T&T U-17s lose 6-1 to Peru; Boyce makes one change to final squad

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Under-17 Team completed their two-match friendly series with Peru today, with a 6-1 loss in Lima.

The games were preparation for the Concacaf U-17 Qualifiers, which start on Tuesday 3 February with Trinidad and Tobago hosting Group F at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.

The TTFA Media announced one change to head coach Randolph Boyce’s 21-man squad for the tournament, immediately after today’s game, with Canada-based attacking midfielder Christian Pitt replacing San Juan North Secondary box-to-box midfielder Daniel Lewis. (See final squad below.)

The young Soca Warriors face Barbados from 7pm on Tuesday, while Sint Maarten and Saint Martin clash at the same venue from 4pm. The fifth team in the group, Mexico, have a bye for the first round of matches.

Boyce got two international friendlies to round off their preparation for the competition. And it was a humbling experience for the young men, as they followed up a 6-0 loss on Wednesday with a 6-1 defeat today.

Boyce made nine changes to his starting team, with only left side central defender Antonio Hills and left back Akel Vesprey keeping their places. There was also a tactical adjustment, as Trinidad and Tobago tried to sit deeper to be more compact defensively—once Peru got the ball into open play.

For much of the first half, Peru were also sloppier with their passes than on Wednesday, as a touch of complacency seemed to set in with the young hosts.

Still, even with Trinidad and Tobago’s squad reshuffle and tactical tweaks coupled with Peru lowering their standards, it could not significantly bridge the gap between the two outfits.

Peru went ahead after just seven minutes, as midfielder Geray Motta converted a penalty after a clumsy challenge from Hills on opposing flanker Sebastian Ortega.

Incidentally, Ortega was one of six Peruvians to retain their starting berths from Wednesday’s outing.

Trinidad and Tobago should have had a chance to equalise in the 13^th minute, as midfielder Donovan Drayton Jr pinched an unforced turnover from their guests and released forward Adasa Richardson, who should have been clean through the Peru defence.

Richardson did not make the most of the chance, though, as his heavy touch took him away from goal and into recovering defender Alessandro Marsano.

And Trinidad and Tobago heads lowered in the 17^th minute when Peru midfielder Eystin Cordova and forward Carlos Alvarado were able to work a one-two between three Soca Warriors defenders on the edge of the opposing box, before Cordova slotted home their second goal.

Peru would soon pay for their own sloppiness, though.

From a goal kick in their box, custodian Daniel Recavarren was too casual about playing the ball and got caught in possession—a la Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana—by Pitt. Recavarren recovered in time to smother Richardson’s shot, but he could not keep out the follow-up by Drayton.

And Boyce had his first goal as an international coach, which saw the visitors halve the deficit in the 24^th minute.

Trinidad and Tobago might have had an unlikely equaliser in the 28^th minute too, as unmarked midfielder Jaylon Forbes headed over from a Jeremai Nanton cross, while Peru were temporarily pegged back.

But the South American outfit recovered to score twice more in the first half to ease away. Midfielder Nicolas Jansen beat Williams with a shot from outside the area in the 39^th minute, before Motta got his second goal with a cheeky chip from close range in first half stoppage time—after another one-two involving Alvarado.

Peru got a second penalty in the 50^th minute, after a call for a handled ball by captain Jeremiah Daniel. But substitute goalkeeper Necose Moore dived to his left to deny the effort from midfielder Sandro Cometivos.

The hosts, whose ball movement improved noticeably after their halftime talk, were completely dominant again, though, and added two more goals.

Moore was beaten from an unlikely angle in the 61^st minute, after a Peruvian attacker’s effort took a crucial deflection. And then he conceded from a corner kick in the 79^th minute, as the St Anthony’s College student was left exposed by his defence.

Trinidad and Tobago matched up to Peru physically and were arguably superior in athletic terms. But they lacked patience, composure and, perhaps, clarity of direction on the ball and often defended naively.

If the Peruvian test was meant to prepare the young Warriors for their meeting with Mexico on Thursday 12 February, Boyce has experience to draw open now.

He has less than two weeks to find an answer.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 (4-1-4-1): 21.Levi Williams (GK) (18.Necose Moore GK); 2.Reagan Rowe, 13.Adriel Faure, 4.Antonio Hills (3.Sebastian James), 20.Akel Vesprey (7.Jasai Theophilus); 6.Jeremiah Daniel (captain) (19.Antuan Louison); 10.Jaylon Forbes (14.Kanye Glasgow), 8.Donovan Drayton Jr (12.Jelani Stoute), 15.Christian Pitt (5.Jaylon Roberts 46), 17.Jeremai Nanton (9.J’meke Watkins); 11.Adasa Richardson.

Unused substitutes: 1.Mikhail Clement (GK), 16.Kenai Richardson, 22.Daniel Lewis, 23.Nadeem Grant, 24.Finn De Freitas.

Coach: Randolph Boyce.

(Trinidad and Tobago National Under-17 team)

Goalkeepers: 1.Mikhail Clement (Naparima College), 18.Necose Moore (St Anthony’s College), 21.Levi Williams (Inter Miami—USA),

Defenders: 6.Jeremiah Daniel (Naparima College), 13.Adriel Faure (St Anthony’s College), 4.Antonio Hills (Naparima College), 3.Sebastian James (Naparima College), 16.Kenai Richardson (Fatima College), 5.Jaylon Roberts (St Mary’s College), 2.Reagan Rowe (Fatima College), 20.Akel Vesprey (Munro College—Jamaica),

Midfielders: 19.Antuan Louison (Fatima College), 10.Finn De Freitas (St Mary’s College), 8.Donovan Drayton Jr (Naparima College), 12.Jelani Stoute (St Benedict’s College), 15.Christian Pitt (Toronto FC Academy—Canada),

Attackers: 14.Kanye Glasgow (St Anthony’s College), 17.Jeremai Nanton (Fatima College), 7.Jasai Theophilus (QRC), 11.Adasa Richardson (Naparima College), 9.J’meke Watkins (Signal Hill Secondary).

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Lasana Liburd

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.