Trinidad and Tobago’s 20-man squad for Wednesday’s friendly international against Guadeloupe was finalized on Thursday and includes several young faces that will for the first time join up with some of the seasoned overseas professionals.
Also the squad for Ash Wednesday is 34 year old Caledonia AIA midfielder Marvin Oliver who has been longed to become a senior T&T player.
Interim head coach Francisco Maturana, after observing matches against Puerto Rico and Guyana as well as training sessions over the few days, met with assistant coach Anton Corneal to decide on the twelve home-based pros.
Earning call ups were United Petrotrin midfielder Keon Daniel, Caledonia AIA’s Hayden Tinto and a recall for San Juan Jabloteh’s Nigel Daniel coming off injury. Also making the cut were youngsters Khaleem Hyland, Kern Cupid, Aklie Edwards and Jason Marcano, giving them the first time opportunity to line up alongside some of the 2006 World Cup team players.
Maturana said he felt the players rightfully earned their selections over the past few days.
“I saw these players since the trip in Puerto Rico and then here in Couva and I think they will make a good selection to the team. It will be useful to work with them now and get them in the team with the other players coming from abroad,” Maturana said.
“We will also continue the work with the other players who are not in this team and look at some other players too for the other games coming up.”
The overseas pros are scheduled to come in on Sunday and will meet the rest of the squad who depart for Mt Irvine Bay Hotel on Friday where they will engage in a live-in camp until Wednesday. Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones, Southampton striker Stern John, Wrexham’s Silvio Spann, Collin Samuel, Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince, Swansea City’s Jason Scotland and Ujpest FC’s Densill Theobald, already here, will make up the other overseas pros in the team.
Corneal commented: “These guys had about three weeks to showcase themselves including two games and one among themselves. Of course he (Maturana) has had influence in the selection of these players We both had a list of players that were consistent with each other with maybe the exception of one player”
He added the likes of Tinto, Daniel (K) and Oliver forced their way into the team.
“They showcased themselves and made the cut on their own through their work. You saw where these guys showed an appetite to play and do more than the average player and when you find players like these sometimes you have to give them the opportunity to blossom. This is a chance for them to at least feel what it is like to be on the big stage and try to maintain that sort of form.”
The coming together of the home-based and the overseas-based pros is a key to the team’s overall success and Corneal as well as Maturana is aware that it will happen by playing more games.
“I hope that it is a nice blend because they have not been here for a while. They (overseas pros) have a new bunch of players behind them because a lot of them are coming in here as front runners. We hope to continue this with the other games coming up. The message is that the World Cup is around the corner. I hope we can give entertaining football to the public and hopefully have a good start to the year for us,” Corneal added.
The 18-man squad - Marvin Philip (W Connection) ,Nigel Daniel (Jabloteh) , Seon Power (Joe Public), Osei Telesford (Chicago Fire), Akile Edwards (Defence Force), Keon Daniel (United Petrotrin), Kerry Baptiste (Jo Public), Marvin Oliver (Caledonia AIA), Khaleem Hyland (Jabloteh), Jason Marcano (Jabloteh), Hayden Tinto (Caledonia AIA), Kern Cupid (W Connection, Keston Williams (Defence Force), Stern John (Southampton), Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland), Clayton Ince (Walsall),Silvio Spann (Wrexham), Densill Theobald (Ujpest FC), Collin Samuel (Toronto FC) and Jason Scotland (Swansea City).