Barbados in quarterfinals of CONCACAF Under-15 Championships

Barbados is through to the knockout stages of the CONCACAF Boys’ Under-15 Championships.

Playing in a must-win game against the previously unbeaten Belize today, the Junior Tridents produced an impressive performance to come away with a 2-0 win at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Curacao to advance to the quarterfinal stage.

Jonathan McFarlane and Radarico Marquez both got on the scoresheet for Barbados.

The victory propelled the Tridents to second place in Group F of League B, with four points, behind Belize who finished on six points.

The Barbadians will take on St Lucia – who topped Group F with seven points – tomorrow in the last eight.

Both head coach Renaldo Gilkes and assistant coach Luke St John were full of praise for their charges.

In an interview moments after securing victory, Gilkes lauded the boys for rising to the occasion.

“We had our challenges prior, but nonetheless we have put those aside and we’ve put football at the forefront.

“The boys, I cannot be prouder than this moment. We just moved into the last eight after a spirited and committed performance following on from yesterday in a game against Guadeloupe where we thought we should have at least gotten something from it. We didn’t, and the boys said ‘we didn’t get it yesterday and we must do it today’” Gilkes said.

Meanwhile, St John said he was proud of the way the team approached the game, knowing they had to win to advance.

“The theme for today was what we are going to do against adversity. We were down yesterday, it was a very tough game and I told the boys that in adversity, that’s when unity needs to be at the highest.

“I believe that the boys came together with one goal in mind. I told them to take one half at a time and I told them that it was us against the world and they took that theme head on, they took one half at a time, started the game with high intensity and we just took it from there and they did the job. I’m very pleased with everybody; the team, the fans, the supporters, everybody,” St John said. (RB)