U-20s start qualifying quest vs Guyana

T&T’s Under 20 men will begin their quest for a place in the 2013 FIFA Under 20 World Cup with an opening Caribbean Football Union Group 4 qualifier against Guyana at Victoria Park, Kingstown, St Vincent, from 5.30 pm today. The team, under interim head coach Ross Russell and led by 1st Santa Rosa FC midfielder Duane Muckette, arrived in Kingstown on Monday and checked in at the Alexandrina Hotel where they will be based for the duration of the current group phase which will see them also play Suriname on Friday and St Vincent/Grenadines on Sunday. Russell said his players were all confident going into their first match. “We are aware that the game will be no walk in the park,” he said ahead of a one hour training session yesterday at the match venue. Russell said his team was aware that Guyana comprised players who have been with their senior World Cup team. “This means they will have some experience and will pose a decent challenge. But we have been preparing for three months so the guys know they need to bring the energy and the fight into this tournament and we are simply waiting for the kick off with a lot of expectations,” Russell added.

 

Guyana has included Caledonia AIA midfielder Treyon Bobb in their squad for the three upcoming games. Bobb and teammates Daniel Wilson, Pernell Schultz and Les Charles Critchlow all have experience with the Guyana senior team which is still in the race for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. T&T will rely on the strength of Muckette and Olympic team midfielder Jomal Williams in the middle, while Under 17 winger Akeem Garcia and Shannon Gomez are also in the mix. Several of T&T’s players have prior experience at the Concacaf Under 17 level. Shackiel Henry could also pose a threat in the T&T frontline. St Vincent will take on Suriname in the second encounter of the double header from 7:30pm. The group winner will automatically advance to the CFU final round in Jamaica in November while the three best second placed teams from the four preliminary groups will also advance to the Caribbean finals. The Concacaf final round takes place in Puebla, Mexico in February, 2013 ahead of the U-20 World Cup in Turkey later in the year.