Calypso Ayoung : A leader in defence for Trinidad and Tobago U20s

DEFENDER Calypso Ayoung knows she has been one of the vocal leaders for TT in the Women's Under-20 Concacaf qualifying tournament.

Two groups will be contested at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva from February 20-25.

The TT footballers will open their campaign against Bermuda on February 21 at 7 pm, followed by matches against Dominica on February 23 and Canada on February 25 in Group E. All TT's matches kick off at 7 pm.

Ayoung knows she cannot be quiet on the field of play. Speaking to the media on February 18 before a training session at the Ato Boldon Stadium, she said, "I think a centre back has to be a leader. I think we have to be the best communicators on the field and we have to really control the game. We control the pace of play and we can see the entire field. We have to control how that ball moves, the speed of play and it is probably the most important role on the field.

"Yes, we are not scoring goals, but we are setting them up, and I think that is really important – and we are also preventing them from being scored."

The Maple Leaf International School student said the players have been gelling during preparations.

"We are all going in with really high spirits. We've really been bonding as a team really well...I think we know what the task at hand is and we know what we have to achieve. We know how hard it is going to be, but we are also very determined."

She is satisfied with her growth as a player.

"I played with QPCC Football Club for many years and then I got invited to the high-performance programme, and I have been here since 2022. I think I have had such a great journey within this programme, because when I first came, I definitely was not at the level that I am today...this is my first time competing at a Concacaf tournament and honestly it is a dream come true."

Ayoung has an unusual first name. Asked how she got it, she said, "It is actually not because of the music. My dad watched a movie when he was younger and the main character's name was Calypso and he really loved it and when I was born he was like 'Let's name her Calypso,' so that is how I got it."

After round-robin play, the six group winners in the qualifying tournament will advance to the 2025 Concacaf Under-20 Women's Championships in May when they will join the pre-seeded, top-ranked teams Mexico and US.

The eight teams will contest two groups of four. The top two teams in each group will advance to the semifinals and will also secure their spots in the Under-20 Women's World Cup, which will be held in Poland next year.