Corneal encouraged by local showing.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
National Team assistant coach Anton Corneal describes the first set of training sessions held with the National Senior team invitees as encouraging.
Corneal, in charge until interim head coach Francisco Maturana arrives at month end, worked with 40 players at the Ato Boldon Stadium training pitch on Thursday morning. Anthony Noreiga sat on observing but Cornell Glen and Ataullah Guerra were involved with the former looking the part as he hustled around the pitch as Corneal observed. Also joining the training was Columbus Crew defender Andrei Pacheco and US-based defender Kareem Smith. The 22-year-old Smith had a stint with American A-League club Rochester Rhinos last season and is a former T&T National Under 20 player as well as an ex-member of the United States National Under 18 set up.
Most of the 90-minute session on Thursday was focused on ball work with Michael Maurice working with the goalkeepers and physic Ashton Mills paying special attention to Nigel Daniel on the sides following his recent return from injury.
“It’s going pretty much as planned as we hoped,” Corneal told TTFF Media. “The major plus at this stage is that the players have demonstrated that they want to be here and that they are eager to train and play. For some reason there is high amount of enthusiasm in the air and this augers well. Maybe it could be because this is a World Cup year and also because of what transpired in 2006.”
Corneal said numerous players have expressed an interest in joining the training but he was quick to point out that the February 6 encounter against Guadeloupe is not the only encounter to prepare for and there will be further training camps following that, adding too that the technical staff still had to make the decisions and not because a player is making himself available should mean that he would be allowed into the sessions.
“There is a lot of interest from players both here and outside. Various players and other persons recommending players have come forward. This shows that football is alive and there is high interest from people wanting to be involved. This also means that those players who are in the squad at the moment should value the opportunity before them now,” Corneal added.
He maintained: “The door is not closed on any player and we will continue to monitor players. There are a lot of factors which determine the selection and invitation (of players). We have players playing here, abroad and in Universities and there are several factors to consider (in selection) such as positions, compatibility and which players are coming off seasons. We have new players blossoming as well.
“Right now we also have interest from two players in France, one being married to a Trinidadian and another who has a Trinidadian father,” Corneal said.
“In light of the Carnival season the commitment shown by the local players have been commendable and we expect the same will follow when the overseas quota of players arrive to join the squad on the weekend leading up to the game.”
