CHARGING UP TIME... Warriors Get Ready For Battle
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF)
Trinidad and Tobago’s National senior footballers will have final dress rehearsal at around 6pm (8pm T&T Time) on Friday Muebles Herrera Ground in San Pedro Sula, venue for Saturday’s 2010 World Cup qualifier against Honduras.
The Russell Latapy-coached team had a closed door session at the Francisco Morazan Stadium on Wednesday and took up the option to train at the match venue from 3pm on Thursday (today).
On Wednesday, after a prior agreement to use the Morazan Stadium made two weeks ago and again promised a day before, the T&T management staff had to meet a payment request of USD 1000 from the stadium owners to use the venue for two hours. There was a delay in the start of the session and Yorke and a couple other members of the staff who had arrived at the venue prior to the team, were asked to refrain from setting up for the session until the payment was made. T&T eventually got on with its session and on Thursday, the Honduran authorities apologized and returned the cash to the T&T management team.
The Hondurans have been making a big deal about the encounter all week with the affair grabbing the headlines everyday in the newspapers and local media houses trying to stay as close around the T&T team as possible.
There was an unconfirmed report that their captain Amado Guevara suffered a right ankle injury in training on Tuesday and remains doubtful for the match. Three other players Carlos Costly, Wilson Palacios and Osman Chavez are ruled out from Saturday’s clash on yellow cards suspension.
And there has been much said about the 1-0 win by T&T back in October 2001 courtesy of a Stern John goal which crushed Honduras’ chances of advancing to World Cup 2002. That win came on the heels of Mickey Trotman’s death in a car accident in Trinidad.
"The past is past, so there is nothing more to say,” said Guevara.
Ivan Guerrero added: "We hit the goal post just seven times, not knowing what happened. We had control of the ball and the ball did not score. "It was bad luck." That scene was terrible".
Honduras boss Reinaldo Rueda said he was working strongly on his tactics for T&T.
“We have had good sessions over the past two days and we are getting ready. We need to be in good shape for the game,” said Rueda. “We will play an attacking style to win. Whether David Suazo plays or not, we will not change our style. We want to win."
Wigan Athletic striker Jason Scotland said he was keenly awaiting the chance to try and push T&T to eight points. Two of his Wigan’s teammates, defender Henry Thomas and Maynor Figueroa are in the Honduras line up and the bets are on.
“It’s going to be big challenge for both teams because they also want to win at home,” Scotland told TTFF Media.
“The boys at Wigan have been talking about the game and there was some banter as well. I had a knock on my ankle a little while ago and they making jokes and were touching it, saying they think it will be alright for the match.
“Generally speaking, I think we have a good chance because we have players who can get the job done but it’s just a matter of us getting it together and doing what we need to on the pitch. The boys are all feeling good at the moment and the sessions have been spot on so hopefully we can carry this into the game on Saturday and set up a good result before we face the US on Wednesday,” Scotland added. (Sept 4,2009.Photo shows team in training at the match venue
