US U-17's Prep for TNT

By Sean McCaffery, February 12, 2023

PREVIEW: U-17 MYNT FACES TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO IN SECOND MATCH OF CONCACAF U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP

U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team vs. Trinidad and Tobago

2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship - Group F

Estadio Pensativo; Antigua, Guatemala

8 p.m. ET (FS1, ViX+)

Feb. 13, 2023

WCQ CONTINUES VS. SOCA WARRIORS: The U.S. Under-17 Men’s Youth National Team will continue its journey to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup on Monday, Feb. 13 vs. Trinidad and Tobago (8 p.m. ET; FS1, ViX+). The USA started the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship with a dominant 5-0 win against Barbados, boosted by a trio of late goals. Trinidad and Tobago dropped a hard-fought 3-2 result to Canada in its opener despite playing down a man. The top three teams in each group advance to the Round of 16.

2023 CONCACAF U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP

USA SCHEDULE - GROUP F

USA VS. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

The USA is 4-1-3 vs. Trinidad and Tobago all-time at the Concacaf U-17 Championship.
They last squared off in the 2015 group stage, a 2-0 win for the U.S. Haji Wright, who scored for the USMNT at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, tallied for the U-17s in the game.
The nations also met in the 1983 Concacaf U-16 Championship Final, the first edition of the tournament. After a scoreless regulation and extra time, the U.S. triumphed 5-3 in penalty kicks to clinch the title.
Appearing in their 15th Concacaf U-17 Championship, the Soca Warriors have qualified to the FIFA U-17 World Cup twice, most recently in 2007. Their runner-up finish in 1983 is their best performance at the tournament.
At the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship, Trinidad finished second in Group E to reach the Round of 16, where it fell to Honduras, 4-1.
Six Trinidadian players are based at U.S. clubs, including three in MLS academies. Defender Samuel Duncan is a teammate of USA forward Brian Romero at Charlotte FC.

2023 CONCACAF U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP

GROUP F STANDINGS

The top three teams in each group advance to the Round of 16.

GROUP F RESULTS

Saturday, Feb. 11

USA 5, Barbados 0

Canada 3, Trinidad and Tobago 2

STRONG START FOR USA: A hat trick from midfielder Cruz Medina and a flurry of late goals boosted the USA to a 5-0 victory against Barbados in its Concacaf U-17 Championship opener. The U.S. dominated offensively on the evening, outshooting the Bajan Tridents 30-2, but didn’t get on the board until the 25th minute. While Medina missed a penalty kick, the U.S. stuck with the play and he tapped in the follow-up effort before scoring with a rocket of a shot in the 43rd. The USA put the game out of reach in the closing minutes of the game, scoring three goals in the span of five minutes. Substitute forward Keyrol Figueroa and debutant Taha Habroune tallied in the 86th and 88th, respectively, while Medina finished his hat trick in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

T&T COMES UP SHORT: Despite a valiant effort playing down a man, Trinidad and Tobago fell to Canada 3-2 in its CU17C opener. Midfielder Rio Cardines, based at English Premier League club Crystal Palace, was sent off in the 20th minute and while Canada missed the ensuing penalty kick, the Canucks got on the board in the 27th minute. They went up 2-0 just after the hour mark, but Trinidad’s Malachi Webb pulled one back in the 66th to keep the game in reach. Canada responded just a minute later, but an 81st-minute goal from Trinidad forward Lindell Sween kept things close at 3-2. While the Soca Warriors pushed for an equalizer, they weren’t able to find another goal in the closing minutes.

2023 CONCACAF U-17 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (CLUB; U-17 CAPS/GOALS; HOMETOWN)

GOALKEEPERS (2): Adam Beaudry (Colorado Rapids; 1/0; Castle Pines, Colo.), Duran Ferree (San Diego Loyal; 1/0; San Diego, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (6): Christian Diaz (LAFC; 5/0; San Bernardino, Calif.), Tyler Hall (Inter Miami CF; 9/0; Miramar, Fla.), Aiden Harangi (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER; 3/0; Zwingenberg, Germany), Stuart Hawkins (Seattle Sounders FC; 8/0; Fox Island, Wash.), Sawyer Jura (Portland Timbers; 4/0; Bend, Ore.), Oscar Verhoeven (San Jose Earthquakes; 9/0; Pleasant Hill, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Christopher Aquino (Seattle Sounders FC; 0/0; Pasco, Wash.), Adrian Gill (FC Barcelona/ESP; 4/0; Denver, Colo.), Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew; 1/1; Columbus, Ohio), Cruz Medina (San Jose Earthquakes; 9/5; San Francisco, Calif.), Edwyn Mendoza (San Jose Earthquakes; 7/0; San Francisco, Calif.), Paulo Rudisill (LA Galaxy; 9/1; Irvine, Calif.), Pedro Soma (UE Cornella/ESP; 7/0; Coconut Creek, Fla.)

FORWARDS (5): Micah Burton (Austin FC; 8/2; Mounds View, Minn.), Keyrol Figueroa (Liverpool/ENG; Warrington, U.K.; 4/2), Brian Romero (Charlotte FC; 8/1; Concord, N.C.), Ezekiel Soto (Houston Dynamo FC; 9/3; Menifee, Calif.) David Vasquez (Philadelphia Union; 4/0; Los Angeles, Calif.)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Goalkeeper Duran Ferree and midfielder Taha Habroune both earned their first U-17 caps against Barbados Ferree made one save while Habroune scored in the 88th minute for his first international goal.

Midfielder Christopher Aquino is the lone uncapped player on the U.S. tournament roster.

Midfielder Cruz Medina’s hat trick was the USA’s fourth at this tournament since 2001 following Gio Reyna (2019 vs. Guadeloupe), Josh Perez (2015 vs. Guatemala) and Joe Gallardo (2015 vs. Cuba).

CAUTION WATCH: Defender Tyler Hall, midfielder Adrian Gill and forward Keyrol Figueroa all picked up yellow cards during tonight’s match. If they are shown a yellow card during either of the USA’s next two group stage matches, they will be ineligible for the next U.S. match.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ROSTER BY POSITION:

GOALKEEPERS (2): 20-Jaden Ottley (Queen’s Park), 1-Ailan Panton (Darlington Soccer Academy/USA)

DEFENDERS (5): 6-Aydon Caruth (Police), 5-Samuel Duncan (Charlotte FC/USA), 3-Joshua Figaro (Trendsetter Hawks Academy), 4-Lyshaun Morris (Point Fortin Academy), 2-Jaden Williams (Queen’s Park)

MIDFIELDERS (8): 7-Rio Cardines (Crystal Palace/ENG), 12-Jeremiah Cateau (Concorde Fire/USA), 11-Derrel Garcia (Cox Football Academy), 14-Tau Lamsee (Pro Series Events), 16-Jeremiah Niles (Point Fortin Academy), 8-Josiah Ochoa (Point Fortin Academy), 15-Armani Rowe (Cedar Stars Academy), 18-Dominic Wilson (Nashville SC)

FORWARDS (5): 10-Michael Chaves (Queen’s Park), 13-Vaughn Clement (Cox Football Academy), 19-Tyrell Moore (Nashville SC/USA), 9-Lindell Sween (Unattached), 17-Malachi Webb (Club Premier FC)

ROAD TO GUATEMALA: World Cup qualifying marks the eighth training camp for the U-17 MYNT since its cycle kicked off in November 2021. Since then, they’ve been challenged against top tier international opposition, including Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Uruguay.

In May, the U-17s topped the table at a UEFA Development Tournament in Castelo Branco, Portugal, topping Belgium, 3-0, and the host, 2-1, to clinch first place. Most recently, they played three international matches against U-18 opposition at the Vaclav Jezek Tournament in the Czech Republic, finishing with a 4-1 win against the host nation.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: Using a variety of different formats since its inception in 1985, the 2023 Concacaf U-17 Championship will use the same 20-team tournament format introduced for the 2019 edition and since used for all of Concacaf’s Youth World Cup qualifying championships. Sixteen countries are drawn into four groups of four, while four countries advance directly to the Round of 16 via a pre-qualifying tournament.

The top three finishers in each group qualify to the Round of 16, where they will be joined by the four teams from pre-qualifying. From there, it’s a knockout bracket to the tournament final. The four winners of the quarterfinal matches will qualify to the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru.

After the Oceania Football Confederation, Concacaf is the second confederation to host its qualifying tournament for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.