Mexicans win Youth Cup

Carlos Pena, Edgar Pacheo and Raul Nava were on target for the Central Americans.

Referee Richard Piper dished out ten yellow cards during the match, with Haiti’s Saint Cyr Widner and captain Joseph Peterson both ejected in the 80th minute after collecting their second cautions for dissent. Both teams settled down quickly from the outset, relying on slick passing and speed in attack during the early moments.

Haiti, who were the inform team throughout the competition, had the first goal-scoring opportunity after six minutes when Peterson’s no-look pass to forward Jules Sandy was diverted to St Victor Ulterguens who tamely shot straight to Mexican goalkeeper Alejandro Dautt.

Ulterguens benefitted from a wanton header by Kristian Alvarez in the 27th, but the Haitian forward could only look on in agony as his right-footer crashed off the crossbar.

Ten minutes later, the Mexicans had their first meaningful try when Pacheco’s bending freekick, from the edge of the penalty area, was parried by an airborne Dorhans Shelson in the Haiti goal.

Five minutes into the second half, Pacheco again tried his luck with a 25-metre freekick which was tipped overbar by an alert Shelson while, in the 59th, Pacheco’s right-sided corner was punched by Shelson straight to the path of Andres Rodriguez whose left-footed blast missed the target.

Haiti responded to the Mexican pressure with an opportunity in the 66th, as Normil Valdo skipped past Rodriguez and Heder Gutierrez on the right, crossed over the leap of Christian Moran where Ulterguens, on the half-volley, smashed his left-footer against the crossbar, with the ball bouncing on the line before Dautt grabbed the rebound.

That error will prove costly five minutes later as a quick move down the middle by Mexico caught the Haitians unawares and Pacheco’s pass to Pena was rifled home past Shelson’s right.

The Haitians were adamant that Piper failed to spot an alleged elbow on defender Pierre Elusma, as well as Ulterguen’s effort where they felt the ball had crossed the line, and vented their frustrations on the Mexicans.

In the 80th, a foul on Mexican captain Lose Luis Verduzco resulted in dismissals for Widner and Peterson as the Haitian players remonstrated with Piper.

Pacheco added salt to the Haitians’ wounds when he placed the subsequent curling 25m freekick via the crossbar and into the left-hand corner of the Haiti goal.

Substitute Nava struck the crossbar in the 85th, with the rebound grabbed by Shelson, but the lanky striker will amend for his miss one minute from time.

After Piper allowed play to continue despite a blatant push on substitute Victor Manon by Haiti’s Geferee, Saul Sandoval collected the loose ball on the right, crossed to Pena, whose header found a lurking Nava, who drilled his right-footed effort off defender Jean Baptiste Shiroc and into the back of the net.

During the prize-giving ceremony, Trinidad and Tobago were presented with the Fair Play Award while striker Stephen Knox got the Top Goalscorer Award with a tally of 10 goals.

Shelson was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper while Peterson took the Most Valuable Player accolade.

Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica will now prepare for the CONCACAF Under-17 qualifiers in April.

Teams -

MEXICO: Alejandro Dautt; Kristian Alvarez, Heder Gutierrez, Christian Moran; Alberto Soto (Raul Nava 61st), Lose Luis Verduzco (capt) (Victor Manon 84th), Christian Perez, Andres Rodriguez, Edgar Pacheco; Saul Sandoval, Carlos Pena (Juan Pineda 90th).

HAITI: Dorhans Shelson; Pierre Elusma (Romulus John Peter 77th), Jean Baptiste Shiroc, Innocent Josue; Saint Cyr Widner, Normil Valdo, Saintilien Geferee, Alcine Samuel (Joachim Dieunel 87th), Joseph Peterson (capt); St Victor Ulterguens, Jules Sandy (Saint Louis Wiselet 87th).