Home  Sports Jamaica, Cuba upset T&T to claim title
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Jamaica, Cuba upset T&T to claim title |
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
Jamaica’s young Reggae Girls and Cuba upset Trinidad & Tobago in two finals to leave the hosts empty handed at the Marvin Lee Stadium last Sunday.
In the evening’s first match, Jamaica beat T&T 3-2 to lift the Caribbean Football Union Girls Invitational Championship title while in the second fixture, Cuba beat the T&T lads 2-1 in the final of the CFU Youth Cup.
The girls’ final brought together the two most consistent teams in the seven-team tournament and it was showing on the field as they went in search of the opening goal.
Just when it seemed as though both teams would go to the break with empty scoresheets, Jamaica took the lead with virtually the last kick of the first half through Shenika Williams.
She was fortunate though as her weak shot onto the first post somehow managed to get past T&T goalkeeper Linfah Jones.
Six minutes into the second-half, T&T was back on level terms through a strike from the in-form striker Jo-Marie Lewis.
But that joy was short-lived as Williams scored her second item two minutes later to regain a 2-1 lead for the Reggae Girls.
Four minutes later, Teola Caines extended Jamaica’s lead to 3-1, but T&T never gave up and got back into the match at 3-2 with a stunning free-kick in the 57th minute from Kayla Taylor.
Jamaica, however, held on until the final whistle to take the inaugural Invitational title, which served as a warm-up for next year’s CFU Under-17 Championship, a qualifier to the CONCACAF Under-17 Girl’s Championship, and the 2010 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
After the first half ended scoreless in the night’s main contest, Randy Lizama scored immediately on the re-start to put Cuba ahead.
Luis Portal whipped in a low free-kick from the left flank which was met by a diving Lizama, who steered his header in at the first post, past T&T custodian John Thomas.
T&T players found it tough to break down the Cuban defense, especially goalkeeper Odisnel Copper, as the hosts’ forwards all had shots blocked by the brilliant Cuban custodian.
Cuban substitute Osvaldo Lemus all but killed off T&T’s hopes in the 83rd minute when he capitalised on a defensive blunder by Zavion Navarro to score from close range.
Ross Russell Jr eventually got a consolation goal for T&T in stoppage time with a wicked shot at the near post past Copper, but it was too little, too late.
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