http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Molino__Gay_in__Olympic__squad-134218818.htmlMolino, Gay in 'Olympic' squadStory Created: Nov 20, 2011 at 10:49 PM ECT
The Trinidad and Tobago under-23 football team head coach, Angus Eve has included four players with senior international experience in his final 20-man squad to contest the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) final round of Olympic qualifiers, in St Kitts/Nevis this coming week.
Following a training camp in Tobago over the past week, Eve announced his team which will be captained by defender Sheldon Bateau. The four players who have already played for the T&T senior team are influential Orlando City midfielder Kevin Molino who is the team's vice captain, W Connection defender Joevin Jones, striker Shahdon Winchester, and Jamal Gay.
"It's a combination of some of the Under-20 players who didn't qualify for the Pan American Games," Eve told TTFF media officer Shaun Fuentes, "as well as some of the senior guys who have come through the ranks. We also have guys like (Leslie) Russell, Nuru Muhammad and Kareem Moses who have done well in the Pro League but haven't had much experience on the international level. This gives us a well balanced team that is hungry for success and will go into this tournament eager to continue their promising run from the Pan American Games."
The T&T footballers leave for St Kitts tomorrow, and will go into action on Thursday against Cuba before facing the hosts on Saturday and Suriname two days later. The top two teams will advance to the final CONCACAF qualifying round, in the United States in March. The top two CONCACAF teams will qualify for the 2012 Olympic football tournament.
T&T got a good final warm-up ahead of the CFU qualifying tournament when they held a locally—based senior men's team to a goalless draw in Tobago on Friday. The senior squad had nine members of the team that played in World Cup qualifying, including goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, Hayden Tinto, Keon Daniel, Kendall Jagdeosingh, Osei Telesford and Devorn Jorslyn.
Last Wednesday, the Olympic team beat Super League runners-up Stokely Vale 5-1 in another warm-up, and also held eventual champions Mexico, third-placed finishers Uruguay and Ecuador to 1-1 draws at the Pan American Games in Mexico last month. Mexico beat Argentina 1-0 in the final.
T&T Squad Sheldon Bateau (captain), Leslie Russell, Jamal Gay, Trevin Caesar, Aquil Selby, Micah Lewis, Nuru Abdullah Muhammad, Kareem Moses, Joevin Jones, Mekeil Williams, Shahdon Winchester, Andre Marchan, Jomal Williams, Jerrel Britto, Jayson Joseph, Jeromie Williams, Jean Luc Rochford, Glenroy Samuel, Sean De Silva, Kevin Molino