The Jamaica Women’s National Under-20 team will have something worth declaring at Customs when they return to Kingston, as they downed the T&T Red Angels (effectively the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Under-17 team) 2-1 in the Jewels of the Caribbean Under-20 final this evening at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
The Reggae Girlz never trailed in the competition and conceded just twice while scoring 15 times in five matches. They faced Trinidad and Tobago opposition on three occasions and won every time.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
They were unequivocally the best team in the competition. Yet, the final was a close-fought contest, and the Red Angels were never out of the running.
In the stands, talented Trinidad and Tobago defender Jasmine McNish sat with an ice pack around her knee while utility player Kanika Rodriguez, the Red Angels captain, was also ruled out through injury.
Both would have certainly improved the host team. But coach Ayana Russell’s problem is likely to have remained.
Jamaica were able to disrupt the way that the Red Angels sought to play without the favour being returned.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Athletic and street-smart, Jamaica denied penetration down the sides of the field and did a decent job in limiting passes to Red Angels star Orielle “Trotty” Martin, who played up front.
It meant that although the hosts were able to regularly build play into the midfield third, they could not make their usual inroads into the opposing penalty area.
At the other end, Jamaica relied on long diagonal passes to either flank, with captain Jaileah Cox-McPherson being the most frequent server of the ball.
The Red Angels never tried to shut down Jamaica’s go-to tactic, while their relatively high defensive line encouraged the ploy.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
As a result, although the hosts had more of the ball, it was their own defence that was busier on the evening. And it laid the foundation for a disappointing outcome in Couva.
Earlier, in the third-place playoff, the T&T White Angels slumped to their third defeat in five matches as they lost 2-0 to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Cherish La Borde put the “Vincey Heat” ahead in the 38th minute with what appeared to be a soft penalty decision from referee Nneka Harewood.

Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Harewood ruled that White Angels’ defender Shadea Andrews fouled opposing midfielder Leona Barrow in the box. There did not seem to be a lot of contact—but Harewood has been one of the better officials in the competition and, without the benefit of a reply, might deserve the benefit of the doubt.
La Borde’s penalty kick was certainly emphatic.
The Vincentian flanker got her double in stoppage time with an angled strike into an unguarded net, just seconds after Nika Ifill replaced Maya Figgener in goal for the White Angels.

Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
The White Angels, who relied almost entirely on individual efforts from the likes of tricky flanker Mariah Williams, could not find an answer.
Russell’s Red Angels had far more nuance and variety in their offensive game. But they met their match in a solid, workmanlike Jamaican outfit.
The game pattern was quickly established with the Red Angels moving the ball towards the halfline in neat passing exchanges, only to flounder in the opposing half with premature attempts at penetrative passes that were often picked off.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Within three passes, Jamaica would send a lofted ball over the shoulder of a Trinidad and Tobago full-back as they opted for the more direct route.
Rinse and repeat.
Jamaica looked the more threatening team without ever actually overwhelming the Red Angels. Then came an error from defender Mikaela Yearwood, whose attempted pass to her left back was picked off by opposing winger Alyssa Stephenson.

Photo: TTFA Media
Yearwood played in goal for Trinidad and Tobago up until this tournament, although she regularly features as an outfield player for her club (Pro Series) and school (St Joseph’s Convent, Port of Spain).
Red Angels goalkeeper Zaira Aimey blocked Stephenson’s first shot, but the Jamaican insisted—and she roofed the rebound to give the Girlz the lead.
If the hosts were to answer, Martin was always likely to be involved.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
In the 26th minute, she just missed the far corner with an angled shot off her left foot after teammate Ty’Kaiya Dennis robbed opposing midfielder Cassandra Smith and relayed the ball to Martin.
Minutes later, Martin sashayed around Cox-McPherson as though she were a cone but ran out of space in the penalty area. She beat her own head in frustration.
The third time was the charm, though. From 25 yards out, the Jamaican defence sat off Martin with the ball on her weaker left foot—and the attacker responded with an outrageous dipping shot that surprised opposing goalkeeper Sajane Anderson.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
One-all.
What more can be said about the gifted Martin—a fourth-form Bishop Anstey East student who finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with six goals?
Her mother, Oire Martin nee Trotman, represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Leipzig 2003 Indoor Hockey World Cup. Her father, Vaughn Martin, was a former Trinidad and Tobago national volleyball player.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Cousin Kirk Trotman was the starting right back for Trinidad and Tobago at the Portugal 1991 World Youth Cup—the first Fifa tournament that ever included a qualifier from the English-speaking Caribbean.
And late uncle Mickey Trotman starred in Trinidad and Tobago’s best-ever run at the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2000 when the Soca Warriors finished as defeated semi-finalists.
The only way the 16-year-old Trotty could have more sporting pedigree is if we discovered that Brian Lara was her godfather.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Still, Jamaica coach Leacroft Lettman could be reasonably comforted by the fact that the Red Angels were generally limited to shots from outside the area.
Jamaica were generally keeping T&T’s offensive threats at bay.
In the 54th minute, Jamaica defender Shanae Ashley clattered into Red Angels substitute Madison Campbell and hurt herself in the process.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Lettman asked midfielder Destiny Powell to deputise in central defence and continued with 10 players while Ashley received treatment at the side of the field.
Four minutes passed before the Jamaica coach realised that Ashley would not be returning. Only then did he send a player, Ariel Lindo, to warm up. It took another three minutes before they got Lindo on the field and returned to an 11v11 contest.
Yet, bizarrely, it was Jamaica, not Trinidad and Tobago, who scored during that period.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Nobody offered cover to defender Hackeemar Goodridge when she failed to cut off a diagonal, lofted pass, and Jamaica forward Tiny Seaton pounced as she flicked the ball around makeshift Red Angels left-back Rasheda Archer before hitting beyond Aimey.
Campbell extended Anderson in stoppage time with a free kick from an improbable angle that needed saving. But the Red Angels got no closer to a second equaliser.
And, deservedly, Jamaica were crowned champions.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Teams
T&T Red Angels (4-3-3): 1.Zaira Aimey (GK); 5.Daniella Paul, 17.Mikaela Yearwood, 4.Hackeemar Goodridge, 13.Taya Williams (16.Madison Campbell 48); 8.Ty’Kaiya Dennis (3.Zyesha Potts 70), 6.Cherina Steele, 12.Natalia Gosine (19.Jayda Herbert 36 [14.Alyssa Singh 70]); 9.Nikita Gosine, 10.Orielle Martin (captain), 7.Rasheda Archer.
Unused substitutes: 18.Kenisha Taylor (GK), 2.Jessica Nesbitt, 11.Rori Gittens.
Coach: Ayana Russell
Jamaica (4-2-3-1): 1.Sajane Anderson (GK); 3.Tavia Gayle, 4.Jaileah Cox-McPherson (captain), 5.Shanae Ashley (17.Ariel Lindo 61), 6.Andrene Smith; 16.Britney Gregory, 19.Cassandra Smith, 10.Destiny Powell; 7.Alyssa Stephenson, 8.Gillisha Gilbert, 11.Olivia Ashbourne; 12.Tiny Seaton.
Substitutes: 13.Solange Brown (GK), 9.Kryshana Reid, 14.Moya Thomas, 15.Dale-Ann Daley, 18.Daneil Beckford.
Coach: Leacroft Lettman
Referee: Cecile Hinds

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
Jewels of the Caribbean U-20 results
(Friday 20 December)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 (Cherish La Borde 37 pen, 70+2), T&T White Angels 0 in Third Place Playoff at Ato Boldon Stadium;
Jamaica 2 (Alyssa Stephenson 19, Tiny Seaton 59), T&T Red Angels 1 (Orielle Martin 31) in Final at Ato Boldon Stadium.

Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
MVP: Destiny Powell (Jamaica)
Most Goals: Orielle Martin (T&T Red Angels) – 6 goals

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.