A LONE strike from Jermaine Garrett was good enough to help Guyana clinch a 1-0 victory over hosts St Martin to win the U-15 SOUALIGA Cup on Sunday.
Guyana finished undefeated, scoring eight goals in their six games played, while being able to keep a clean sheet throughout the ten-team tournament.
The Bryan Joseph-coached side played to a scoreless draw in their matches against Barbados and Guadeloupe, but beat Martinique 1-0 in their third game, then crush the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in their quarter-final game.
Guyana then clinched their spot in the final with a 1-0 win over Dominica, with Technical Director Ian Greenwood showering the team with praise for their level of play.
After clinching the tournament title, Greenwood said that there’s “still a long way to go with this group of players, but I know with more training and through the Academy Training Centres (ATC) we will get there. We have to ensure that the guys stay focused and stick with the objective. With this group of players, five years down the line, we’re looking for them to be National senior team players.”
The team was selected from the GFF-Scotiabank Academy Training Centres (ATC) – East Coast (4); East Bank (1); Georgetown (5); Rupununi (3); Bartica (1); Berbice (1) and one player from Region 1.
Greenwood explained, prior to the team’s departure that the tournament in St Martin will serve as preparation for the CONCACAF U-15 tournament which will be played August 13-19 at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.