Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic football squad, warmed up for the beginning of their qualifying campaign next month with a 4-1 win over Pro League club Tobago United in a training affair at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on Tuesday.
The team, comprising several home-based professional players, dominated large parts of the proceedings taking a unreachable 3-0 lead before getting another seven minutes from time before Tobago United pulled one back just before the end.
National senior team midfielder Keon Daniel and Tobago’s Devon Leacock marshaled the T&T midfield and both got their names on the scoresheet.
US-based striker Stefan St Louis had a goal ruled off side before Daniel struck in the 11th minute with a free kick from 20 yards out. Leacock nailed a rebound in the 33rd after a Shane Calderon effort was partially stopped.
St Louis then made up for his earlier cancellation when he impressed all with well taken goal in the 45th minute. He controlled with his chest before volleying into the far post from just inside the penalty box for a 3-0 lead.
Caledonia AIA’s Carlyle Mitchell then got the fourth item after rebound from a shot by Joe Public’s Silas Spann. Striker Christopher Sam had four chances on goal, but had nothing to show for his persistence.
Team coach Michael McComie commended his team for picking up their intensity in the encounter.
“We are trying to work on cohesiveness and trying to change up the system a bit to suit out style of play,” McComie told TTFF Media after the game. “It was pleasing to see the way they picked up their pace in the game… regaining possession at a better rate as well.
“Right now our aim is to keep the shape for longer periods. We are training twice per day and varying the sessions. We put some load on the players in the morning and then played the game in the evening and they responded well which is a good sign.”
“I was impressed with the work rate and the players’ willingness to carry out instructions and try to execute their roles on the field.
Tobago United is a much stronger outfit than last season and to see our team out do them in terms of possession was a good sight,” McComie added.
There were some thumbs up for Leacock, Daniel, St Louis, W Connection’s Calderon who skippered the team in the game, and substitutes Kevin Rouse and Simeon Augustus of United Petrotrin.
He has head coach Wim Rijsbergen assisting him in preparing the team for its CFU leg of qualifiers in Suriname next month. Rijsbergen also accompanied the Under 17s on its recent two-match tour of Peru. Assistant Jan Van Deinsen is currently back in Holland because of a back injury. T&T faces Suriname, Netherlands Antilles and Guyana in their first phase of the competition from August 31-September 4.
The team is based at Tobago Island Suites and will tackle a Tobago Combined outfit at 4pm at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on Thursday.