Vincentians coming to face Soca Warriors now.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers will now have an anticipated stiffer challenge in Saturday’s friendly international after it was decided on Tuesday that they will face St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Hasely Crawford Stadium from 6:30pm.
The change from Nicaragua to St Vincent came after the TTFF was able to finalize the fixture with the Vincentians who are on a high after last Friday’s 2-1 victory over Jamaica in the Digicel Cup first phase. Their win over the “Reggae Boyz” in Kingston and a comprehensive 8-0 demolition of St Lucia on Sunday meant that they progressed to the Digicel Cup second round in November and also sent Jamaica out of the tournament.
The team is coached by former T&T head coach Zoran Vranes and includes T&T-based professional Kendell Velox and Shandell Samuel. They are reportedly fully up for the encounter as they consider it a chance to settle the scores after a nail biting 2-1 loss to T&T in the 2006 World Cup qualifier at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in November, 2004.
TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner confirmed the new fixture and stated that it was also acknowledged with understanding by the Nicaraguan football authorities as their national team were originally scheduled to play on Saturday. Next Wednesday’s encounter against Panama from 6:30pm at the same venue remains carded as scheduled.
Meantime, Trinidad and Tobago’s qualification scoring hero Dennis Lawrence arrived from London his on Sunday evening and was on the pitch at the Larry Gomes Stadium this morning for the national team’s first training session ahead of Saturday’s friendly international against the Vincentians.
And the lanky defender insinsisting that there is no rift with his Swansea City and the TTFF over his availability to play in the upcoming friendlies.
In fact, Lawrence is saying that his club, like all others who would prefer if their services are not interrupted much by international action, is still proud that he can maintain a place for the 2006 World Cup participants.
As such he hopes there will be a mutual understanding between T&T and Swansea City as far as his availability goes and the TTFF will ensure there is proper relations between both parties.
Also on the pitch under the watchful eyes of head coach Wim Rijsbergen were Coventry City duo Stern John and Chris Birchall, Carlos Edwards of Luton Town, St Johnstone’s Jason Scotland, New England Revolution’s Avery John, Southampton’s Kenwyne Jones, Glenavon’s Atiba Charles and Dundee United’s Collin Samuel. And certainly there and eager to press home for spots on the team was W Connection striker Andre Toussaint, Andrei Pacheco. Nigel Daniel, Kerry Baptiste, Tobago United’s Dwayne Jack as well as Cyd Gray, goalkeeper Jan Michael Williams and Marvin Phillip (as a replacement for Clayton Ince) as well as Jabloteh’s Trent Noel, called in place of the injured Hector Sam.
Rijsbergen was pleased with the effort under the sweltering morning heat.
“It was a good work out. Obviously it’s the first time back for many of the guys and it’s important for them to get accustomed again to the conditions here. It was good to see comments from Andre Toussaint in the newspapers this morning as well saying that he’s played with some of them before but now he is eager to work again with the more experienced guys which is what we need for our local players in order for them to develop more,” Rijsbergen told TTFF Media.
“We will continue to work because there’s football happening all around.”
Sunderland striker Dwight Yorke is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday evening and will training the following morning. The team training again this evening at the same venue.