SVG bow out of CFU U-15 tourney

St Vincent and the Grenadines Under-15 football team have failed to advance to the quarter-final stage of the Caribbean Football Union’s Invitational tournament currently taking place in Trinidad and Tobago.{{more}}

The Vincentians were booted out after two consecutive loses, the latest coming last Tuesday when they went under to Bermuda 1-2.

They were set to face St. Kitts and Nevis yesterday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, with the consolation of beating their opponents and avoiding last place in Group D of the tournament.

In a tale of two sides, the Vincentians looked purposeful in the opening minutes with the elimination tag strung over their heads.

But a weak midfield failed to string passes together. Playing with determination against a fitter and better organized Bermuda outfit, the young Vincentians were always vulnerable.

Their failure to defend a 34th minute corner resulted in Dante Leverock soaring high to head home.

Leverock completed his brace with a goal in the 54th minute, with the Vincentians having to play catch up.

But it took the diminutive Kemron Charles, a late second half substitute to add creativity top the Vincentians offence.

Charles was the provider for Myron Samuel in the 88th minute. Samuel calmly and clinically finished a give and go ball from Charles.

The story was different against Suriname. St. Vincent and the Grenadines started slowly trying to negotiate the midday sun and after a seventy minute drive to get to the venue.

They also had to combat a fast moving Suriname team that came out of the blocks blazing as the blistering heat.

It was only a matter of time before the Surinamese got on the score sheet with the Vincentians still not aware of the occasion. A defence blunder in the 15th minute found an alert Stefan Rijssel who slotted the ball past goal keeper Rohan Pompey.

The Surinamese picked up the pace and took charge of the midfield play but had nothing to show on the score sheet.

The Vincentians kept them at bay for the next twenty-five minutes.

The second half was an entirely different affair, as after some tactical and personnel changes, St. Vincent and the Grenadines arrived to the contest.

Narrowing the space and stringing passes together, the Vincentians gave their opponents much to think about.

Except for a near miss from a high ball, Suriname rarely threatened the Vincentian goal, but had to defend on two occasions, but seasoned player Samuel failed to elude the Surinamese custodian.

The race for the top spot of the group was to have been decided yesterday also when Suriname and Bermuda were slated to face each other in the first match of the double header at the same venue.

Both went into yesterday’s fixture unbeaten. Bermuda silenced St. Kitts and Nevis 3-0 in their opening encounter, while Suriname had a 4-2 triumph over St. Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday.

Eighteen teams including a President’s Eleven and El Salvador are participating in the tournament which is used as a prelude to other CFU and CONCACAF qualifiers.

Canada won the inaugural invitational event in 2005.

The 18-member St. Vincent and the Grenadines team and their four officials are expected to return today Friday August 24.(RT)