be a threat when they start spending time on them.

Trinidad and Tobago were playing with swagger now and might have had a third goal as Molina lost possession, 30 yards from his own goal, and Webb’s resulting shot hit the upright before Jones dragged the rebound into the side netting.

The hosts came closer yet in the 33rd minute, as Sween, playing just behind the forward, released Chaves with a clever, no-look pass that carved open the Jamaica defence.

But the Fatima College boy—who represents QPCC in TTPFL Tier Two—could not get his left footed shot past the legs of opposing goalkeeper Joshua Grant.

Jamaica were at sea, seemingly incapable of matching Trinidad and Tobago in transition.

“For me, we all had spells but we feel we were a bit more dominant on the ball,” said Wall. “We got a bit winded because of the goals.”

Five minutes before the interval, Jamaica finally got a player in space down the flank—as their left back, Barrett, offered some width. Barrett’s delivery into the box was precise and his opposite winger, Jahmani Bell, finished with a controlled, side-footed volley into the corner to halve the deficit.

Sween did not return for the second half, apparently as an injury precaution. But Haynes otherwise retained much of his starting team and extended the lead from the penalty spot in the 58th minute.

And, although Wall might disagree, there was much to appreciate about the approach play—as Trinidad and Tobago moved the ball around crisply, with Jones and substitute Aidan De Gannes involved, before left back Duhrell Young burst into the box to win the spot kick.

Chaves converted emphatically to restore Trinidad and Tobago’s two goal advantage.

“If you look at the move that got the penalty kick, I thought it was the best piece of possession we had—when we played nicely through midfield and opened up space,” said Haynes. “Once we created the space, we took advantage of it by running behind… I think we can do more of that.

“[…] The third goal for me was my favourite goal. That’s exactly what I’m looking for from my players.”

As both teams made a flurry of changes for the final 20 minutes, the game became more open. And Jamaica pulled a goal back in the 80th minute, courtesy of a clever dinked finish by substitute Damarion Harris.

But that was as good as it got for the Boyz.

The two teams meet again at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar from 4pm on Thursday 1 February. Both will play TTPFL teams this weekend to further test their pool of players.

“We have been beating up on each other [in training] and guys are getting accustomed to each other,” said Haynes. “But when you play against different opposition, it’s good to see the guys open up and play the way they were playing today.”

Trinidad and Tobago must outdo Canada—as well as St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica—to get to the Concacaf Championship and keep their World Youth Cup dreams alive beyond February.

“As far as I am concerned, the exercise [against Jamaica] was good,” said Haynes. “Nobody was hurt, the boys worked hard and the group that started did what we wanted them to do. I thought the guys that came in did a good job as well.

“I would commend the Jamaica team for giving us a good game—because this is what we need and this is what they need. Hopefully this propels us to keep playing at the level I know we can.

“I know there are things we need to work on but for now I’m really happy with the result.”

The small, appreciative crowd at the UTT Campus would agree.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 22.Tor Fletcher (GK) (21.Makaya Taylor [GK] 73); 2.Lyshaun Morris (14.Jordan Ferdinand 63), 5.Russel Francois (13.Joshua Figaro 82), 4.Akil Henry (12.Jaden Williams 82), 3.Duhrell Young (15.Jeremiah Niles 73); 8.Abayomi George (16.Tau Lamsee 70), 6.Levi Jones (captain) (17.Josiah Ochoa 63); 7.Jlon Matthews (19.Jabari Forbes 73), 10.Lindell Sween (18.Aidan De Gannes 46), 11.Malachi Webb (23.Nathan Quashie 82); 9.Michael Chaves (20.Aidan Ward 73).

Unused substitute: 1.Tyrese Romain (GK).

Coach: Brian Haynes

Jamaica (4-3-3): 1.Joshua Grant (GK); 2.Malachi Molina, 4.Michael Forbes, 3.Kyron Horsley McKay, 5.Rolando Barrett; 6.Denzel McKenzie, 8.Kobi Thomas (captain), 10.Brian Burkett; 7.Jahmani Bell, 9.Tarik Scott, 11.Malachi Grant.

Substitutes: 13.Taywane Lynch (GK), 23.D’Jone Davis (GK), 14.Keyanni Jackson, 12.Christopher Ainsworth, 15.Adrian Reid, 17.Omario Henry, 18.Romarion Thomas, 19.Tyrese Gowe, 20.Nickoy Gayle, 21.Dunsting Cohen, 22.Demarion Harris.

Coach: John Wall

International Under-20 friendly

(Thursday 25 January)

Trinidad and Tobago 3 (Lindell Sween 13, Levi Joes 20, Michael Chaves 58 pen), Jamaica 2 (Jahmani Bell 40, Demarion Harris 80) at UTT, O’Meara.