Dynamo Academy forward Isaiah Noreiga was named to the Trinidad & Tobago roster for the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championships, the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian reported this weekend.
The Trinidad & Tobago squad is expected to face Barbados, the Trinidad U-20s, and two club teams in preparation for the CONCACAF championships, which serve as a qualifying tournament for this summer's 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico. Dynamo Academy goalkeeper Fernando Piña is expected to compete for the United States in the same tournament, to be held in Jamaica Feb. 14-27.
Four teams will qualify for the U-17 World Cup. The United States will face Panama and Cuba in group play, while Trinidad & Tobago faces a tougher draw against Guatemala and the host Jamaica. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, and the four quarterfinal winners will qualify.
Noreiga had a goal and an assist for the Dynamo this summer in the SUM U-17 Cup, helping Houston reach the semifinals. The junior at Kingwood Park High School has played for both the U-16 and U-18 Dynamo Academy squads this season. He burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old playing on the Dynamo's U-19 team at the 2009 Dallas Cup, then led the U-16s to the Dallas Cup title last year.
Pina has been in the United States U-17 residency program since September 2009. He won the Golden Gloves award as the tournament's top goalkeeper at last summer's SUM U-17 Cup.
