Sports
Roneil Walcott
TT’s Under-17 women’s football team just missed out on three points in their opening fixture of the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 qualifiers as home team Curacao eked out a late 2-2 draw in their Group F encounter at the Stadion Rignaal “Jean” Francisca in Willemstad, Curacao, on January 24.
Through a clinical left-footed finish from captain Sanni Wilson in the 80th minute, coach Ayana Russell’s TT team appeared to be on their way to three points as they grabbed a 2-1 lead. However, in the 83rd minute, the hosts shot right back when substitute Xiarleahmay Martis Nocento scored with a glancing header from close range to beat TT goalie Zofia Richards to a dangerous in-swinging corner.
At the final blow of referee Kareem Benjamin’s whistle, the teams shared the spoils, although Russell felt her team deserved more.
“I thought they did an excellent job and fought until the very end, so I’m very proud of the girls,” Russell said, after the match. “The result…it’s unfortunate. I thought we dominated and I felt we dropped some points today. We needed the three points. In the end, though, I definitely saw a lot of good things from the team.”
The teams went to the halftime break goalless despite creating decent openings. TT struck the bar in the opening period, while the visitors also had to clear off the line in a scramble in their penalty area after a corner.
In the 52nd minute, Curacao broke the deadlock when Jacelynn Jubithana pounced on a defensive lapse from Layla Gregoire to fire the hosts into the lead. TT didn’t have to wait too long before getting the equaliser, as the impressive Jade Jones scored with a left-footed blast from just outside the area in the 58th minute after a right-side cross from Giuliana Meyer was partially cleared.
In the 80th minute, Jones thought she had created the match-winner when her excellent cross from the right was expertly slammed in by Wilson. As TT neared three points, Nocento stopped them in their tracks just three minutes later to tie the game up at two apiece.
Russell was pleased with the overall organisation and cohesion of the team, but said much more work was still needed on the team’s finishing and final product in the attacking third. TT had 54 per cent possession to the hosts’ 46, while they had 15 shots to Curacao’s seven, five of which were on target.
“I thought we struggled a bit to put the game away in that final middle to final third,” the former TT international said.
With a few days off before TT’s next game against Barbados on January 28, there’s no secret as to where Russell and her staff will be putting their focus before meeting the Bajans.
“We definitely need to spend some time in front of the goal a little bit more, but it’s just to get them accustomed to playing with each other and moving on and off the ball,” she said.
“We will definitely be spending some time in the middle to final third to prepare for the next two games.”
TT’s third and final group game will be against El Salvador on February 1.
The six group winners in this qualifying round will advance to the final round, along with the two-best second-placed teams. The quartet of Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US have received a bye to the final round.
