Sports
Jelani Beckles
TRINIDAD and Tobago Under-20 women’s football team were crushed 7-2 by St Kitts and Nevis in the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship at the Estadio Panamericano in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Hat-tricks from St Kitts/Nevis strikers Iyanla Bailey-Williams and Jahzara Claxton, partnered with a well-taken penalty from Stokes, diminished hopes of TT advancing to the second round.
TT will play a strong Canada unit at 7 pm, on Tuesday.
Canada won their opening two matches getting past St Kitts and Nevis 7-0 and El Salvador 4-0.
TT still have an outside chance of advancing to the knock-out phase with a victory over Canada as the top three teams in each group advance. St Kitts and Nevis play El Salvador at 4 pm on Tuesday and if that match ends in a draw TT will have no chance of qualifying.
Spence, speaking with TTFA media said, “The results have not gone the way we would have liked at this time, but most definitely we continue to stay upbeat and ready for the game that is ahead of us today (Tuesday).”
Spence knows playing Canada will be a tough task.
“We know it is going to be a lot more challenging today as we come up against the Canadians who are the powerhouses.”
Spence, who said all Canada’s football teams at senior and junior level are playing at a high level, said, “The (TT) girls are very upbeat. We had a beautiful session yesterday, very energetic and they really do look forward to the game today so that they can redeem themselves from the two performances before. They intend to go out there and give a very good showing.”
Spence asked the TT public not to give up on the team.
“All we asking is that you continue to be that 12th man for us and continue to support them while they go out there and play their hearts out.”
The top three teams in the Concacaf tournament will qualify for the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, from August 10-28.
