Under-16s emulating Soca Warriors

Their performance in the Under-16 tournament will determine if they qualify for the 2007 FIFA World Under-17 Championship in South Korea.

The Anton Corneal coached team moved into a live-in camp at Caribbean Tourist Villas, Woodbrook yesterday and are gearing up for the second match of a double-header from 5 pm at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.

Caribbean rivals Grenada and Guyana will meet in the first match at 3 pm.

A year has passed since the players of this squad last played competitively in finishing fourth in the Under-15 tournament which served as a dry run for this year’s competition.

Apart from the guest teams taking part — Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador and Canada — the top finishing Caribbean team (other than final round hosts Jamaica) will advance to a final CONCACAF stage of eight teams.

From there five will advance to next year’s FIFA World Championship which was hosted by Trinidad and Tobago in 2001 and won by France.

For skipper Jesse Fullerton and his young Soca Warriors their aim is to emulate the passion shown by their elders in Germany two months ago.

“Right now apart from our own preparations for the tournament, we are using the Soca Warriors and their achievements in Germany as our form of inspiration. They are our driving force,” a confident Fullerton said yesterday.

And a year after representing TT at the Under 15 level, the Queen’s Royal College ‘keeper is less bashful of expressing himself as a national player both on and off the pitch.

“We have looked closely at what the Soca Warriors did in Germany but we are aware that we must play our own game and we have our own ambitions because this is where the road begins for Korea. Our aim is to finish as the top Caribbean team from this tournament and then move on to CONCACAF and end up in Korea,” he said.

“We have our nicknames as well like Sean (De Silva) is Birchall and I’m Shaka Hislop and that alone tells you how much we look up to the senior guys and want to emulate them in some form,” he added.

Development has been a key for these players too and as Fullerton explained, Corneal has tried to instil more aggression into them as they prepare to face Mexico and other CONCACAF teams.

“You can actually see the difference in growth and also in our understanding of the game. I have pictures to show and guys are moving around faster and shots are coming in harder.

“The build-up was a tense one because of the nationwide screening. No one was sure of a pick and this meant we had to work harder.

“We will also have a much better understanding because the guys from last year have kept training together since then. And this year there’s no star player, everyone is prepared to work as a team out there. Coach Anton has tried to put more spunk into us and he wants his players to fight until the end and I believe he has players who will do anything to get the results. We are more confident and we know what we have to do. Hopefully we can show this on the pitch now,” Fullerton said.

De Silva caught the eyes of local fans with his precise passing, control and understanding of the game. He feels he should be able to step his game up in the 2006 tournament but he adds that everything will be determined on the pitch itself.

“The level of my game and the other guys has changed. My size is better now thank God,” he said. “and I’m a bit stronger on the ball so hopefully I can show this on the pitch.

“What the Soca Warriors did, Chris and Dwight and the rest has showed us how to fight as a team and that’s a big inspiration to us. They have shown us that we don’t need to be too fearful of any team. Once you go out on that pitch it’s eleven versus eleven,” the Superstar Rangers midfielder said.