Strong belief, will, and a never-say-die attitude are what the Trinidad and Tobago under-20 men's football team will be taking into their Concacaf qualifier against hosts Costa Rica in Alajuela on March 4. The match kicks off at 4 pm (TT time).

Both Costa Rica and TT are on seven points from three matches in group E of the Concacaf Under-20 qualifying round, with TT needing a victory in the final group match to advance to the Concacaf Under-20 Championships later this year. With the young "Los Ticos" boasting a superior goal difference, TT coach Marvin Gordon knows his team can afford nothing less than a win to move on, as only the group winner will progress. However, he said he expected to be in this position from the jump, and suggested the mission and focus have never shifted for his team.

"We know we need to win. This is something I knew from day one coming into this tournament, that basically we'd have to beat Costa Rica to qualify," Gordon told TT Football Association (TTFA) Media, after the team's facile 4-0 win over Sint Maarten on March 2. "We're still in it, we believe, and we're goingto give it everything we have."

Against Sint Maarten, Gordon had the luxury of omitting key players such as Jaydon Caprietta, Phillip Nelson and captain Derrel Garcia from his starting XI, a move the coach deemed necessary to stay fresh for the Los Ticos challenge.

"My philosophy in rotating the squad is because I believe in the 21 players that I've brought to this tournament. I saw it fit to rest some key players going into the game on Wednesday, as I think we'll have to go all the way on Wednesday," he said.

Gordon commended his team for their efforts so far and is asking for one final push in these qualifiers.

"It's a great feeling to be in this position. The last day of the tournament, with the opportunity to still qualify for the championship round. I think the boys (have) been great with their attitude and approach," he said. "That was always the objective, so we're still in it."

Costa Rica were held to a 3-3 draw by group E's third-placed team, Bermuda (five points), on March 2. Before that, Los Ticos defeated St Maarten and Barbados 12-0 and 3-0, respectively. TT drew 2-2 with Bermuda in their first game, before defeating Barbados 5-1 and strolling past Sint Maarten.

The six group winners in these qualifiers will join the pre-seeded teams Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama and the US in the 12-team Under-20 championship, which will be played from July 25-August 9. The championship serves as the region's qualifier for the 2027 Under-20 World Cup and the 2028 LA Olympics.