Sunday, November 29 2009

MARLON CHARLES, assistant coach of the Trinidad and Tobago women’s football team, is encouraged by the performances of the squad at the recent Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-20 Women’s Final Round Qualifiers, at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya.

Trinidad and Tobago topped the four-team group, after victories over St Kitts/Nevis (6-0 on November 18) and Cuba (2-1 on November 20), and a 1-1 draw against Jamaica two Sundays ago.

Moments after the encounter, Charles noted, “I thought tonight was a good effort by the girls, trying to play the way we ask them to play. We have a new director in (Even) Pellerud, who is creating some principles in the game, like pressuring the ball, playing the ball forward as quickly as possible but, at the same time, maintaining good possession, and putting pressure on the opposition,” he added.

“We saw that against Jamaica,” continued Charles.

“When you looked at both teams play, for me, what I’m happy about is the development of women’s football in Trinidad and Tobago.

“The people are seeing that the players are working hard and sacrifices are to be made,” he said. “That is very important for where we want to go in women’s football.”

Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Cuba all advanced to the CONCACAF Finals, from January 16-28, in Guatemala.

Eight teams (Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Guatemala, United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica) will be vying for three spots to the 2010 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany.

According to Charles, “the thing right now for us is to sit and plan how we want to go. But, overall, is just to get stronger, to get quicker, to better understand the tactical that we want the players to (grasp).

“But, overall, it’s for us to continue to work hard because these girls are really making the sacrifice and all we ask them to do is to work hard.

“Between now and January, a lot of preparation because we have a lot of work to do,” he ended.