An outstanding performance by the Canadian Under-20 team earned them a 3-0 victory over the T&T counterparts in the Concacaf U-20 World Cup Qualifiers at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday night.
With the win, Canada advanced as the Group D winner into the other phase of the qualifiers.
A 10th-minute goal from midfielder Myles Morgan handed Canada the advantage, much to the dislike of the fans who flocked to the facility. The T&T team needed to win to progress.
Despite changes coach Brian Haynes made to his starting team, bringing in midfielders Lindell Sween, Derrel Garcia and Levi Jones, their attack seemed muted due to the Canadians' decision to play a close-marking game. The visitors, in fact, took early possession of the game with Morgan, Oumar Diallo, captain Jesse Costa and Santiago Lopez leading an attack that pegged the home team back.
The Canadians might have had another in the 19th as poor T&T marking allowed Diallo to take the ball from centre to the edge of the box before he was brought down by Duhrell Young for a free kick. However, Lopez's fierce low shot crashed against the T&T upright before bouncing out to safety.
The usually attacking Rio Cardines and Michael Chaves were forced to make way for a dominant Canada midfield but still, Sween with a rare chance at goal in the 31st minute hit an overhead shot from a bouncing ball in the box, but it failed to trouble Gregoire Swiderski in the Canadian goal.
Instead, the Canadians could have scored in the 36th. Morgan down the right flank from a previous build-up, quickly centred for Diallo's first-time shot to be saved by goalkeeper Ailan Panton. And when Costa quickly pounced in the rebound, Panton was again in spot to keep it out.
Canada led 1-0 at the half and when the teams returned, T&T's Garcia gave the fans some hope when he raced on to a Sween through ball, however, his shot was deflected wide in 47th.
The Canadians got their second item in the 55th. Another build-up on the right side put Lopez inside the T&T box, and despite being at an acute angle, Lopez's rasping shot beat Panton into the top left corner.
Haynes then sought to strengthen his attack by bringing in Josiah Ochoa in the midfield, but it did not prevent the masterful Canadians from moving three goals ahead.
From another defensive blunder, Canada's Kevaughn Taverrier got a simple opportunity of tapping the ball into an empty net for a 3-0 margin.
The Canadians might have scored more goals in the moment that followed but lady luck was not on their side.
In the earlier game on Tuesday, which bore no significance, St Vincent and the Grenadine (SVG) edged Dominica 3-2.
Frankroy Cain, Kirtney Franklyn and Steven Pierre were the scorers for the SVG team, while the Dominicans got their goals from Ajani Richards and Keeyan Thomas.
