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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #60 on: June 19, 2018, 06:55:10 AM »
Ah now see is palos (ably assisted by Deeks and maxg :devil:) who start de trend of posting two WCs into the future.

Offline Deeks

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #61 on: June 19, 2018, 10:04:38 AM »
 ;D

Offline Sando prince

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #62 on: June 25, 2018, 09:50:47 PM »
So let's see. 3 automatic spots for the hosts. And 4 - 4.5 spots between uncaf and cfu. My guess 2 for uncaf. 2 - 2.5 for cfu

Seeing that three Concacaf teams will be hosting, don't expect more than three auto spots for Concacaf. that will bring you to six teams from Concacaf in 2026 WC

Anyway expect the quality of the WC to be lowered with all these extra teams from around the world having easier qualifying WC campaigns due to more automatic spots. Furthermore how does this work for South America? they will still have only ten teams in their qualifying region, so with extra spots expect their qualifying rounds to be even less competitive
.

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #63 on: December 21, 2022, 05:26:09 PM »
Eve: Qualification won't be easy for 2026 48-team World Cup
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday)


TRINIDAD AND Tobago men’s football team coach Angus Eve is setting his sights on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be staged in three countries – United States, Canada and Mexico.

But Eve, the former T&T captain and midfielder, says that the qualification process would not be easy, and it will require a collective effort for that dream to become a reality. Eve, who has been at the helm since June 2021, said on Tuesday, “We’ve (the technical staff) started the plans but, unfortunately, because of the politics off the field, it really affects what we are able to do on the pitch. We haven’t been playing consistently in the (FIFA match) windows.

“It is not easy for us to qualify for the World Cup, but we plan to revamp the team, to bring in (and expose) younger players, to give them the experience that they would need, so the next time the World Cup qualifying comes around in two years’ time, that they are ready,” he continued. “We have all of those plans, me and the staff, and we have proposed it to the normalisation committee already. It’s just to execute on it, which would take a lot of finances to do so.”

Has he identified the group of players who he will use to form the core for the 2026 campaign or is he looking at the overseas-born players to add to the pool?

Eve replied, “Yes (with the overseas-born players) but we’re having challenges in that regard. We also have the cadre of players who (are) already playing and there is a very good mix there of young and senior players, in that group that we already have training and playing games before.”

Concerning the step-by-step plans from now till 2026, inclusive of the Concacaf Nations League and friendly internationals, Eve said, “The FIFA windows are very clear for (international) teams. (For) the local players, we need to have a league going on here, so they can put themselves up for selection. It’s very difficult when players are not playing active football, to select them for a team.

“I thought we got away with it, to some degree, in the (2021 Concacaf) Gold Cup but you’re not going to get away with that all the time,” he added. “The foreign-based players, they would be playing with their clubs. We’ll continue to monitor those players, where we can look at the stats and all the other technological parts of it. Collectively that’s what we do. “(In) the international windows, we need to play, to bring the team together so we can have a unit playing (as) a cohesive group. Also, we need to have the buy-in from the Government, from the public, the private sector and corporate sector.”

With a 48-team tournament in 2026, is he planning from now or is he waiting until the official draw is made to make concrete plans? Eve responded, “That’s two different things. We still have to prepare for qualification and the basic preparation starts now because World Cup qualifying is in a year and (a bit) because this World Cup played late.

“At the end of the day, we need to be in the Gold Cup. All these stepping-stones take you to where you need to be. We need to qualify for the Gold Cup, that is our immediate goal, so that we can then be in the A league in Concacaf, which will give us better opposition when we are playing, so that we can really test ourselves. That leads to (a) better World Cup qualifying draw for us.”

Much of the build-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar focussed on off-field issues, including the awarding of the tournament to the Asian nation, as well as Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and human rights record.

However, Eve pointed out, “If you listened to the people on the ground, they would tell you that the World Cup was fantastic. Even people that were told that it was controversial, from the standpoint of the allocation of the World Cup to the country, it has proven certain members of FIFA right.

“It’s one of the best World Cups that we’ve ever seen, from an organisational standpoint and, also, from a playing standpoint. I thought the World Cup was a huge success in Qatar.”
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Offline ABTrini

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #64 on: December 23, 2022, 09:15:27 AM »
The nightmare and illusionary dreaming has begun. I think it is time we face reality and take note that 2006 was an anomaly and that  given the  work behind the scenes of a certain special advisor we experienced  a momentary feat of glory.  The appearance at a World Cup.

 Since then, we have seen the futility and demise of a standard of football and national team which  at one point did  offer us a 'Cinderella' fairy tale  hope  that a nation of our size could be perpetually on the World stage. In my opinion wee ought to stop and debunk this myth - face reality that we lack resources- skilled players, and a football infrastructure that come ' hell  or continuous flooding' would not get us to even the upper echelon of football in teh Caribbean given the current path we are on.

I am not even convinced that many or any Caribbean nation could  surpass the top teams in CONCACAF- to that point once more, I think like our   Cricket, we ought to consider a West Indies combined team- combining the best talents within the region to explore the remote possibility of creating a formidable team that may  contest and have a competitive  chance within CONCACAF to represent WI football.

If (and I don't see any reason to think differently),  we continue gearing up for WC qualifying with idealistic notions while dabbling in mediocrity, the results will once more be four years of painful agonizing  hopes fluttering like feathers in the wind.

World Cup 26 for us will be like building a spaceship in Trinidad and launching us to the furthest regions of space into an abyss filled with phantasmal lies, deceits, bobol, commess and scandals. All orchestrated by the machinery who simply keeps designing systems to keep  countries afloat and some  marred in mud.


Offline Fyzoman

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #65 on: December 23, 2022, 10:37:32 AM »
The nightmare and illusionary dreaming has begun. I think it is time we face reality and take note that 2006 was an anomaly and that  given the  work behind the scenes of a certain special advisor we experienced  a momentary feat of glory.  The appearance at a World Cup.

 Since then, we have seen the futility and demise of a standard of football and national team which  at one point did  offer us a 'Cinderella' fairy tale  hope  that a nation of our size could be perpetually on the World stage. In my opinion wee ought to stop and debunk this myth - face reality that we lack resources- skilled players, and a football infrastructure that come ' hell  or continuous flooding' would not get us to even the upper echelon of football in teh Caribbean given the current path we are on.

I am not even convinced that many or any Caribbean nation could  surpass the top teams in CONCACAF- to that point once more, I think like our   Cricket, we ought to consider a West Indies combined team- combining the best talents within the region to explore the remote possibility of creating a formidable team that may  contest and have a competitive  chance within CONCACAF to represent WI football.

If (and I don't see any reason to think differently),  we continue gearing up for WC qualifying with idealistic notions while dabbling in mediocrity, the results will once more be four years of painful agonizing  hopes fluttering like feathers in the wind.

World Cup 26 for us will be like building a spaceship in Trinidad and launching us to the furthest regions of space into an abyss filled with phantasmal lies, deceits, bobol, commess and scandals. All orchestrated by the machinery who simply keeps designing systems to keep  countries afloat and some  marred in mud.


As far as the collective WI team goes...when the major Caribbean teams could do like Morocco, Cameroon, and Senegal and -- potentially? -- have a team filled with foreign born players, I think that whole WI team thing is a non-starter, at least IMO.
Now about the other things you talked about, well you might be onto something/s...I continue to hope and pray for deliverance yes :)
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Offline Bianconeri

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #66 on: December 30, 2022, 02:26:16 PM »
Seeing MLS-based GK Marzaq Puckerin is in  Trini.

Has he been approached to join the seniors?
Only 20 so def. One to get in the mix now

Offline Trini _2026

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #67 on: December 31, 2022, 08:29:37 AM »
Seeing MLS-based GK Marzaq Puckerin is in  Trini.

Has he been approached to join the seniors?
Only 20 so def. One to get in the mix now

Currently unattached and was only a sub  GK with his former club .
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Offline Trini _2026

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #68 on: December 31, 2022, 08:32:30 AM »
Eve: Qualification won't be easy for 2026 48-team World Cup
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday)




Has he identified the group of players who he will use to form the core for the 2026 campaign or is he looking at the overseas-born players to add to the pool?

Eve replied, “Yes (with the overseas-born players) but we’re having challenges in that regard. We also have the cadre of players who (are) already playing and there is a very good mix there of young and senior players, in that group that we already have training and playing games before.”

This is bad . How are these players approached ? Is it via their agents or clubs ... Does the TTFA  have representatives in the UK ?
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Offline ABTrini

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #69 on: January 02, 2023, 03:27:40 PM »
What did ed it tell you when  three years prior the coach already bawling how hard it go be to make it - Fire the coach bring in  a Japanese or Brazilian

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #70 on: January 02, 2023, 05:57:11 PM »
What did ed it tell you when  three years prior the coach already bawling how hard it go be to make it - Fire the coach bring in  a Japanese or Brazilian
exactly. Our coach is a clown

Offline Tallman

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #71 on: January 13, 2023, 09:43:00 AM »
Eve eyes 2026...Wants playing time for ‘nice bunch’
By Garth Wattley (T&T Express)


As he prepares a squad for March’s two Nations League matches, national senior football team coach Angus Eve is keeping his eyes on 2026 World Cup qualification and is keen to give his young players more exposure.

“This is a rebuilding stage,” Eve told the media at a training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday. “If you look at the group here, it’s a very young group of players with a couple of senior players sprinkled in there because that is where we are...We are building to 2026.

And so far, Eve is satisfied with what he is seeing from some of the youngsters.

“We had Nathaniel James who did fantastic for us in the Under-20s, Real Gill who did tremendous for us there also, so we have some nice young players who coming through. Unfortunately Nathaniel left last night (Tuesday) to go to a trial, but he was doing really, really well and I was hoping that he could have been in the squad....We have a nice young bunch of players that we think...given the right experiences, that come 2026 could contribute.”

And making reference also to Secondary Schools Football League 2022 standouts like Taryk Lee, Lindell Sween, Jaheim Faustin and Christian Bailey, Eve said this group needed to play more games.

Speaking of his own experience playing teams in Brazil as part of a T&T camp, he said: “We need to expose them. This is how you will build that experience. You can’t just play here or train here. The College League is not good enough to...develop players for a national team.”

The next FIFA World Cup will be held in the CONCACAF region in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is expected to be an expanded 48-team tournament.

However, asked if the availability of more qualifying spots will make T&T likely qualifiers, Eve urged caution.

Stressing that local laws don’t allow the country to recruit players with T&T parentage as easily as other nations, Eve said: “To say that we are a shoo-in, it’s going to be a bigger job than that. Football, sport on the whole is not (about) the name of the team anymore.”

And quoting a statement made by Moroccan team officials during the Qatar World, Eve added: “They said that when other people were studying corruption and boardroom stuff, they were studying stuff on the field. That’s where we have to get back to.”

Concerning his side’s next couple assignments in the Nations League though, Eve attached equal importance to both the matches against the Bahamas on March 24 and Nicaragua on March 27.

“Bahamas are the ones who put us out of the World Cup, and the first game that you have is always the toughest game, and it’s away from home,” Eve noted. “They are a very plucky bunch, a very dogged bunch and they have a lot of pride, country pride; you saw that when we played them in the World Cup (qualifiers); so at the end of the day, each of the games are important. You need to win the first one so that the second one could be even more relevant.”

However, the T&T coach also noted that, “it won’t be the be-all and end-all,” if T&T didn’t beat the Bahamas and Nicaragua. “We still have another opportunity to qualify for the Gold Cup.”

He admitted however that, “there are a lot of things against us from trying to get to that spot but we are trying our damnedest best to get us there.”

One obstacle is the lack of playing opportunities for the locally-based players due to the absence of national league competitions. Eve is hoping that the weekly training session will help those players get a level of match fitness. He is also hoping to play friendly matches in the next FIFA window in March.

“It’s similar to what we did (last year) when we went to the Gold Cup, where we had the locally-based guys train and then in the window we then bring in the foreign-based guys to complement that.”
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Offline ABTrini

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #72 on: January 14, 2023, 05:11:50 PM »

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #71 on: Yesterday at 09:43:00 AM »
Eve eyes 2026...Wants playing time for ‘nice bunch’
By Garth Wattley (T&T Express)

As he prepares a squad for March’s two Nations League matches, national senior football team coach Angus Eve is keeping his eyes on 2026 World Cup qualification and is keen to give his young players more exposure.

“This is a rebuilding stage,” Eve told the media at a training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday. “If you look at the group here, it’s a very young group of players with a couple of senior players sprinkled in there because that is where we are...We are building to 2026.


When the arse we go stop rebuilding and work  with a built team- We were rebuilding for years ago for Qatar!!! now we have four more years to rebuilt!!!! what the fack we rebuilding from to what are we rebuilding to?

To take some  quotes from the commission of inquiry- we either sucking or blowing - either way we go create a delta P and  just suck the faking life out of TNT football. Some have to have a definitive plan-  a definitive strategy- and definitive competency to get this done. There is alack of belief  from players all the a=way down. We need a faking Beenhakker  who could  take what we have and make it look like France.

Even cyar transform the players we have to compete on a world stage- never mind not even on a Caribbean stage- I guarantee when we start talking about the Bahamas as a threat we might as well challenge India for fete match.

Offline KevansE99

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #73 on: January 15, 2023, 05:44:33 AM »
big Q is will messi be there? i remember when maradona played in USA for 94 world cup, was funny but he scored

Offline Deeks

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #74 on: January 16, 2023, 01:37:07 PM »
big Q is will messi be there? i remember when maradona played in USA for 94 world cup, was funny but he scored

He got sent home. He tested positive  for some drug.

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #75 on: January 20, 2023, 06:04:52 AM »
Suriname coming for 2026 might prove an interesting hurdle to jump given d constraints

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #77 on: January 29, 2023, 12:21:02 PM »
Leh we organize ah Socawwarriors lime in Vancouver Canada? The last time I was part of one was   back in LA for Gold Cup

Offline Flex

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #78 on: March 02, 2023, 12:22:06 AM »
CONCACAF to start 2026 World Cup qualifying in March 2024
T&T Guardian Reports.


AP - The United States, Mexico and Canada receive automatic berths as co-hosts of the World Cup, to be played in June and July 2026. The number of possible matches was reduced from the 20 Canada played to reach last year’s tournament in Qatar.

The Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Association Football said yesterday that qualifying will start with a first round in March 2024 involving the four lowest teams in the FIFA rankings as of November 2023, who will play a home-and-home series in which the highest-ranked team meets the lowest-ranked.

If current rankings were used, No. 206 Turks and Caicos Islands would play No. 210 Anguilla, and No. 208 US Virgin Islands would play No. 209 British Virgin Islands.

CONCACAF’s remaining 28 teams in qualifying will join in a second round to be played in June 2024 and June 2025. There will be six groups of five teams in a single round-robin, with each nation hosting two matches.

Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, El Salvador and Honduras appear likely to be the highest-ranked teams in qualifying.

First- and second-place teams in each group advance to a 12-nation final round that includes three groups of four teams. A double round-robin will be played in autumn 2025, and each group winner will qualify for the first 48-nation World Cup.

CONCACAF also said the four quarterfinal winners from CONCACAF Nations League A this November will qualify for next year’s Copa América, the South American championship that was moved from Ecuador to the United States. The four quarterfinal losers will participate in a Copa América play-in in March 2024, to be held at a central site, and the two winners also will qualify for the 16-nation tournament, which includes 10 teams from South America.

Nations League A will be expanded to 16 teams from 12 for the 2023-24 tournament. The group stage will be played this September, October and November, with a new quarterfinal round added in a home-and-home format in November.

The 12 lowest-ranked teams will be in a pair of six-team groups that has each team play four games, and the top two nations in each group will advance to the quarterfinals along with the four highest-ranked teams as of March 2023, who have automatic berths. The highest-ranked teams are likely to be the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada.

Quarterfinal winners advance to the final round, to be played in March 2024.

League B will remain four groups of four and League C three groups of three. There will be promotion of the four League B group winners from the 2022-23 Nations League but no relegation, and League C group winners will be promoted to Group B.

After the 2023-24 tournament, the fifth- and six-place teams in League A will be relegated, the four League B group winners will be promoted, the four League B last-place teams will be relegated and the three League C group winners will be promoted along with the top second-place nation. (AP)

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Offline Tallman

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #79 on: January 26, 2024, 04:08:24 PM »
Trinidad and Tobago drawn into Group B of Concacaf World Cup qualifying
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)


Trinidad and Tobago have been drawn into Group B of the second round of Concacaf qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Angus Eve-coached unit vie for a precious FIFA World Cup spot alongside Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Bahamas.

This was confirmed at the draw on Thursday which took place at FIFA’s headquarter’s in Zurich, Switzerland.

A statement by Concacaf said the second round of Concacaf Qualifiers will not include Canada, Mexico, and the US since they are hosts of the prestigious quadrennial tourney.

The second round, however, will feature Concacaf’s other 32 FIFA affiliated member associations, with 30 teams making up the second round of qualifying, following the results of the first round.

The first round kicks off in March between the four lowest-ranked Concacaf member associations based on the FIFA men’s rankings as of December 2023.

The two-legged matchups feature British Virgins Islands against US Virgin Islands in playoff one and Turks and Caicos Islands versus Anguilla in the second.

The winner of each tie will be placed in Group E and F respectively.

These two additions will complete the six Concacaf World Cup Qualifying groups. Here, teams will play single round-robin matches (two home and two away), with the six group winners and six group runners-up advancing to the third round (12 teams total).

The second round will be played over the course of two match-days in June and then another two match-days in June 2025.

Commenting on Trinidad and Tobago’s chances of advancing, Eve believes each nation poses a “tricky” test despite their competitive history.

“We know a lot of the opposition that we’ll be meeting in this particular group. Two (Bahamas, St Kitts and Nevis) of the teams actually in the qualifying of the World Cup last time, (but) we didn’t come out of that group. So we have a fair idea of the opposition.”

He said Grenada is “a little bit known to us” but deemed them unpredictable under new English coach Terry Connor, in addition to, their European-based talents.

“And then Costa Rica is a perennial powerhouse in Concacaf. They’ve been in the last World Cup and have good quality players. So we know the combination of the group and it wouldn’t be easy for us to come out but we’re going to do our best to try to come out,” he added.

When asked his thoughts on Trinidad and Tobago advancing to the final round of 12 Concacaf nations, where potentially five Concacaf teams, in addition to the three hosts, can qualify for the World Cup, Eve said they must capitalise on this rare chance to seal the nation’s second FIFA World Cup berth.

“This opportunity we have will probably never happen again so we have to grasp it with both hands. I see some of the players are already calling after seeing the draw, and they’re excited about it. We’re seeing the possibility of what could potentially happen to us and what we camp potentially do.”

Before the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers begin in June for Trinidad and Tobago, the senior team get their international campaign underway against Canada on March 23 in a single-match playoff, where the winner advances to this year’s Copa America.

Eve said while World Cup qualification remains top priority, a Copa America debut serves as a welcome boost ahead.

On his and the team’s mindset over the coming months of football, he told TTFA media, “We’re preparing for the both things because we’re trying to prepare for one and then World Cup qualifying, which is paramount for us.

“Everything we’ve been doing up to today has been about qualification for World Cup 2026. So the Copa America is just a bonus for us really.

“We wanted to stay in the A (Nations League top flight) and give ourselves the best chance by being in a good group that we could possibly have the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup.”

Thursday’s Draw for the Second Round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying:

Group A: Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands

Group B: Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Bahamas

Group C: Haiti, Curaçao, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Aruba

Group D: Panama, Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat, Belize

Group E: Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Winner Playoff 2 (British Virgin Islands-US Virgin Islands)

Group F: El Salvador, Suriname, Puerto Rico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Winner Playoff 1 (Turks and Caicos Islands-Anguilla)
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Offline Tallman

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #80 on: January 26, 2024, 04:44:06 PM »
Eve pleased with players' fitness, sharpness ahead of crucial 2024 fixtures
By Jonathan Ramnanansingh (T&T Newsday)


Trinidad and Tobago men’s football team is in a “better place,” according to Trinidad and Tobago coach Angus Eve, who is preparing the team for the 2024 international campaign.

In a TTFA media release on January 25, Eve spoke of the team’s plans ahead of the crucial Copa America qualifying play-in against Canada on March 23, followed by Concacaf World Cup qualification.

Trinidad and Tobago face off against Canada in Texas with the winner advancing to Group A of this year’s Copa America alongside Argentina, Peru and Chile.

It was also confirmed on Thursday at the World Cup qualification draw in Zurich, Switzerland, that Trinidad and Tobago will be grouped alongside Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Bahamas for their 2026 Concacaf World Cup qualification. These nations make up Group B.

Looking ahead to the upcoming international fixtures, Eve is quietly confident his player pool will receive an additional boost ahead of both competitions.

This, he said, is mainly owing to the T&T Premier Football League in full swing and ongoing pre-season football for his foreign-based charges in North America.

Eve said a meeting was held with team staff on Thursday to chart a way forward for the upcoming season.

“We had a strategy meeting where we planned our way forward. We have been speaking individually with everybody in their individual roles. This is what the collective meeting (was about), to bring back in all the data and plan the way going forward.”

Eve spoke highly of the T&T Premier Football League’s tier one and tier two competitions, which he thinks have helped improve his talent pool after the opening season, which concluded in November.

On the league’s impact, he said, “It has been tremendous and refreshing for us because every (national training) camp that we would have gone in previously the locally based players weren’t playing (regularly), and we had to do a lot of work to bring (them) up to match fitness.

“Now they are playing, the league is going well. I think it’s very competitive so we can see that the players are playing much sharper. I thought that this (second) season the boys would be playing a lot faster, and they are. So it’s good for us and we want to bring them in.”

And with the likes of surging young talents such as Toronto FC’s recently acquired Tyrese Spicer and Colorado Rapids’ Wayne Frederick II now among the potentials for a national call-up, Eve embraces these options.

Spicer stood out recently after he became the Major League Soccer (MLS) draft’s top pick via Toronto FC while Frederick II was drafted second.

Both North America-based players are in pre-season training, alongside several other T&T nationals there, and in other leagues around the world.

He added, “We have some new boys who will get the opportunity to come in the camp and work with us in that environment. We have seen a lot of nice young players coming through the league.

"The players in Canada, the players in the US are already in pre-season with their clubs so they will get a lot of pre-season matches under their belt. It’s a lot more game time and also that we have the few players in Europe, they are still in action and playing.”

For the local-based unit, Eve said a mini-camp will be held from February 8 to get them in the groove for possible selection. He closed, “I think we’re in a better place going into this round of matches because soon after, we’ll have the World Cup campaign to start.”
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline gawd on pitch

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #81 on: January 26, 2024, 06:59:20 PM »
Group A
Honduras will get first spot.
Cuba, Antigua and Bermuda fighting for 2nd place

Group B
TT winning the group
Costa Rica 2nd spot

Group C
Haiti and Curacao
St Lucia has improved a lot. They got 2 or 3 EPL players. More than us. They will take points from Haiti or Curacao.

Group D
Panama taking that easy
Nicaragua and Guyana fighting for the 2nd spot. Belize and Montserrat will determine if it's Nica or Guya.

Group E
Jamaica and Guatemala taking that

Group F
El Salvador, Suriname. But I not ruling out Puerto Rico to make it difficult for ES or Sur.



Offline Flex

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #82 on: January 31, 2024, 01:29:01 AM »
T&T to face Grenada June 5 in World Cup qualifiers opener.
By Nigel Simon (T&T Guardian).


T&T "Soca Warriors" will open their Group B Concacaf World Cup Second Round of qualifiers at home to neighbour Grenada on June 5 before travelling to the Bahamas three days later for their second match in the five-team round-robin series towards the FIFA World Cup 2026 jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The Soca Warriors under the supervision of 51-year-old coach Angus Eve, T&T’s most capped player with 117 national senior team appearances, will then complete their four-match schedule in 2025 with a home encounter against St Kitts & Nevis on June 6, followed by an away outing to group favourite Costa Rica.

This was determined on Monday when Concacaf announced the schedule for the First and Second Round matches of the Concacaf qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 which will consist of three separate rounds and will include 32 FIFA-affiliated Concacaf Member Associations.

Commenting on the schedule Eve was quick to note that Concacaf qualification is no longer a given to the so-called big teams as the smaller nations all have the opportunity to bring in high-quality players who are born in foreign countries, but have first or second-generation attachments to the country via their parents or grandparents.

He said, "These situations have even up the playing field somewhat with teams like Bahamas having players from the USA, while St Kitts & Nevis, and Grenada having the luxury of English-born players."

Looking ahead to the qualifiers, Eve added, "It's not as easy as everyone thinks it will be. We want to qualify for the next World Cup for certain and we will need the financial support of corporate T&T as well, and we also want to have the chance to get more players involved, so some adjustments to our immigrations law to allow us, to get more overseas-born players involved is also welcomed."

In the First Round, which will take place in March, the four lowest-ranked Concacaf member associations (based on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking as of December 21, 2023) will see Anguilla host Turks & Caicos Islands in Playoff I, and US Virgin Islands entertain British Virgin Islands in Playoff II on March 22 in the first-leg matches with the return-leg matches set for March 26 from which the aggregate score winner in each playoff will progress to the Second Round.

For the Second Round, the winners of Playoff I will join the Second Round Group E, where Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Dominica await, while the Playoff II winners will enter the Second Round Group F with El Salvador, Suriname, Puerto Rico, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The other Second Round qualifiers are in Group A, Honduras, Antigua & Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda, and Cayman Islands, in Group C Haiti, Curacao, St Lucia, Barbados, Aruba), and in Group D, Panama, Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat, Belize.

At the end of the Second Round of Concacaf qualifiers in June 2025, the group winners and runners-up (12 teams in total) will progress to the final round.

For the Concacaf Final qualifiers, which take place in September, October, and November 2025 among the 12 member associations (six match dates), a separate draw will be conducted for the Final Round following the conclusion of the Second Round.

The 12 teams will be divided into three groups of four teams with each team playing every other team in their group at home and away, for a total of six matches (three at home and three away), at the end of which, the three group winners will qualify directly for the FIFA World Cup 2026, joining hosts Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

Additionally, the two best runners-up will represent Concacaf in the FIFA playoff tournament, which in total could provide the Concacaf region with up to eight teams at the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

First Round qualifiers: (home team listed first):

March 22

Anguilla vs Turks and Caicos Islands

US Virgin Islands vs British Virgin Islands

March 26

Turks and Caicos Islands vs Anguilla

British Virgin Islands vs US Virgin Islands

Second Round: 30 Member Associations (four-match dates in June 2024 and June 2025)

Group A: Honduras, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands

Group B: Costa Rica, T&T, St Kitts & Nevis, Grenada, Bahamas

Group C: Haiti, Curaçao, St. Lucia, Barbados, Aruba

Group D: Panama, Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat, Belize

Group E: Jamaica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Winner Play-off 2

Group F: El Salvador, Suriname, Puerto Rico, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Winner Play-off 1

Second Round schedule (home team listed first):

June 5

(A) Antigua and Barbuda vs Bermuda

(B) T&T vs Grenada

(C) Curaçao vs Barbados

(D) Nicaragua vs Montserrat

(E) Guatemala vs Dominica

(F) Suriname vs St Vincent and the Grenadines

June 6

(A) Honduras vs Cuba

(B) Costa Rica vs St Kitts & Nevis

(C) Haiti vs St Lucia

(D) Panama vs Guyana

(E) Jamaica vs Dominican Republic

(F) El Salvador vs Puerto Rico

June 8

(A) Cayman Islands vs Antigua and Barbuda

(B) Bahamas vs T&T

(C) Aruba vs Curaçao

(D) Belize vs Nicaragua

(E) Winner Play-off 2 vs Guatemala

(F) Winner Play-off 1 vs Suriname

June 9

(A) Bermuda vs Honduras

(B) Grenada vs Costa Rica

(C) Barbados vs Haiti

(D) Montserrat vs Panama

(E) Dominica vs Jamaica

(F) St Vincent and the Grenadines vs El Salvador

June 11

(A) Cuba vs Cayman Islands

(B) St Kitts & Nevis vs Bahamas

(C) St Lucia vs Aruba

(D) Guyana vs Belize

(E) Dominican Republic vs Winner Play-off 2

(F) Puerto Rico vs Winner Play-off 1

June 4

(A) Bermuda vs Cayman Islands

(B) Grenada vs Bahamas

(C) Barbados vs Aruba

(D) Montserrat vs Belize

(E) Dominica vs Winner Play-off 2

(F) St Vincent and the Grenadines vs Winner Play-off 1

June 6

(A) Antigua and Barbuda vs Cuba

(B) T&T vs St Kitts & Nevis

(C) Curaçao vs St Lucia

(D) Nicaragua vs Guyana

(E) Guatemala vs Dominican Republic

(F) Suriname vs Puerto Rico

June 7

(A) Cayman Islands vs Honduras

(B) Bahamas vs Costa Rica

(C) Aruba vs Haiti

(D) Belize vs Panama

(E) Winner Play-off 2 vs Jamaica

(F) Winner Play-off 1 vs El Salvador

June 10

(A) Cuba vs Bermuda

(A) Honduras vs Antigua and Barbuda

(B) St Kitts & Nevis vs Grenada

(B) Costa Rica vs T&T

(C) St Lucia vs Barbados

(C) Haiti vs Curaçao

(D) Guyana vs Montserrat

(D) Panama vs Nicaragua

(E) Dominican Republic vs Dominica

(E) Jamaica vs Guatemala

(F) Puerto Rico vs St Vincent and the Grenadines

(F) El Salvador vs Suriname

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Flex

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #83 on: February 06, 2024, 06:25:08 AM »
FIFA unveils scheduling framework for 2026 tournament.
T&T Guardian Reports.


MIAMI, Florida – MetLife Stadium in the American city of East Rutherford in the state of New Jersey, where the New York Giants and New York Jets play in the NFL, will stage the final of the next Fifa World Cup on Sunday, July 16, 2026.

World football’s governing body announced on Sunday the scheduling framework for the 104-match tournament featuring 48 teams across 16 cities in the three host countries of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

According to a statement on the Fifa website: “The iconic New York New Jersey venue was awarded the honour of hosting the showpiece fixture, which will bring the curtain down on the most inclusive FIFA tournament ever.

“While this stadium has been more used to hosting the superstars of the NFL down the years, the best that soccer has to offer will head to the ground come 2026 as a different sport takes centre stage.”

The stadium was opened 14 years ago and was the venue for the final of the 2016 Copa America Centenario, when Chile defeated Argentina on penalties.

Numerous A-list musical entertainers have featured at the stadium, including Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift.

Fifa also announced that the Azteca Stadium in Mexico has been confirmed as the venue for the opening match of the tournament on Thursday, June 11, 2026, becoming the first stadium to host three FIFA World Cup openers.

The first match in Canada, which has never hosted a World Cup match, will be on Friday, June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto, where the city’s Major League Soccer team plays, while the opening match in the United States will be on the same day at SoFi Stadium in the city of Los Angeles, the home of the NFL’s LA Rams.

Mexico will have the honour of getting the tournament started in their capital city, kicking off proceedings in the historic venue, which hosted the World Cup finals and opening matches of 1970 and 1986.

Mexico will play all three of their group fixtures on home soil, with Guadalajara Stadium hosting their second match on Thursday, June 18, before a return to the Azteca on Wednesday, June 24, for their final group match.

The Azteca currently hosts both Club America and Cruz Azul of Mexican League, as well as the Mexico national team, while clubs such as Pumas, Atlante, Atletico Espanyol, and Necaxa have all previously played there.

BMO Field has has previously hosted matches the Fifa U-17 World Cup, Fifa Under-20 World Cup, and Fifa Women’s U-20 World Cup, and it played host to the climax of Canada’s campaign to reach the 2022 World Cup, when their ticket to Qatar was secured with victory over Jamaica.

Canada too, will play all three of their group stage match on home soil, with BC Place in Vancouver hosting their second and third group fixtures on Thursday, June 18, and Wednesday, June 24.

SoFi Stadium is the newest of the venues chosen to host matches in the tournament, having opened in September 2020, and it is situated only a 30-minute drive from the iconic Rose Bowl in the city of Pasadena, which hosted the World Cup final of 1994.

The United States will also play all three of their group matches on home soil, with Lumen Field in the city of Seattle in the state of Washington, where the Seattle Sounders play their matches in the MLS, hosting the national team’s second fixture on Friday, June 19, before the Americans return to SoFi for their final group match on Thursday, June 25.

The tournament will shift entirely to the United States from the quarter-final round, which will be held in the cities of Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, and Boston.

Dallas and Atlanta will host the two semi-finals, Miami will be the site of the consolation final for third place, while Philadelphia will host a Round of 16 match on July 4 to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the country.

The 2026 World Cup will feature 104 matches instead of the traditional 64 games, including an additional knockout round due to the previously announced decision to expand to 48 teams from 32.

Qualification for the World Cup for Caribbean Football Union teams start on Friday, March 22, between the four lowest-ranked teams in Concacaf based on the Fifa world rankings on December 21 last year.

The four teams are, in ranking order, Turks & Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and Anguilla.

The second round of qualification will feature the two winners of the first round and the confederation’s remaining 28 participating teams with matches taking place on two match days in June this year and June next year.

The final round of qualification will feature the group winners and runners-up from the second round for a total of 12 teams that will be divided into three groups of four.

Each team will play every other team in their group home and away, playing a total of six matches (three at home and three away).

These matches will be played during the Fifa international match windows of September, October, and November 2025, and the three group winners will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup joining the co-hosts.

Additionally, the two best runners-up will represent Concacaf in the Fifa play-off tournament, so that the confederation could have up to eight teams at a World Cup for the first time.

CMC


The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline Brownsugar

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Re: 2026 World Cup Thread
« Reply #84 on: February 06, 2024, 07:36:30 PM »
Ah see this thread started since 2012.  I'm starting my planning from all now....
"...If yuh clothes tear up
Or yuh shoes burst off,
You could still jump up when music play.
Old lady, young baby, everybody could dingolay...
Dingolay, ay, ay, ay ay,
Dingolay ay, ay, ay..."

RIP Shadow....The legend will live on in music...

 

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