TT U17s beat Bermuda 3-1 to make winning start

JUSTIN ARAUJO-Wilson scored a first-half double as the TT Under-17 football team made a winning start to their Concacaf Under-17 Championship campaign.

The Stern John-coached TT team earned a 3-1 victory over Bermuda yesterday in their Group E fixture, at the IMG Academy, Bradenton, Florida, United States.

Substitute Andrew De Gannes was also on target for the TT team, while Nazuri Dailey was the goal-getter for Bermuda.

Former Fatima College striker Araujo-Wilson, who now resides in Canada (and currently attends the Virtual High School in Ontario), broke the deadlock in the 24th minute.

Strike partner Jean-Heim McFeee went around a Bermuda defender down the right and picked out Araujo-Wilson, who shrugged off his marker Mazhi Simmons and blasted a right-footed shot high to the right of goalkeeper Ayleal Dill.

Araujo-Wilson widened the lead in the 39th. Simmons was caught in possession by TT’s midfielder Tyrese Pierre, who sent Araujo-Wilson clear on goal.

The tall striker skipped over the challenge of Leroy Lewis and drove home a low left-footer, between the legs of an advancing Dill.

Bermuda battled hard to reduce the deficit, and their pressure paid off in the 76th. Ne-Jai Tucker went at the TT defence and drilled a left-footed shot against the post, but an alert Dailey pounced on the rebound and powered his shot beyond the reach of TT keeper Kahlil Oliver.

Tucker missed a glorious opportunity to even the scores, five minutes later, when his penalty struck the same post (Oliver’s left).

Referee Henry Bejarano of Costa Rica awarded the spot-kick after Dailey’s shot struck the left hand of defender Kevan Kahoussi. Bermuda will rue that miss when De Gannes got his name on the scoresheet, in stoppage time, with a long-ranged left-footed shot which was badly judged by Dill.

John, in an article on the TT Football Association (TTFA) website last evening, said, “It’s a critical win for us because we knew this game was one we needed to pick up points to put ourselves in a good position to advance to the next stage.”

John, the ex-TT striker, continued, “We made hard work of it at the end. I said before the game that the key for us would be settling early and the goal by Justin helped but we should have done better in the second half to take the game away from them.

“We kept them in it and they didn’t lie down. Credit to them for pushing us. De Gannes came on to get a third goal for us and sew up the victory,” John added.

John acknowledged, “We needed to be a bit more disciplined and keep the ball a bit better but I was pleased with the way we transitioned into attack and created chances.”

Mexico defeated Jamaica 1-0, last evening, in the other Group E contest.

Action in the Group will continue tomorrow with TT meeting Jamaica at 4 pm (TT time) and Bermuda opposing Mexico two hours later.

The top four teams from the competition will qualify for the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Brazil, which is scheduled from September 17 to October 8.