Latapy drafts U-20 trio for St Kitts friendly.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).National Senior Team head coach Russell Latapy has drafted three National Under 20 players into his 18-man squad to travel to St. Kitts/Nevis for Sunday’s friendly international against that country.
Latapy included Under 20 captain and midfielder Leston Paul, defender Akeem Adams and forward Trent Lougheed into his squad following Thursday’s training exercise at the Larry Gomes Stadium. The game between the Seniors and the Under 20s was played in three thirty minute periods and ended in a 3-3 stalemate.
Missing out on the trip will be Caledonia AIA duo Densill Theobald and Keon Daniel who are both carrying injuries.
Latapy said he would be using Sunday’s encounter against the 2006 World Cup qualification semi-finalists to give some of the home-based players a run out as well as monitor the state of some of the other players who have featured in the 2010 World Cup campaign so far.
He also described the Under 20s as a disciplined and organized outfit.
“It was a good exercise for us. A lot of the players have been playing in the (Pro) League with a lot of matches and training sessions so this was just a way to get us together and start functioning as a team again. It was a good exercise against a very fit and organized under 20 team and I was happy with some of the things we’ve been working on and what we got out of the game,” Latapy told TTFF Media.
He pointed out that whichever overseas-based players are selected for August 12 against El Salvador will be available only two-three days before the encounter and as such the players traveling to St Kitts should use it as a chance to press for selection on the World Cup team.
“We are going to have our foreign based players possibly two or three days before the game on August 12 so this is an opportunity for the local players to grab the chance. I need to see them playing competitive international games. No disrespect to St Kitts, they are not high up on the rankings but with these games sometimes, you can possibly get confidence and work on performances,” said Latapy who also took a run out in Thursday’s game.
He ended by saying that he could possibly line up against St Kitts, having been listed on the 18-man squad and that it should be something of a challenge to some of the younger players to take his spot.
“I’ve been going around the League and watching the players and I think that if I can get myself fit and playing then I should be throwing out a challenge to some of the young footballers to say ‘get me off the team’ and I’ve always maintained that if you are good enough then you are old enough. If you are my age or if you are 17 or 18 and you are good enough to play on the national team and help it in a positive way to achieve results then I think you should play,” Latapy concluded.
Squad for St KittsGoalkeepersJan-Michael Williams, Marvin Phillip.
DefendersAklie Edwards, Keyeno Thomas, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Akeem Adams, Kern Cupid.
MidfieldersClyde Leon, Trent Noel, Hayden Tinto, Ataullah Guerra, Leston Paul, Hughton Hector, Russell Latapy.
ForwardsDevon Jorsling, Andre Toussaint, Trent Lougheed, Kerry Baptiste.
VideosView Latapy's post-game comments View Game clip and Vranes comments
