Judah Garcia produced the winner for T&T in it's opening match at the CONCACAF Under-20 Men’s Championship and World Cup qualifiers at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA, yesterday.
Despite the odds stacked against the Russell Latapy-coached national youth team, it completed a 3-2 win against St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) after trailing 2-1 at halftime.
Early on, Gidson Francis, who scored a double, put SVG ahead netting the opening item in the 15th minute, returned four minutes later to send his team up 2-0, thanks to his header four minutes later.
The John-Paul Rochford-captained T&T outfit did not go away and had a number of chances at goal but they were off target until a determined Jaydon Prowell found the back of the net in the 39th minute.
The T&T youngsters pressed on but the equaliser never came and the team closed the first half a goal adrift (2-1).
On the resumption, T&T was the aggressor attacking from either sides of the field but no goals came. SVG spent most of the half defending its lead and looked set to claim a win in the opener but substitute Mark Ramdeen spoiled the Caribbean neighbour party with an equaliser in added on time (90+2).
T&T footballers did not celebrate for long as they were on the attack again. Ramdeen positioned on the left side received a throw-in from Rochford and attempting to cross when he was brought down just outside the box on the left side. Committing the foul was SVG's Lesron Craigg, who swiftly received a yellow card for his infringement.
Ramdeen took the free kick and found Garcia inside the six-yard box and he completed the winner (90+5), seconds before the referee blew the final whistle.
On Saturday, T&T will be back on the field in its second match against Puerto Rico, which was beaten by the USA 7-1 in its opening match.
In other early results, Suriname had no mercy on the US Virgin Islands crushing its opponent, 13-2, Antigua and Barbuda whipped St Maarten, 6-1; Cuba topped Belize, also by a 6-1 margin while Haiti edged St Lucia, 1-0.
Results
T&T 3 (Jaydon Prowell 39, Mark Ramdeen 90+2, Judah Garcia 90+5) v St Vincent 2 (Gidson Francis 15, 19)
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago: 1.Denzil Smith (GK); 18.Kerdell Sween (4.Jerrin Jackie 46), 5.Justin Homer, 2.Mikel Mieres, 3.Derron John; 19.Shaqkeem Joseph; 12.Kishon Hackshaw, 10.Judah Garcia (Yellow 54), 15.John-Paul Rochford (capt), 13.Nickel Orr (7.Mark Ramdeen 75); 9.Jaydon Prowell (6.Isaiah Lee 75).
Unused substitutes: 20.Jabari Brice (GK), 16.Luke Singh, 17.Matthew Beal, 8.Jabarry Francis, 14.Ethan Bonaparte.
Coach: Russell Latapy.
SVG: 1.Jadiel Chance (GK), 4.Lesron Craigg (Yellow 90), 14.Kenyon Delpesche (Derron Hamblet 73), 3.Dondre Charles, 2.Jay-Z Ryan, 16.Diel Spring, 6.Joel Quashie (capt), 11.Carlos Solomon (20.Brandon Johnson 81), 10.Gidson Francis, 17.Trivis Fraser, 9.Romano Johnson (7.Osei Thompson 58).
Coach: Wade Jackson.
Referee: Daneon Parchment (Jamaica)
CU20M 2018 GS TRI vs VIN Highlights
Post Match Reactions from T&T U-20 Captain John Paul Rochford
Mark Ramdeen reacts after helping T&T U-20s defeat St Vincent/Grenadines