Trinidad and Tobago Senior Women’s Team Head Coach Randy Waldrum today announced the final squad for the two International Friendlies with United States on December 6th and December 10th.
The home-based players departing Port of Spain on December 4th and will be joined by Waldrum and the overseas-based players later that day in Hawaii.
Included in the team is forward Kennya Cordner along with regulars from the previous team that participated in the World Cup qualifiers such as defender Arin King, Janine Francois, goalkeeper Kimika Forbes, Ahkeela Mollon, Khadidra Debessette, Karyn Forbes and Mariah Shade.
Waldrum spoke about the two upcoming matches, describing it as an excellent opportunity for the team to face the World champions, but he did express concern about the lack of preparations leading up to the two meeting.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity to play the reigning world champions,” Waldrum told TTFA Media on Monday.
“Top level international games such as these two are exactly what we need to prepare for the Olympic Qualifiers, and for the future growth of our team. However I’m very concerned as the preparation for these games have been very poor. The team itself has not been together so for many the first game will be the first time the players have even played together,” he added.
Looking at the composition of his selection, Waldrum said while he has included players that made up the squad from the 2015 World Cup qualifiers, he has included some new faces.
“I am bringing in some new players which I wanted to look at as far back as the World Cup Qualifiers and for different reasons was not able too. We’ll have the core of the team there with some question marks on a few such as Mariah Shade and Patrice Superville who are nursing injuries.”
Waldrum is optimistic about the team’s chances in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Final Round next February, saying he hopes this level of preparation with games such as the ones against the US can become a regular occurrence.
“As I said earlier, these are the kind of competitions we need for all of our national teams. Our preparation for the World Cup last year only included a local men’s team, a local youth boys team, and a youth girls team in Dallas. That is not the way our national teams should prepare. So these games are huge for us, not in terms of the results but simply in terms of the experience of playing top competition. I just wish we would have had time to actually train before the games with all of our players. We would have gotten so much more out of these games if we had.
Waldrum who was in Trinidad recently, will team up with fellow staff members Sharon O’Brien (Manager), Ben Waldrum (Assistant Coach), Anthony Creece (Assistant Coach), Benyam Astorga (Trainer), Claire George (Kit manager), Clayton Ince (Goalkeeper coach) and Michael Taylor (Physio).
The first of the two friendlies which is part of the US Victory tour, will be played on December 6th Aloha Stadium in Honolulu at 3 p.m. local/8 p.m. ET and will be aired on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports GO).The Second match in Texas on December 10th will kick off at 8 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.
T&T Squad.
Goalkeepers
Saundra Baron, Kimika Forbes.
Defenders
Lauryn Hutchinson, Arin King (capt), Danielle Blair, Patrice Superville, Brianna Ryce, Khadidra Debessette, Janine Francois.
Midfielders
Karyn Forbes, Nia Walcott, Ahkeela Mollon, Tasha St. Louis, Liana Hinds, Amira Walcott, Annalis Cummings, Victoria Swift, Janice Johnson.
Forwards
Kennya Cordner, Mariah Shade.
U.S. Squad.
Goalkeepers
Ashlyn Harris, Alyssa Naeher, Hope Solo.
Defenders
Crystal Dunn, Whitney Engen, Jaelene Hinkle, Julie Johnston, Meghan Klingenberg, Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett.
Midfielders
Morgan Brian, Danielle Colaprico, Tobin Heath, Rose Lavelle, Carli Lloyd, Samantha Mewis, Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe.
Forwards
Lindsey Horan, Sydney Leroux, Stephanie McCaffrey, Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.
RELATED NEWS
Waldrum and “Yaya” return to W/Warriors for US friendly.
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).
Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team coach Randy Waldrum and star attacker Kennya “Yaya” Cordner have ended their temporary exiles from the “Women Soca Warriors” and will travel to Hawaii tomorrow in preparation for Friday’s international friendly against World Cup champions, the United States.
Waldrum, who missed the Caribbean phase of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2016 Olympic qualifying series, said he decided last week to return to the fold, along with his son and assistant coach, Ben Waldrum.
The elder Waldrum had initially decided against joining the W/Warriors after growing frustrated with administrative mishaps and a lack of communication with ex-Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Raymond Tim Kee.
After Tim Kee’s dismissal of former general secretary Sheldon Phillips, Waldrum demanded some level of job security from the TTFA president and an assurance that the women’s programme would be supported.
However, he had a rethink after the Caribbean qualifiers and decided to make himself available to lead the team to Hawaii.
“Really nothing’s happened (since my last talk with Wired868),” said Waldrum. “I’ve been waiting and trying to get a contract, so I could move forward with the programme. But I got nothing back from Tim Kee, so I was really just in limbo.
“But I made the decision last week that, if we are going to do this, we have to get started. We can’t waste any more time.”
Waldrum said he was encouraged by the TTFA elections on November 29 and the emergence of David John-Williams as the football body’s new president.
“I emailed Mr Williams on the night of the election and congratulated him,” Waldrum told Wired868, “and he reached back to me this morning and said he would look into things and get back to me first thing.
“I have already heard from him twice today, which is more than I heard from Mr Tim Kee in a year. I know the new president has a lot on his plate but I just hope that he can get me taken care of in terms of my contract.”
The immediate upshot of Waldrum’s return was a similar comeback from Cordner, a three-time Trinidad and Tobago Player of the Year.
Cordner missed the Caribbean tournament after team manager Sharon O’Brien refused to pay for her plane ticket from the United States—where she was receiving treatment for a knee injury—despite footing the airfare for other North America-based Trinidad and Tobago internationals.
Team captain Maylee Attin-Johnson also refused to join the squad in solidarity with the attacker and as a result of her own dissatisfaction with O’Brien’s managerial style. However, Waldrum was able to arrange a compromise that suited Cordner.
“Sharon (O’Brien) will fly ‘Yaya’ (Cordner) from Seattle to Hawaii,” said Waldrum. “For whatever reason, it is no longer an issue. And I think it was one of those things where I had to be firm.
“I have been in touch with Yaya over the last month and I wanted to bring her back for the CFU but I couldn’t get an answer from Tim Kee to get the ticket issue resolved.”
Cordner admitted that her decision to rejoin the team was based on her personal relationship with and respect for Waldrum.
“No changes with that (issue with O’Brien),” said Cordner, “but only because of Randy (Waldrum)…”
Attin-Johnson will not be pacified that easily and the versatile attacker said she was willing to walk away from the national game if necessary.
“For (Sharon O’Brien) to be a manager of a national team is unacceptable and I won’t sacrifice my body for people like that,” said Attin-Johnson, in a previous interview. “If I am not going to put my heart and soul into something, it is better I remove myself from it…”
Waldrum said he hopes to have Attin-Johnson rejoin the team in time for next February’s CONCACAF competition and new TTFA president, John-Williams, also suggested that the W/Warriors are an immediate issue for him
“I know Yaya and Maylee have issues with Sharon,” Waldrum told Wired868. “Yaya was willing to come back and go with us to Hawaii, whereas Maylee wasn’t and still wants the issue resolved.
“Yaya decided she can handle it and rejoined the team.”
The Texan hopes to have his own situation resolved quickly too, even as he drafts plans for a January 2016 camp in Houston before the Olympic qualifying series.
“I want to hold a camp in Houston in January,” said Waldrum, “but all of this is contingent on Mr Williams wanting to keep me on. I really don’t know what he wants to do but I am hoping…
“If we can get that, I think we have as good of a draw as we can ask for. I would have preferred to have US in our bracket (to avoid them in the knockout round). But if we can get some time and prepare properly, I think we can have a good showing.
“The key is if we can get the things we need to prepare.”
Waldrum has made some alterations to the squad that qualified for the CONCACAF stage. Versatile winger Chevonne John and midfielder Naomie Guerra are among the players who are preparing for competitive action with the National Under-20 squad now while attacker Dernelle Mascall is unavailable and defender Ayanna Russell and forward Anique Walker remain in self-imposed exile.
But the W/Warriors welcome Liana Hinds, Brianna Ryce and Patrice Superville back into the fold while Janice Johnson and sister Amira and Nia Walcott will have a chance to stake their claims.
They will never have a tougher test than an away game against the World Cup champions.
“I’m skeptical (about the US friendly) because we have no preparation and we are going to play the world champions,” said Waldrum. “It is not good to put the players in that sort of situation and the technical staff either. But (Ben and I) thought it is better to go and get things started and try to build on that experience.”
The first of the two Trinidad and Tobago friendlies, which are part of the US Victory tour, will be played on December 6th at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu from 8 pm (ET) and will be aired on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports GO.
The second match will be in Texas on December 10th and kicks off at 8 pm (CT). It will be broadcast on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.
(T&T team for US friendly)
Trinidad and Tobago: Kimika Forbes, Saundra Baron, Annalis Cummings, Patrice Superville, Lauryn Hutchinson, Arin King (captain), Amira Walcott, Liana Hinds, Danielle Blair, Brianna Ryce, Victoria Swift, Karyn Forbes, Janice Johnson, Nia Walcott, Janine Francois, Khadidra Debesette, Ahkeela Mollon, Tasha St Louis, Kennya Cordner, Mariah Shade.
Technical staff: Randy Waldrum (head coach), Sharon O’Brien (manager), Ben Waldrum (assistant coach), Anthony Creece (assistant coach), Benyam Astorga (trainer), Claire George (equipment manager), Clayton Ince (goalkeeper coach) and Michael Taylor (physio).