Cooper proud despite Trinidad and Tobago U-17s loss in 2nd friendly to Jamaica

Despite going down 2-1 to Jamaica's under-17 football team in a second friendly on May 5, Trinidad and Tobago men's under-17 coach Shawn Cooper considers his team triumphant after the teams ended their two-match series level at 1-1.

On May 3, at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Trinidad and Tobago got a slender 1-0 victory when the Jamaican-based Akel Vesprey scored in the 90th minute to give the visitors late success.

On May 5, though, the tables turned as the Jamaicans got a game-sealing goal just past the hour mark from Jahmari Nolan to defy Cooper's charges.

St Benedict's College player Salim Soanes opened the scoring for the visitors in the 15th minute. However, Orel Miller equalised for the home team in the 38th minute, before Nolan scored in the 61st minute to secure the win for the young "Reggae Boyz."

Cooper felt the two-match exercise was worth its weight in gold.

"It's always beneficial when we play Jamaica. The rivalry in this game was played like a proper international game," Cooper said after the match.

"Some of our guys saw what it takes to play at the international level and it's all well for their development."

With just three players being retained from TT's under-15 squad which played at last year's Concacaf under-15 championship, Cooper said his team held their own against their Jamaican counterparts who used several foreign-based players.

"We want to go foreign and see what guys we have who could fill in. We have a number of them at Inter Miami... and we're looking to broaden our horizon.

"When we go back to Trinidad now, the exposure these guys have – and the ones back home who already have some exposure – it will only do well for our road going forward."

Cooper said both teams used similar approaches from the first friendly meeting, and he put his team's loss down to two errors which were caused by a lack of communication in a "makeshift backline."

"(Jamaica) wanted to win to level the series. For this group to get this sort of result here – and it was a hard-fought 2-1 victory. We think we came out on top here today.

"We took the first rubber and Jamaica had to come and equalise. We're leaving Jamaica with our heads held high."

TT will end their Jamaican tour on May 7 when they play a friendly scrimmage against Cavalier FC's under-17 team (first half) and Mount Pleasant Football Academy's under-17s (second half).