Trinidad and Tobago’s senior training squad got second half goals from midfielder Keon Daniel and striker Devon Jorsling to come away 2-1 winners over Guyana in a training match at the Ato Boldon Stadium training pitch on Tuesday morning.
It would have been a pleasing sight from their head coach Jamaal Shabazz as new T&T interim head coach Francisco Maturana and assistant Anton Corneal looked on as T&T put on a tidy display led by midfield ace Densill Theobald. Also looking on were Maturana’s newly added staff members from Colombia, trainer Jorge Luis and brother Cesar Maturana, a former Panama National Team head coach. They will officially begin duty alongside Maturana (F) in Tobago on the weekend.
The game was used by both teams as preparation for upcoming encounters. Guyana are preparing for a World Cup qualifier in June while T&T faces Guadeloupe in a friendly at the Queen’s Park Oval on February 6.
The players who were in the squad for the 2-2 draw against Puerto Rico had a light work out under trainer Wayne Lawson earlier in the morning before Theobald and his men took the pitch. Neither team created much scoring opportunities in the first quarter of the match but T&T enjoyed more of the ball and had the visitors struggling to keep any kind of possession outside of their half. But Hercules, a past professional here got the goal against the run of play, collecting on the right edge of the box and maintaining composure before neatly hitting into the left corner past goalie Daurance Williams.
But T&T kept the pressure on and midway through the second half, Daniel stepped up to curl one over the wall into the right of the net from 20 yards out. And then Jorsling, who started up front with Richard Roy, was on spot to tap home a loose ball after the Guyanese goalie failed to hold onto a right side cross. Midfielder Marvin Oliver was among those in the starting team along with Dwayne Jack, Andrei Pacheco, Daniel, Jorsling, Roy, Theobald, Williams, Nigel Daniel, Terrence McAllister and Kendall Jagdeosingh.
Afterwards Corneal said he got what he expected from the Reserves.
“All in all it was what we were hoping for. This was a training game and nothing more than that but over the past few weeks what we have done is give chances to players who have worked for and wanted this chance for some time,”Corneal said.
“It was useful in a lot of ways and it helps the players at this time with all of them being out of season. Again it was a chance for players to be seen by the coaches and we are still to determine the final list of home-based players who will join the overseas pros for the February 6 game. We will continue preparations over this week before going into camp on the weekend,” Corneal said.
The team will camp in Tobago from Friday before flying back in next Wednesday morning for the friendly with Guadeloupe. Carlos Edwards, still recovering from a broken leg injury and Darryl Roberts of Sparta Rotterdam are the only two players based outside missing the February 6 match. The other seven pros - Clayton Ince, Stern John, Kenwyne Jones, Densill Theobald, Silvio Spann, Collin Samuel and Jason Scotland are scheduled in on Sunday.