Squad resumes training at Ato Boldon Stadium.
...call up for Cornell Glen, Noreiga.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
A provisional squad of home-based professionals will begin a training program at the Ato Boldon Stadium tomorrow (Tuesday) in the build up to this country’s 2008 schedule of matches commencing with the friendly international against Guadeloupe at the Queen’s Park Oval on Ash Wednesday February 6.
The team will engage in sessions four days per week at Couva under the guidance of assistant coach Anton Corneal with newly appointed interim head coach Francisco Maturana scheduled to return to Trinidad later this month to officially take up his role.
Corneal met with the home-based players on Monday to outline the programme and discuss other details pertaining to the upcoming games which begins with the Ash Wednesday friendly.
Among the players in the local list include World Cup team striker Cornell Glen who is now attached to CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh as well as defender Osei Telesford who is back home following a first season with MLS club Chicago Fire which was hampered by injury. Also back is Joe Public defender Anthony Noreiga who is returning for the first time since suffering a brain contusion in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup encounter against the United States. Striker Anthony Wolfe, who was a member of the 2006 World Cup team, has also been recalled.
Public’s Gary Glasgow was also called but has not been cleared for a return after surgery and Cyd Gray is off to India. MLS striker Scott Sealy was also invited but is carrying an injury at this time.
Already nine overseas-based pros have been called up for the encounter including Sunderland duo Carlos Edwards and Kenwyne Jones, Southampton striker Stern John, Wrexham midfielder Silvio Spann, Ujpest FC’s Densill Theobald, Swansea City’s Jason Scotland, Collin Samuel, Walsall goalie Clayton Ince and Sparta Rotterdam striker Darryl Roberts.
Corneal said that every player will be considered for invitations and no one should be considered discarded because of non-selection for the Guadeloupe game.
“Every player will be looked at because you can see in this list some of the players we have brought back into the fray,” Corneal told TTFF Media. Coventry City midfielder Chris Birchall was not considered in a list of overseas pros that had been previously drawn up by Wim Rijsbergen. But Corneal said Birchall and others are still in the overall pool.
“There are players who may not have been called for this game but they definitely will not be overlooked.”
The lack of experienced defenders, particularly those who would have played in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers and at the World Cup had been noted but Corneal was optimistic about the situation.
“But at the same time we have some players who have played and done well in the Digicel Cup and we have guys who came through the Gold Cup and have experience under their belt now and as I said before… these are areas which we will iron out over the period of training and games we have coming up.”
Corneal has also held meetings with some of the Pro League team coaches about the team’s program and will continue doing so over the upcoming weeks.
“We have already met with some of the coaches, for instance from Jabloteh and Joe Public, so that we can have a better understanding between both sides about what our ambitions and our intentions are for the team’s program and we will continue this over the upcoming period,” Corneal added.
Provisional local-based squad
Goalkeepers
Marvin Phillip (W Connection FC), Cleon John (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Daurance Williams (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Tristan Charles (United Petrotrin FC).
Defenders
Ian Gray (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Nigel Daniel (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Dwayne Jack (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Karlon Murray (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Seon Power (Joe Public FC), Anthony Noreiga (Joe Public FC), Keyeno Thomas (Joe Public FC), Terrance McAllister (Joe Public FC), Keston Williams (Defence Force FC), Akiel Edwards (Defence Force FC), Glenton Wolfe (North East Stars FC), Kern Cupid (W Connection FC), Nickcolson Thomas (W Connection FC), Osei Telesford (Chicago Fire).
Midfielders
Kerry Baptiste (Joe Public FC), Kendall Jagdeosingh (Joe Public FC), Silas Spann (Joe Public FC), Jason Marcano (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Trent Noel (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Lester Peltier (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Khaleem Hyland (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Ataullah Guerra (San Juan Jabloteh FC), Romauld Aguillera (United Petrotrin FC), Stephan David (Caledonia AIA FC), Marvin Oliver (Caledonia AIA FC), Hayden Tinto (Caledonia AIA FC), Christon Baptiste (Defence Force FC), Keon Daniel (United Petrotrin FC), Kerry Noray (Joe Public FC), Jason Springer (Joe Public FC), Clyde Leon (W Connection FC).
Forward
Andre Toussaint (W Connection FC), Devon Jorsling (Defence Force FC), Conrad Smith (Caledonia AIA FC), Anthony Wolfe (North East Stars FC), Richard Roy (Defence Force FC), Cornell Glen (San Juan Jabloteh FC).
