Dynamo Academy goalkeeper Johan Welch and defender Sterling Noreiga are one game away from qualifying for the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The two Dynamo Academy products are currently in Panama representing a Trinidad & Tobago U-17 squad that finished the group stage at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship 1-1-0. Trinidad lost to Canada 2-0 in their opening match before defeating Costa Rica 2-0 in their final match. Canada drew Costa Rica 1-1 on Wednesday to take first place in Group B and solidify Trinidad's place in second.
Welch, the starting goalkeeper for the Dynamo U-15 Pre-Academy squad, started and played 90 minutes in both matches for the Soca Warriors, his first minutes in an official tournament for a youth national team. Noreiga, a defender for the Dynamo Academy U-16 squad, presented by Statoil, was on the bench for both matches but did not feature.
Trinidad will next play Panama in a quarterfinal match after the host side defeated Barbados 2-0 Wednesday night to win their group. The winner of the Trinidad / Panama match will advance to the CONCACAF U-17 Championship semifinals and earn one of the four automatic berths to the FIFA U-17 World Cup granted to clubs from CONCACAF.
