Coach Vranes eyes CONCACAF U-20 titleBy JOEL BAILEY Friday, March 13 2009
NATIONAL Under-20 football team coach Zoran Vranes is setting his sights on winning the CONCACAF Under-20 Championships at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Tunapuna this weekend.
Trinidad and Tobago, by virtue of their qualification for the semi-final round, joins Costa Rica, Honduras and the United States as the CONCACAF teams progressing to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt from September 24 to October 16.
“Now we’re going to win the tournament,” he said in the post-game media conference, after the national team battled from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 against Mexico in their Group “B” meeting at Tunapuna. “It’s not going to be easy but we’ll try our best.”
The hosts will oppose the US in the second of back-to-back semi-finals at Tunapuna today at 8 pm, with Costa Rica meeting Honduras at five o’clock.
This is the second time that Trinidad and Tobago will participate in the Under-20 World Cup, after the Bertille St Clair-coached outfit, comprising captain Dwight Yorke, Jerren Nixon, Angus Eve, Clayton Ince, Michael McComie, Anthony Sherwood and the late Richard Theodore, played in the 1991 event in Portugal.
“I’m happy, of course,” said Vranes. “I believe the whole nation is very happy. This is something special for me too.”
Focussing on the local public, he noted, “Thank you very much for your support. We needed that as a young team. Trinidad has a future with (this team), that’s my opinion.”
On Wednesday, Costa Rica needed to defeat Canada to guarantee semi-final, and subsequently World Cup spot, for both themselves and Trinidad and Tobago. The Costa Ricans did so, with a come-from-behind 2-1 win to top Group “B”.
Vranes made a few last-minute changes to the starting lineup but insisted, “if I knew what would have happened in the first game, I would have changed the whole team.
“It was a perfect opportunity for everybody to show where they are now,” he added.
“I’m pleased with almost all of them. I know them, I expected them to play well,” continued Vranes. “(Secondary Schools League MVP Kevin) Molino surprised me a little bit because still I don’t know him.
“You can see, especially in the first half, he was a little bit scared (and) making mistakes. But, in the second half, he got some courage and played well.”
Admitting that Germany-based forward Jamal Gay is out of contention for this weekend’s matches (semi-finals and possibly the final) due to a hamstring injury, the Under-20 coach was impressed by the progress of the other strikers, especially Qian Grovesnor.
“He’s a guy who came from school (St Anthony’s College) and he’s now starting to learn some (tactical) things,” Vranes pointed out. “He’s responding nicely and he (corrected) some mistakes. He could be very good.”
Last year, the Under-20 squad won the Super League crown, as well as its knockout title.
“The Super League supported us very much,” said Vranes. “They did a good job.
“But I will ask for anyone who can make us participate in the Pro League,” he added. “We need stronger opponents.”
TT captain Leston Paul, one of the last minute omissions, revealed that the squad were in a relaxed mood after the Costa Rica-Canada result was confirmed.
“We went into the game more focussed and we came out with a 2-2 draw,” stated Paul, who also turned 19 on Wednesday. “We came from two goals down and we showed character.”
Uriah Bentick equalised for the hosts with a 59th minute freekick and he noted, “as a young boy, I always like to take freekicks because I play in the defence and I don’t get many chances to score.
“So when I get freekicks and penalties, I always ask to go and take it.”
The other World Cup entrants are hosts Egypt, Australia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan (Asia Zone), Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa (Africa Zone), Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain (Europe Zone), Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela (South American Zone) and Tahiti (Oceania Zone).
