Barbados were expected to have veteran Irish-based striker Eric Lavine join thir squad on the eve of Friday’s 2006 Opening Digicel Caribbean Cup fixture against Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 6pm.
With the stage being set for the opening clash, Haiti were also busy getting its act together with a training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium training pitch on Thursday for the second game of the double header against Martinique slated to start at 8:30pm.
None of the four competing teams were allowed to train on the Hasely Crawford playing pitch as the inclement weather forced a cancellation.
The T&T team reverted to its original base at the Ato Boldon Stadium and head coach Wim Rijsbergen went about his usual business as he tried to get a youthful T&T outfit ready for competition.
“It’s not going to be easy but we will take on the challenge and try our best to get the job done. We have a good bunch of players who have shown strong commitment and a will to do well. They are young and in that regards it is a plus for us as we look ahead to the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. We have some of the College players from the US and the other guys based locally and we will work hard to get it together,” Rijsbergen told TTFF Media.
“We don’t know very much about the Barbados team but that will not hamper our preparations for the opening game. We always will go into a game looking to win and we will play the kind of football to produce a good result.”
Experienced midfielder Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick lined up in T&T’s 3-2 win over Barbados in the 2005 Digicel Cup finals and he feels T&T should be able to hold their own at home on the opening day.
“We have three games to play in this stage and we will take it one at a time so obviously the first game is the main focus as of now. We don’t expect any of the teams will give us an easy time because no game is easy in the sport today especially when you have big things at stake like going to the Gold Cup. But I think the guys know what is required of them and we will be very professional and clever in our approach to these matches. The other two teams, Haiti and Martinique have never given us an easy time so we are not expecting to just get easy points. This for us means we will be playing with our guards up and also take the game to them because we want to get results as well,” Fitzpatrick added.
Barbados also lost first choice goalie Alvin Rouse to injury. Their English-based players Louis Soares of Aldershot Town and Wrexton's Neil Harvey are also expected to be in their starting eleven.
During the past decade, Lavine received rave reviews for his goal-scoring feats while representing Galway United, Athlone Town and Longford Town. He was Irish Player Of The Year six times, while his club, Longford, won the Irish FA Cup in 2003.
Creation of the Carnival-themed ambience begins at the main gate to the stadium, with steelband music from St James Tripolians ushering fans along the walk to the turnstiles, where they will be greeted by Tassa from the Soogrim Ram group and African drumming by Tougoulani; as they enter the arena.
Once inside, the mood will be sustained, as patrons are entertained by a combination of music sources comprising The Laventille Rhythm Section, Ice Water Pan Ensemble and a DJ mix of this year's breakout soca hits, the three suppliers taking turns at keeping the party jumping, until the official opening ceremony commences.
The opening ceremony is being presented in two segments, the first beginning at 5.20 pm, comprising a dance tableau designed to highlight the cultural diversity of Trinidad and Tobago, featuring two of the finest exponents of interpretive choreography, North West Laventille Cultural Group doing the "Saraka" (acknowledging the ancestors) and Shiv Shakti/Malick dancers performing "Real Unity".
These dances will be followed by the march past of participating teams who will, this evening be represented by volunteers from a number of college and club-football volunteers, sparing actual tournament players involvement so soon before some are due on the field of play. Trinidad and Tobago is being represented by our Under-17 team.
Once the dancers and team representatives are positioned in front of the covered stand, they will hear brief addresses from Sports Minister Roger Boynes and Digicel ( Trinidad and Tobago) CEO Kevin White, before Caribbean Football Union president Warner declares the tournament officially underway; completing the first element of the opening ceremony.
The first of 16 games in the tournament final, a clash between the host Soca Warriors and the Barbados "Bajan Pride," raises the curtain on the playoffs. At half-time, fans confident of their football skills will be invited onto the field to Kick for Ca$h, a fun-contest offering chances to win cellular phones and other prizes; all to the accompaniment of cheerleaders and DJ music.
At the end of that match, the second segment of the opening ceremony, a microcosm of Trinidad and Tobago's world-famous Carnival, will be presented as a 20-minute parade of more than 120 performers, reflecting the diverse components and spirit of this country's national festival.
Twice-time national road-march monarch and reigning International Soca Monarch and Groovy Soca Monarch, Shurwayne Winchester will headline this segment, performing a high-energy segue of his blockbuster soca hits, to power the parade as it moves from the marathon tunnel to the front of the covered stand.
Among the portrayals in the parade, which will be led by the Junior Queen of Carnival, are several traditional Carnival characters, including fire-eaters, moko jumbies, a large contingent of children from various care-homes, assembled by prize-winning bandleader Rosalind Gabriel, operating "upside-down" puppets, and adults in contemporary costuming; all sequentially presented in the effort to re-create the living history and authentic feel of the festival.
In the sum, opening night of the Digicel Caribbean Football Cup Tournament will not only offer predictably sterling performances by teams participating in the beautiful game, but a taste of the prevailing mood in Trinidad and Tobago, as the host country readies itself for the choreography and colour characteristics of our national festival.