The Trinidad & Tobago Under-17 national team began an intensive final build-up to the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Championship presented by JVC with a 1:1 draw on Sunday 22 July in the first game of a two-game series against their counterparts from Japan.

The match was the official opening of the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet on the island of Tobago, one of four new stadia built in the twin-island republic for the world championship, to be played 13-30 September. The even twas witnessed by more than 7,500 fans allotted to seats as many more on lookers stood in the walkways and car parks, anxious to get a view oftheir young "Soca Warriors."

Prime Minister Basdeo Panday, Minister of Sport Manohar Ramsaran, Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Orville London, CONCACAF President JackWarner and Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation President Oliver Camps were also in the audience.

The Trinidad & Tobago Under-17 team is then scheduled to leave for Germany on 26 July. There they will play two matches against Germany's Under-17 national side. From there they head to France where two further matches will be played, with one of those matches expected to be played against France's Under 17national team.

On the team's return home on 8 August, matches against Costa Rica, Paraguay and Oman are scheduled to be on T&T. According to TTFF technical director René Simoes, four matches against four different Professional Football League teams will be scheduled as the team begins its final run-up to the championship at home. "Only strong games we will be playing now," said Simoes.