T&T’s Soca Warriors will be blind and wounded metaphorically, when they head into Moday’s all-important CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifier against French Guiana at the DRV PNK Stadium, in Florida, USA from 4:30 pm knowing anything about their opponents.
National coach Angus Eve’s team could stroll into Group A of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, along with giants Mexico, El Salvador and Curacao, should T&T come out on top in the encounter, but it seems to be an unpredictable task with little to no information known to his technical staff about a team that has no FIFA ranking, as an overseas department of the French Republic.
In fact, in the past 30 years, the French Guianese Mulatto team has entered the Gold Cup just once in 2017, where it was defeated in the group phase, going down 3-0 to Costa Rica and Honduras, and 4-2 to Canada. Otherwise from 1991- to 2021, the French Guianese team has either not entered or did not qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.
French Guiana did participate at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) or Caribbean Cup level where an encounter with the T&T Soca Warriors in November 2014, landed them at the end of a 4-2 beating.
French Guiana was expected to face Cuba in the preliminary round on Saturday, but with Cuba pulling out of the tournament, due to their inability to travel to the US for not being able to comply with the COVID-19 safety protocols, they earned an automatic spot in today’s the second round.
At a press conference, yesterday Eve believes that today's opponents could have an advantage over his team, having gotten the chance to see the Soca Warriors play while he did not get that opportunity.
The French Guiana’s entire team currently plays its football at home, with an option to play in French Leagues if they can.
Meanwhile, the Soca Warriors also face the possibility of making changes to their starting team, with defenders Aubrey David and Triston Hodge uncertain due to injuries.
“They (French Guiana) haven’t played a competitive match for a while, that we could see them. It’s unfortunate Cuba couldn’t make it for one reason or the other, but the roster that they have you could go back and see some of the things that some of their players would have done in the past, but that’s basically it. We’re basically going relatively blind.
“They would have a better idea of what we do because they would have seen our games, so they have an advantage in that regard, but we’re pretty confident in our game and we’re pretty confident of what we’re capable of doing,” Eve explained.
Eve, a last-minute replacement for Terry Fenwick, fired after the T&T team failed to get past the first round of the World Cup Qualifiers, has said they will be taking this game as a final: “Each of the matches matters because they are must-win games. So we have to treat each match as a virtual final because to play the other match you have to play the first one to go into the group stage. The mood in the camp is good, although we have the possibilities that some guys will not be able to play, we just don’t know just yet.
“The medical staff is working on it but at the end of the day, we saw the guys who came off the bench, they were fantastic. We have a squad of players we can trust, so if somebody’s injured, they’re no problem for us to replace them with one of the guys on the roster.”
Meanwhile, Ryan Telfer, the Athletico Ottawa winger has said he will play any role that will help the team pull off a victory in a game that he too considers a virtual final: “As the coach has been re-iterating in the camp, there isn’t going to be a Gold Cup for us if we don’t take this game tomorrow (Monday) as a final.”
Eve’s men are coming off an impressive 6-1 victory over Montserrat which will be a morale booster for them as well.
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Eve: Soca Warriors confident ahead of Gold Cup qualifier vs French Guiana
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).
ANGUS Eve, coach of the T&T men’s football team, acknowledges that he is not totally aware of the capabilities of the French Guiana squad, as both teams square off in their 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup qualification second-round match on Tuesday, from 4.30 pm, at the DRV PNK Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.
French Guiana were due to face Cuba on Saturday in their first-round fixture. However, Cuba had to default the game since they were unable to leave Nicaragua for the US due to covid19 related travel and visa challenges.
French Guiana are not a member of FIFA as they are an overseas department of the French Republic. Ironically, their last competitive match was a 3-1 victory over St Kitts/Nevis, in the Concacaf Nations League, on November 17, 2019.
Eve, speaking at a pre-game media conference via Zoom on Monday, said, “They haven’t played a competitive game for a while. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t see them (on Saturday).”
The T&T coach continued, “The roster that they have, we could basically go back and see things that some of the players would have done in the past, but that’s basically it. We’re basically going relatively blind.
“They would have a better idea of what we do because they would have seen our game, so they have an advantage in that regard. We’re pretty confident in our game and what we’re capable of doing.
Two T&T defenders suffered injuries during Friday’s 6-1 trouncing of Montserrat, in a first-round tie. Left-back Tristan Hodge was replaced by Ross Russell Jnr at the half-time break due to a groin strain, while centre-back Aubrey David needed stitches after a cut to his face, from a high boot from defender Nathan Pond.
But Eve said, “We’re still treating with them and they’re pretty much day-to-day. If any changes had to be made, we’ll have to wait until the last moment to see.”
The winners of Tuesday’s qualifier will advance to Group A of the Gold Cup, alongside Mexico, El Salvador and Curacao.
“We have to treat each match as a virtual final,” said the T&T coach. “Each match is equally important. The mood in the camp is really good. The guys who came off the bench were fantastic. We have a squad of players who we trust so if somebody is injured, there is no problem for us to replace them with one of the other guys on the roster.”
Eve shifted Ryan Telfer to the left-wing position and recalled Marcus Joseph to play as the lone striker.
Telfer and Joseph, along with Kevin Molino, scored in the first half of Friday’s game while, in the second half, Reon Moore added a pair and Judah Garcia netted once.
On his team’s attacking prowess, Eve said, “We scored goals from different positions of the park. We don’t have the luxury of a Stern John, Kenwyne Jones or Dwight Yorke.
“We have to use the players that we have and get them to contribute. We got goals from five different players and five different positions.”
Telfer made his T&T debut in 2019 and has played under three coaches – Dennis Lawrence, Terry Fenwick and Eve.
“It’s different coaching styles,” said Telfer. “I played in a similar role with Dennis Lawrence, as a left-winger. With Fenwick, it was more of a centre-forward role. In terms of what (Eve) wants me to do, he wants me to be creative.”
The T&T team had their final training session at the Inter Miami training pitch on Monday morning.
Teams –
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Marvin Phillip, Nicklas Frenderup, Adrian Foncette (goalkeepers); Aubrey David, Jelani Peters, Curtis Gonzales, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Alvin Jones, Justin Garcia, Tristan Hodge, Ross Russell Jnr, Jesse Williams (defenders); Neveal Hackshaw, Hashim Arcia, Khaleem Hyland, Kevin Molino, Judah Garcia, Reon Moore, Andre Fortune II, Duane Muckette (midfielders); Ryan Telfer, Marcus Joseph, Isaiah Lee (strikers).
FRENCH GUIANA: Simon Lugier, Jean-Banuel Petit-Homme, Noha Pulcherie (goalkeepers); Dylan Adam, Ludovic Baal, Gregory Lescot, Gary Marigard, Marvin Torvic, Alain Moges, Teddy Adaoude, Inrick Baal (defenders); Rhudy Evens, Regis Leveille, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Kevin Rimane, Marc Edwige, Miguel Haabo, Jessy Marigard (midfielders); Arnold Abelinti, Sloan Privat, Alex Eric, Carino Atchaliso, Calvin Soga (strikers).