T&T U20 coach discusses final squad and Tau conundrum after 5-0 friendly win

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-20 Team head coach Marvin Gordon suggested that he has just two outfield players left to look at, as he prepares to select his squad for the opening qualifying round of their 2027 Fifa Under-20 World Cup campaign.

Last night, Trinidad and Tobago whipped a makeshift AC Port of Spain 5-0 in their second practice game this week at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva. On Monday, the young Soca Warriors routed Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0.

Gordon has used 22 different players over the course of those two games and, as it stands, he foresees only two more auditions for this group—along with one inclusion.

Swansea youth team forward Josiah Kallicharan, who represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2025 Concacaf Under-17 team, will be the only player who goes straight into the final squad without a trial.

United States-born defender Jeremy Meloney and Jamaica-based forward Kaieem Lewis (formerly of Bishop’s High in Tobago) are expected to feature tomorrow against the Grenada National Under-20 Team from 6pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium, when they will have a chance to impress.

Other than those three, Gordon expects to select his final 18 outfield players from the 20 teenagers used so far this week.

“As a coach, you can take a chance on one player basically,” said Gordon, as he explained why he left a spot for Kallicharan on his roster. “Other than that, I don’t want to take many chances. I am comfortable with the group I have.

“Anyone else will have to be really special, because these boys have worked really hard for their spots. I think it would be unfair to bring someone else at this point.”

One notable casualty of Gordon’s verdict on his final squad is former Queen’s Royal College and Pro Series midfielder Tau Lamsee, who gave an exhibition of fine attacking passing against Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.

Two years ago, Lamsee was on the cusp of coach Brian Haynes’ final squad for the 2025 Concacaf Under-20 Qualifiers, but was unlucky to miss out. This edition represented his final chance to wear national colours at youth level.

Lamsee’s poise, movement and pinpoint passing was the main highlight of the first half yesterday, which ended with Trinidad and Tobago leading 1-0—via a Derrel “Zoom Zoom” Garcia strike.

However, Gordon explained why it was not enough to force his way into the current national youth team.

“Tau wasn’t bad—Tau can play football, but his problem isn’t on the ball,” said Gordon. “His problem is physical fitness. If he came in for the Christmas period when I asked him, there is no doubt he would have been fit enough.”

Gordon, who is also technical director at San Juan Jabloteh, suggested that there was another reason for the omission. He challenged Lamsee to be a more complete player in the future.

“Football is not just on the ball, every player has to be able to help you win back the ball—that is modern football,” said the coach. “Look how Zoom Zoom works off the ball. Long time, a ‘number 10’ would play on the ball alone; but not anymore.

“And this is not me saying that; this is what the top coaches in the world are doing and they are getting success from it. So, who am I to do something different?

“So I am not going to carry a player who has quality on the ball but, when we are defending, we are one man short. That’s just me being honest.”

Gordon made some changes to his roster, and not just only in terms of personnel on the field.

Left back Jaydon Caprietta played for 90 minutes as an attacking winger—as he did with Naparima College, last season—while Malachi Webb moved from the flank to centre forward, and midfielder Caden Trestrail came on as an attacking midfielder rather than in the deep-lying midfield role he occupied on Monday.

Gordon said all three were “wonderful” in their auxiliary roles.

“When you have to pick a squad of 18 outfield players, you have to have players in the squad who can play different positions,” he said, “so you have different options.

“So I need to know before we go in the tournament that they can play in different roles if I need them to do it.”

There was another tactical tweak in the shape of Gordon’s team in possession.

On Monday, Caprietta, as left back, pushed high up the flank with Garcia stepping into the half-space (between the midfield and forward lines) to look for the ball. Garcia revelled with that freedom.

Last night, Chaz Williams, who started at left back, did something entirely different. Williams moved into a midfield role instead, which opened a passing lane to Garcia up the left flank—with one of Trinidad and Tobago’s midfield trio pushing into the half-space instead.

“We have different ways in terms of how we want to play out (from the back) with the ball,” said Gordon. “We have to. When a team watches you twice, they will prepare for you.

“So you have to have different ways to advance the ball—although our approach in terms of [relying on] ball movement will be the same.”

Garcia’s goal, a sharp, powerful strike from just outside the area that surprised 16-year-old goalkeeper Marcelo Phillip, was the difference between the two teams at the interval.

Trinidad and Tobago possessed the ball well at times, although the AC Port of Spain duo of captain Gabriel Nanton and Lamsee were the ones making the majority of line-breaking passes.

Incidentally, Trinidad and Tobago’s opponents were a combination of mostly teenaged AC Port of Spain players and a few guests, like Lamsee. It says something that the makeshift team gave the young Warriors a better test than the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines U-20s.

“The opponents were better than Saint Vincent to be fair,” said Gordon. “I thought again our ball movement was good. The only thing is I thought we moved it more in the defensive and middle third than in the attacking third, in the opening 45 minutes.

“At halftime, I told them about it and asked them to play more attacking passes. I was pleased to see they followed my instructions, which is why we got four more goals in the second half.”

Lamsee was replaced for the restart and AC’s resistance wilted after the break, whether due to inferior fitness or a lack of quality off the bench—with lively young winger Jaeden Bobb being an exception.

Webb, who had a fairly quiet outing, doubled Trinidad and Tobago’s lead in the 57^th minute, as he contorted his frame to head home a cross from overlapping right back Lyshaun Morris.

Morris was stretchered off in the 65^th minute, after he was cut down by AC midfielder Josh Miguel. Gordon confirmed that the defender took a painful knock to his ankle but said he is not injured.

Substitute forward Giovanni Hospedales headed past Telfer from an inswinging Garcia corner kick for Trinidad and Tobago’s third item in the 71^st minute. And, six minutes later, he squared for Jadon McShine to score, with a scoffed finish.

With two substitute appearances for a total of 45 minutes, Hospedales contributed two goals and an assist for the young Warriors, while he also struck the bar in each outing—and even those stats don’t do justice to his impact, with his clever link-up play and obvious threat in the air and on the ground.

“Hospedales has been scoring in every single game, even practice games,” said Gordon, “and he is a thinker. He and [Phillip] Nelson have the nudge (as two of Trinidad and Tobago’s three forwards for the World Cup qualifying campaign), but then I would also listen to what my staff members think—because I want the best team.”

Trestrail rounded off the score summary with his second goal in as many matches, as he glided past opposing central defenders Joshua Figaro and then Christian Moses before a characteristically clinical finish.

Trestrail seemed to be the most obvious goal threat for Trinidad and Tobago in an advanced midfield role. But Gordon hinted that he isn’t at the head of the queue for that job at present.

“Right now, I think Colin Joseph is my best ‘10’,” said Gordon. “I think he is a wildcard. Dominic Joseph is not a bad number 10, but Colin has a little more trickery in him.

“I like players in that position who can pull something out of a hat. But both of them (Collin and Dominic Joseph) are good to go.”

Trinidad and Tobago are not convincing yet in the defensive and midfield thirds, but Gordon’s players appear to warm to the freedom to express themselves in the attacking third of the field.

They have certainly entertained there, too.

After tomorrow’s outing, Gordon hopes to play two more friendlies against Defence Force and AC Port of Spain before they depart for Costa Rica.

“I plan to play against a full-strength Army team, with Kevin Molino and everyone, on Carnival Thursday,” he said. “And I want to play AC’s full team right after Carnival, as our last game before we go.”

Gordon noted that there were some raised eyebrows when he said his team can qualify for the 2027 Under-20 World Cup. But he remains defiant. He said he knows what his players are capable of.

“We know we didn’t play the strongest teams this week, so we are not getting carried away,” he said. “We are going to continue to work hard so we can put the best team forward to qualify for the World Cup.

“I know the naysayers will be doubtful, but that is okay. I am not going to lower our [sights].”

Tomorrow, there will be some more tweaks as well as caps for Lewis and Meloney, as the National Under-20s continue their World Cup qualifying preparations.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago U-20 Team (4-2-3-1): 1.Bryan Gafiuk (GK); 17.Lyshaun Morris (2.Talan McMillan 65), 5.Sheridan McNish, 3.Jimally Renne, 11.Chaz Williams (23.Jaden Chan Tack 65); 15.Nikosi Foncette (13.Jadon McShine 65), 19.Marcel Valentine; 14.Jaydon Caprietta, 9.Dominic Joseph (16.Deisean Plaza 65), 10.Derrel Garcia (captain) (6.Caden Trestrail 79); 7.Malachi Webb (20.Giovanni Hospedales 65).

Unused substitutes: 21.Jadon Pollard (GK), 8.Josiah Ochoa, 12.Collin Joseph.

Coach: Marvin Gordon.

AC POS XI (4-1-4-1): 1.Marcelo Phillip (GK) (88.Christian Telfer GK 58); 26.Jose Brea Dominguez (4.David Hosepedales 46), 12.Joshua Figaro, 19.Christian Moses, 25.Nathan Pascall (28.Jediah David 75); 10.Gabriel Nanton (captain); 9.Sean Bonval (22.Jonathan Mason 58), 47.Tau Lamsee (99.Jaeden Bobb 46), 21.Raul Aguillera-Nunes (24.Joshua Miguel 46), 15.Brian Armstrong (30.Rhys Thomas 58); 32.Jomoul Francois.

Unused substitutes: 5.Brandon Sancho, 27.Darion Hernandez.

Coach: Walt Noriega.

Referee: Andrew Samuel.

Friendly results

(Wednesday 21 January)

Trinidad and Tobago 5 (Derrel Garcia 11, Malachi Webb 57, Giovanni Hospedales 71, Jaden McShine 77, Caden Trestrail 83), AC POS XI 0 at Ato Boldon Stadium;

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 (Malique King 15, Kevonte Clarke 90+4), Grenada 0 at Ato Boldon Stadium.