Warriors tackle mighty Mexicans.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).
Wim lines up Mexico, El Salvador.
"Everything is still based on looking for a team in the next couple of months to go into the World Cup qualifying. The draw is in November, and hopefully we will know the situation with the foreign players by then. "
With the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) draw for 2010 World Cup qualifying coming up soon, Wim Rijsbergen, coach of Trinidad and Tobago's national senior team, has restarted his international programme.
The Dutchman has called 20 players to begin training next Tuesday in preparation for upcoming international friendly matches, away to Mexico on October 14 and El Salvador on October 17.
The team to play Mexico is expected to comprise much of the squad that competed at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, in June.
Among the professionals expected to be selected are Holland-based Darryl Roberts, Densill Theobald, who is now based in Hungary, England-based Silvio Spann, and United States-based Andre Pacheco and Andre Toussaint.
Still missing are many of the players who represented Trinidad and Tobago at the World Cup Finals in Germany, last June, but who have since been debarred from representing the national team due to a money dispute with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF).
Rijsbergen said he will use the players now available to him, but is hoping that the situation with the rest is resolved in the near future.
In recent times, Rijsbergen's programme has been hit by the cancellation of international warm-ups, while CONCACAF giants United States and Mexico have had the opportunity to play the mighty Brazilians.
The Dutch coach was at the First Citizens Cup double-header, in Arima, on Wednesday night.
"If we are to have a successful build-up, we have to have a good mix of players. Some local and some foreign-based , who have been exposed to a higher intensity of football. A couple of good international games would help at least to give some of the guys exposure to international football.
"The purpose is to see one or two other players and where they are at international level. Everyone understands that we have a long way to go."
Meanwhile, Lincoln Phillips, T&T football's technical director, feels that T&T should have played many more such matches at this stage.
"It's quite unfortunate that we have not played as many matches. At this stage we are still ahead in the ball game, but not by far. We have never started our programme immediately after the World Cup, we usually wait two years before doing something. It would definitely be better for us to be playing games, regardless of which teams we play."
Seniors likely to get friendlies next month.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago's Senior Team could have a friendly lined up against CONCACAF giants Mexico next month.. The T&T Football Federation is in the process of finalizing the match to allow head coach Wim Rijsbergen some friendlies before the end of the year with South Africa World Cup 2010 qualification starting in June next year.
The Mexico game, if finalized will be played there on October 14 with a second friendly away to El Salvador carded for two days later. A previous encounter this month against Guatemala in Miami was called off.
Rijsbergen will invite 20 players for training including some overseas-based pros such as Densill Theobald, Silvio Spann, Darryl Roberts, and ex-W Connection duo Andrei Pacheco and Andre Toussaint. He still does not have the availability of players involved in an impasse with the Federation.
Mexico are coming off a 3-1 loss to Brazil and Rijsbergen will be keen to get the much needed match practice.
"Of course it will be good for us but we also need the people to realise that we are still just looking to find players and see how they fit in at that higher level. It's important that we continue this process because we are still hoping to have our best team by the time the qualifiers come around."
