Trinidad and Tobago’s women footballers are still pleading for assistance, just few months after they marginally failed to qualify last December for the Women’s World Cup, currently taking place in Canada.
Having recently led Defence Force to two professional league titles, Ross Russell inherited the team which finished fourth at the 2014 CONCACAF Championships and lost a playoff to Ecuador 1-0 on aggregate for the final spot in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. There was a public outcry and great show of support when the Women Warriors were reported to have gone to the 2014 CONCACAF Gold Cup with little funds. Since then, much of the corporate support have dried up, once the team missed out on World Cup qualification.
“We not really crying, but we need some help. We need corporate sponsors to come aboard and help us,” said Russell, while also indicating that the players are also doing their part to raise funds.
“Ladies have a way of getting the job done. Right now they are going to play a game against the netballers to raise funds,” Russell added.
The women’s football tournament at the 2015 Pan American Games will be held at the Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium, in Canada, from July 11 to 25. The women are divided into two groups for the eight-team tournament.
The top two teams in each group will advance to a semi-final stage. Canada are the defending champions from the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, where they defeat Brazil in the final.
Trinidad and Tobago open the tournament on July 11 against Argentina, before meeting Colombia (July 14) and Mexico (July 18). Russell has been in charge of the Women Warriors for about six weeks.
“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “We suppose to leave on the 6th (July). Our group opponents are Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. It’s a very tough group. The only thing good for us is that the three teams play similar, so we do not have to change our style going into the three games.
“We are grouped with big names in football. So we have to be very careful how we go up against them. But our girls are very confident we can go out there and do well,” Russell added.