T&T Under-17 boys’ football team coach Randollph Boyce has included Canada-based Toronto FC Academy’s Christian Pitt in his final 21-man team at the expense of San Juan North Secondary captain Daniel Lewis for the Concacaf Under-17 Men’s Qualifiers, which begin next week Tuesday.
The inclusion of the 16-year-old Pitt is the lone change to the 21-man squad, which ended a two-match international friendly series away to Peru in San Luis, Lima, with a 6-1 loss on Friday morning at the Estadio Ciudad de Futbol in Lima. This latest result follows Wednesday’s 6-0 at the same venue.
Pitt has been described as a very exciting attacking player who demonstrates an elite football IQ in not only his decision-making capabilities but also the speed at which he makes them.
His scouting report added: ‘He knows exactly when to play 1- and 2-touch through tight spaces and when to take more touches before releasing the ball.’ One area for improvement would be in front of the goal and his timing of runs into the box when the ball gets swerved from wide areas.
In addition to Pitt, the only other overseas-based player named in the team is Levi Williams of Inter Miami, USA.
For the Peruvians, Geray Motta scored a first-half brace, the first in the fifth minute from the penalty spot after a foul by T&T’s Antonio Hills on Sebastian Ortega, with his second coming on the stroke of half-time for a 4-1 lead.
Peru also got a goal each from Eystin Cordova in the 17th and Nicolas Jansen in the 39th minute, while T&T striker Donovan Drayton briefly had his team within one goal of the host with his 24th-minute goal after capitalising on some sloppy work by goalkeeper Daniel Recavarren.
Five minutes into the second half, Peru missed a chance to add to their tally from the penalty spot, with substitute goalkeeper St Anthony’s College goalkeeper Necose Moore diving to his left to keep out an attempt from Sandro Cometivos after T&T captain Jeremiah Daniel handled the ball in the 18-yard box.
However, 11 minutes later, Williams was beaten as Peru made it 5-1 through a right-footed effort from substitute Jose Aranda which deflected off T&T defender Jeremai Nanton, and in the 79th minute by Jhairo Reyna off a corner.
In the end the matches served as a wake-up for Boyce and his squad, which is expected to return home today and go directly into camp ahead of the start of Group A Qualifiers, which will be held from Tuesday, February 3, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
T&T will kick off their campaign in the second match of a double-header on February 3 against Barbados from 7 pm before facing Saint Martin on February 5 from 7 pm, Sint Maarten on February 9 in a 4 pm kick-off, and Mexico in their final match on February 12 from 7 pm.
T&T Under-17 Boys Concacaf roster
Goalkeepers
Necose Moore (St Anthony’s College/T&T), Levi Williams (Inter Miami/USA), Mikhail Clement (Naparima College/Cox Football Academy/T&T)
Defenders
Jaylon Roberts (St Mary’s College/Cardinals Football Academy/T&T), Jeremiah Daniel (Naparima College/Union Hall/T&T), Kenai Richardson (Fatima College/Cox Football Academy), Antonio Hills (Naparima College/Club Sando FC/T&T).
Midfielders
Reagen Rowe (Fatima College/City FC/T&T), Sebastien James (Naparima College/Cox Coaching School/T&T), Donovan Drayton Jr (Naparima College/T&T), Finn De Freitas (St Mary’s College/City FC), Adriel Faure (St Anthony’s College/T&T), Christian Pitt (Toronto FC Academy/Canada), Antuan Louison (Fatima College/T&T), Akel Vesprey (Munro College/Jamaica)
Forwards
Jasai Theophilus (QRC/Pro Series/T&T), Jeremai Nanton (Fatima College/City FC/T&T), Jelani Stoute (St Benedict’s College/T&T), Kanye Galsgow (T&T), Jelani Stoute (St Benedict’s College/T&T), J’Meke Watkins (Signal Hill Secondary/T&T),
Concacaf Under-17 Men’s Qualifying Groups
Group A: Mexico, T&T, Barbados, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten
Group B: Panama, Nicaragua, Anguilla, Dominica
Group C: Haiti, Guatemala, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada
Group D: Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Group E: USA, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines
Group F: El Salvador, Curaçao, Cuba, Belize
Group G: Canada, Jamaica, Aruba, Cayman Islands
Group H: Honduras, Bermuda, Guyana, Suriname
Concacaf Under-17 Group A schedule
Venue: Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo:
February 3: Saint Martin vs Sint Maarten , 4 pm; T&T vs Barbados 7 pm
February 5: Sint Maarten vs Mexico, 4 pm; T&T vs Saint Martin, 7 pm
February 7: Barbados vs Sint Maarten, 4 pm; Mexico vs Saint Martin, 7 pm
February 9: Sint Maarten vs T&T, 4 pm; Barbados vs Mexico, 7 pm
February 12: Saint Martin vs Barbados, 4 pm; Mexico vs T&T, 7 pm
