Bermuda’s young prospects endured a punishing double-header on day three of the FIFA U-15 Youth World Cup & Festival in Baku, suffering back-to-back defeats against Namibia and Poland.
Hopes were high heading into Monday's action in Azerbaijan, but a bruising day on the pitch delivered a stern test of resilience for the Gombey Warriors at the Hovsan Competition Complex.
The opening match of the day saw Bermuda take to Pitch 4B to face a physically sharp Namibia side in a tightly contested affair. Despite a spirited showing, the youngsters were edged out 2-1, with Stephen Astwood providing the solitary bright spot by finishing neatly to get Bermuda on the scoresheet.
Any optimism of bouncing back in their second outing was swiftly dispelled just hours later across the complex on Pitch 5B.
Squaring off against a clinical Poland team, Bermuda found themselves thoroughly outmatched. The Europeans dictated the tempo from the opening whistle, carving through the lines to condemn Bermuda to a comprehensive 5-0 loss.
The twin defeats cap a chastening 24 hours for the squad, who will need to quickly dust themselves down and regroup as tournament play continues in Baku.
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