Local football in a promising place

Barbados under-17 football head coach Marlon Harte believes the future of Barbadian football is exciting following his team’s second-place finish in Group A of the Under-17 World Cup Qualifiers.

Speaking at Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday morning, Harte expressed optimism about the direction of the local game, despite Barbados narrowly missing out on qualification for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which will be hosted in Qatar this November.

“I think it’s an exciting time for our football,” Harte began. “It was a great opportunity that showed the commitment of all the clubs, the coaches and the work being done. It was also an important factor in the performances was the exposure that a number of our under-17s got at the top levels (of our football), both in the Prime Minister’s Cup and the Premier League, so I think that’s a key factor that would have given them the experience and confidence that they were.”

Barbados emphatically capped their campaign with a 6-0 victory over Saint Martin at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Right back Jacob Gallop struck twice, while Reuben Garnes Alleyne, Amari Small and Jamarco Johnson each added their names to the scoresheet, complemented by an own goal, as the Junior Tridents finished with nine points.

The team also secured wins against hosts Trinidad and Tobago (1-0) and Sint Maarten (7-1). Their lone defeat came against group winners Mexico, former Under-17 world champions, who claimed all 12 available points to seal automatic qualification.

Mexico effectively settled that contest with three goals in seven minutes, eventually prevailing 4-1. Despite the early setback, Harte praised his players’ resilience.

“Kudos to the boys for holding their nerve after going three goals down in seven minutes because that’s a difficult period in the game and you’re really trying to make it to half-time. My take is that it’s a hard lesson, but a lesson that will grow us as a team and as players. These teams that have the young professionals are always up for it and ready to go from minute one, so we have to be locked in from the beginning.”

He continued, “Tactically, we were sound, and we didn’t give much away after that, but key lessons learnt about the top guys in CONCACAF.”

Attention has now shifted to sustaining the progress made and ensuring the continued development of the squad’s core.

“That’s our main goal now, to focus on where these guys are going and where they’re playing and keep monitoring them, keeping contact with them and use the parents as well to let them know that we’re still interested in their development. I think the future is bright for us.”

Preparations are already underway for the next phase.

“We actually train next Saturday, so, you know, we’re not sitting down on successes here, we’re looking to build on it,” Harte explained. “We’re trying to also expand the pool and see what other new players we can bring in and give them opportunities as well. Overall, we’re pretty happy with where we are and where we’re going.”

Spirituality also played a central role in shaping the team’s culture, with prayer huddles before, during and after matches a consistent feature throughout the group phase.

“This team is a very spiritually rooted team. You may not have boys who go to church every week, but these boys are aware of a greater presence, and I’m on my personal journey with that as well. They believed that it gave us additional strength and confidence, knowing that we had his (God’s) backing, and that was important for us as a team.”

The squad that travelled to Trinidad and Tobago is as follows: Goalkeepers: Kai Roach, Kaliq Lashley, Shaquan King. Defenders: Jacob Gallop, Adam King, Keandre Gibson, Tiago Barrow, Tye Waterman, Raezario Roach, Shakori Scott. Midfielders: Tariq Barker, Rubien Garnes-Alleyne, Ashaun Grecia, Nicholai Banton, Jemari Henry, Tarell Nightingale. Forwards: Jamarco Johnson, Davion Thorne, Tyrico Bellamy, Malek Peters, Amari Small. Reserve player was Malachi Vidal. 

The staff members are as follows: Head Coach Marlon Harte, Assistant Coach Giancarlo Cobham, Manager Ortis Williams, and Goalkeeper Coach Richard Bynoe. Desmond Grant was the Trainer, while Thai Moore went as Physiotherapist, with Andre Scott Brathwaite being the Equipment Manager. (JC)

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