COUVA, Trinidad & Tobago – Trinidad & Tobago (1W-0D-1L, 3 points) rallied from a two goals down to score three times in the final 20 minutes of 3-2 win over Bermuda (0-0-2, 0) in Caribbean qualifying for the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship on Sunday at Ato Boldon Stadium.
Tokia Russell (11’, 26’) netted twice in the first half to give Bermuda a 2-0 lead, but substitute Che Benny halved the deficit in the 70th minute for the host, before captain Jaydon Prowell (73’, 90’+2) struck twice to seal a dramatic Group A victory.
T&T now sits one point behind Jamaica (1-1-0, 4) and Haiti (1-1-0, 4), which continue to share the top spot after a scoreless draw in the doubleheader’s opener.
The Jamaicans played the final 29 minutes with a man advantage, but couldn’t capitalize on Ivenson Basquin’s dismissal for violent conduct.
Group B play continues Monday at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain with Guadeloupe-Cuba and Suriname-Curacao encounters.
The competition, which runs through September 25, will qualify the top five finishers to the CONCACAF event scheduled to be played in Panama, April 21 to May 7, 2017. The field will also include the host nation, Canada, Mexico, the United States and three Central American sides.
2016 CARIBBEAN UNDER-17 QUALIFYING – FINAL ROUND
Trinidad & Tobago
September 16-25, 2016
GROUP A (Ato Boldon Stadium – Couva, Trinidad & Tobago)
September 16, 2016
Bermuda 2, Jamaica 6
Rahzir Jones 30’; Tokia Russell 81’ / Raewin Senior 5’; Kaheem Parris 17’ pen, 72’; Kendall Edwards 36’; Nicque Daley 42’; own-goal, Tokia Russell 90’+1
Trinidad & Tobago 0, Haiti 2
Nael Wellofky Elysee 22’; Steeve Selso Saint-Duc 67’
September 18, 2016
Jamaica 0, Haiti 0
Trinidad & Tobago 3, Bermuda 2
Che Benny 70’; Jaydon Prowell 73’, 90’+2 / Tokia Russell 11’, 26’
Jamaica 2-1-1-0-6-2-4
Haiti 2-1-1-0-2-0-4
Trinidad & Tobago 2-1-0-1-3-4-3
Bermuda 2-0-0-2-4-9-0
September 20, 2016: Haiti v Bermuda; Trinidad & Tobago v Jamaica
GROUP B (Hasely Crawford Stadium -- Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago)
September 17, 2016
Suriname 2, Guadeloupe 0
Achero Hoever 21’, 52’
Cuba 2, Curacao 1
Yandry Romero 37’; Ribaldo Roldan 78’ / Shurendric Fransinet 57’ pen
Suriname 1-1-0-0-2-0-3
Cuba 1-1-0-0-2-1-3
Curacao 1-0-0-1-1-2-0
Guadeloupe 1-0-0-1-0-2-0
September 19, 2016: Guadeloupe v Cuba; Suriname v Curacao
September 21, 2016: Curacao v Guadeloupe; Cuba v Suriname
SEMIFINALS
September 23, 2016: Group A winner v Group B runner-up; Group B winner v Group A runner-up
THIRD PLACE MATCH
September 25, 2016: Semifinal losers
FINAL
September 25, 2016: Semifinal winners
