T&T U-17 team to be named next week
Friday, July 27th 2007
COACH ANTON CORNEAL is expected to name his final squad next week before the Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 team depart on August 5 for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, which starts August 18 in South Korea.
On Wednesday, Corneal and his players returned from a one-week training camp in Tobago and will undergo a final week of sessions on local turf before departing for training camps in Holland, after which they head to South Korea on August 12.
Corneal currently has 30 players in camp, but will cut that down to a final 21-man squad.
Midfielder Chad De Freitas, who underwent a knee operation last month, has resumed full training with the team and continues to vie for a final spot.
And Corneal expressed satisfaction with the team's preparation for the tournament.
"I expect that our squad will be finalised and available for public knowledge by early next week," Corneal told Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) media officer Shaun Fuentes.
"The training camp in Tobago went pretty decent. We have trained hard every session, stepping up the intensity over the last few weeks.
"As we approach the final week before leaving for Holland, I expect the players will be moving to a different fitness level which will be very game-related.
"We are giving players a last look and making sure they are compatible with each other and most ready at this time," added Corneal , who has had senior team head coach Wim Rijsbergen involved in the sessions.
