There were plenty of fireworks in the nightcap in Antigua, Guatemala between El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago, starting with a rocket from distance from El Salvador’s Bryan Vasquez in the 3’.
The Soca Warriors responded in kind, as a calm finish from Rio Cardines leveled the score at 1-1 in the 33’. The two sides then traded goals in the second half, with Walter Menjivar scoring in the 65’ for El Salvador and Malachi Webb in the 79’ for the islanders.
It too extra time for things to be decided and a right-footed effort from distance from Michael Ventura in the 107’ earned El Salvador the dramatic 3-2 victory and a place in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship in Guatemala.
Concacaf Under-17 Championship Yesterday Results.
(Round of 16)
El Salvador 3 (Bryan Vasquez 3, Walter Menjívar 64, Michael Ventura 105) v Trinidad and Tobago 2 (Rio Cardines 33, Malachi Webb 79);
Mexico 6 v Nicaragua 0;
United States 7 v Dominican Republic 0;
Canada 3 v Haiti 0;
Guatemala 2 v Jamaica 1;
Honduras 6 v Bermuda 0;
Panama 2 v Cuba 0;
Puerto Rico 1 v Costa Rica 1
*— Puerto Rico won 4-2 via kicks from the penalty mark.
(Teams)
Trinidad and Tobago (4-4-1-1): 1.Ailan Panton (GK); 6.Aydon Caruth (10.Michael Chaves 86), 2.Jaden Williams (Yellow 90), 3.Joshua Figaro, 4.Lyshaun Morris; 7.Rio Cardines, 15.Armani Rowe (11.Derrel García 68), 8.Josiah Ochoa (captain), 16.Jeremiah Niles (Yellow 50) (18.Dominic Wilson 60 [12.Jeremiah Cateau 108]); 9.Lindell Sween; 19.Tyrell Moore (17.Malachi Webb 68 - Yellow 70).
Unused substitutes: 20.Jaden Ottley (GK), 13.Vaughn Clement, 14.Tau Lamsee.
Unavailable: 5.Samuel Duncan.
Coach: Shawn Cooper
El Salvador (4-3-3): 18.Alexander Aguilar (GK); 15.Michael Ventura, 4.Nestor Delgado (20.Jonathan Aguirre 102), 5.Kristian Villalobos, 3.Kiano Casamalhuapa; 8.Walter Menjívar (captain), 6.Elder Figueroa, 10.Christopher Arias (12.Adrian Aguilar 59); 7.Nelson Diaz, 9.Christopher Argueta, 14.Bryan Vasquez (2.Stevan Mancia 66 [11.Raul Avalos 95]).
Unused substitutes: 1.Hamilton Lemus (GK) 13.Diego Vasquez, 16.Wilber Diaz, 17.Anderson Portillo, 19.Jair Asprilla.
Coach: Juan Serrano.
Referee: Adonis Carrasco (Dominican Republic).
WATCH CU17M 2023 Highlights | El Salvador vs Trinidad and Tobago.
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T&T U-17 Soca Warriors booted out by El Salvador.
By Walter Alibey (T&T Guardian).
Despite a desperate battle by the young T&T Soca Warriors, it took two soft goals to confirm their exit from the CONCACAF Under-17 Championships against El Salvador on Sunday night at the Estadio Pensativo in Antigua, Guatemala.
They were beaten 3-2 in a match considered the best in the tournament to date by the organisers. Coach Shawn Cooper said he was extremely proud of his charges, as they went into the tournament as probably one of the most under-prepared teams, but still, they were not humiliated.
It took just three minutes for the Warriors to find themselves behind. The T&T defence failed to clear the ball from an early El Salvador attack, and the ball rolled invitingly on top of the box for Bryan Vasquez to hit a thunderous shot that sailed over the outstretched arms of Ailan Panton in the T&T goal.
However, T&T was quickly back on level terms as skilful midfielder Lindell Sween served defender Rio Cardines inside the El Salvadorian area and he lashed the ball powerfully past goalkeeper Alexander Aguilar for the equaliser in the 33rd minute.
The teams went to the half-time break with the score levelled at one apiece, and afterwards, the fluctuating affair resumed with Walter Menjivar darting inside the T&T box to collect a right-side centre. And though heavily marked by two defenders, he still managed to tuck it past Panton in the 65th minute to restore the 2-1.
But for a second time, the T&T offence proved its worth. Substitute striker Derrel Garcial, in the 79th minute, drove past two markers on top of the El Salvador penalty area before slipping it to another substitute Malachi Webb to fire past the goalkeeper for the 2-2 scoreline.
With the score at 2-2, the teams could not break the deadlock before the signal of the end of regulation time and the match was sent to extra time. But penalties beckoning, Michael Ventura picked up the ball from some 25 yards out and hit it powerfully past the diving Panton for the winner in the 107th minute of play.
Afterwards, Cooper, though satisfied with the performance, said: “ I think we shot ourselves in the foot by giving away two soft goals, meaning, we made some mistakes by not clearing the lines properly and we paid for it.
At this level when you make mistakes you are going to pay for it.
Before I left for here, I said offensively we had enough threat in the team to get us goals. The major issue we would have had from day one is our defensive organisation and stopping goals from scoring.”
He noted: “ We put an extra defender in midfield to protect the back four but the goals still came from individual errors, failing to clear the lines. This is a young team, still developing, they haven’t played football for two years, but I have seen improvements in their performances from game one to now.
We haven’t been putting together a good 90 minutes, but yesterday we did and it went to extra time against a very good El Salvadorian team, so I think the boys have nothing to be ashamed of. We didn’t leave here disgraced.”