Scotland in for injured Jones.
Saturday's game shift to Marvin Lee.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).

Trinidad and Tobago head coach Francisco Maturana has called up Swansea City striker Jason Scotland as a replacement for the injured Kenwyne Jones for Saturday’s friendly international against Jamaica.
Maturana made the call on Tuesday and the former Defence Force hitman will join the team for training on Wednesday. Also announced on Tuesday was the decision to shift the game from the Queen’s Park Oval to the Marvin Lee Stadium (MLS), Macoya.
This came about after the T&T coaching staff felt it would be inappropriate to play Saturday’s game on the hard Oval Surface which has four turfs and the markings for the football field are now east to west which means that a large portion of the middle of the playing area is a hard surface with little or no grass.
Mobile stands which will accommodate up to 4,000 fans will be added to the Macoya venue for Saturday’s encounter.
The T&T team resumed training on Tuesday at the Ato Boldon Stadium with a recovery session but missing was Southampton striker Stern John who came off in the second half against England with an injury and is doubtful for Saturday’s match. Also scheduled to leave this Saturday is young striker Jamal Gay who is heading to Sweden to sign an offered deal at a club which be revealed upon his signing.
Sunderland’s Kenwyne Jones will fly back to his club on Saturday for further observation.
“How long he would be out will be determined by what the doctors at Sunderland say,” team doctor Terence Babwah added. “They (the doctors) will either do rehabilitation or go inside his knee.
“Everything is totally dependent on the surgeons who will be seeing him.”

Hyland: Great experience versus England

Teenaged midfielder Khaleem Hyland said that in spite of Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to England, he and his National Teammates have come away with a lifelong experience that will definitely serve them in good stead for the future.
The former Clico San Juan Jabloteh player started and turned in a decent enough showing against the Three Lions so much so that the visitors’ head coach Fabio Capello enquired from Francisco Maturana at the end … “Who’s your number 8?”
“Well I think it was like a dream come true to play England. I never expected I would have the chance to play against them especially at home in Trinidad,” Hyland told TTFF Media.
“I think we as young players have gained a lot of things from this game and despite the fact that we lost 3-0 I cannot say that we were all just disappointed. Yes, we were a bit down after the game because we would have liked to keep it tighter but all in all I think it was a marvelous experience for players like myself. I was a bit nervous at the start coming out on to the pitch with the atmosphere and everything but once I was out there, I just blocked everything out and played my game and I think I did okay. This is just the start of what we want for the rest of the campaign,” Hyland added.
Half time substitute Osei Telesford, who is turning out to be a convenient utility player these days for Maturana, also echoed similar feelings on the match.
“I know a lot of people were disappointed with the result and some felt that we didn’t fight enough but overall I think this was a victory for us in more than one way. We have a World Cup campaign to play and this was a great warm up against top class opposition for us. To be lining up against the likes of Steven Gerrard and David Beckham is a wonderful experience. Not a lot of people get to do that, especially in a warm up for World Cup qualifiers. We have to consider ourselves very fortunate and I definitely took everything from it.
“I think looking ahead to the next two games we could expect a performance from the team that shows that we have to bounce back and we will bounce back. We have gained a lot and with more time I think we will be getting the right results,” Telesford added.

T&T lose 3-0 to England.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).

Warriors Whipped.

Trinidad and Tobago never lived up to the hype of settling a score with England, yesterday, and were comfortably beaten (3-0) in the first game between the teams since England won at the World Cup two years ago.
Midfielder Gareth Barry opened the scoring after just 12 minutes and Portsmouth striker Jermain Defoe got goals in either half for England, who were rarely tested by a nervous, young Soca Warriors squad. But there were positives which Colombian coach Francisco Maturana could draw upon. First was the composure with which experienced players such as Stern John, Dennis Lawrence, Carlos Edwards and Aurtis Whitley and even relative newcomer Khaleem Hyland played against the English stars.
But defensively, the Soca Warriors looked a nervous bunch. Kern Cupid, the right back, had a tough first game at this level, but was not helped much by Edwards. And on the opposite flank, the known defensive frailties of Keon Daniel were evident as he allowed David Beckham loads of space to swing in crosses. The Soca Warriors' first test came from an early Beckham cross which was well swept away by Cupid. Beckham also had an early chance to test keeper Clayton Ince with his trademark free-kick outside the box, but the wall did its job.
T&T suffered a major blow in just the seventh minute, losing Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones to injury after he was uprooted by keeper David James after running past last defender Rio Ferdinand. And it got even worse when Cupid fell asleep, allowing Stewart Downing to get behind him and cross for Barry to head in from six yards. Another defensive breakdown gifted Defoe his first goal. He collected at the top of the box and slid the ball inside the far post, making it 2-0 in the 12th minute.
There were bits and pieces for T&T in the first half. The Soca Warriors came closest to goal when the ball fell to Edwards in the 27th, but he could not get it away. Midfielder Khaleem Hyland produced a spanner, but he was felled and earned a free-kick. And after several defensive lapses up the left, Daniel finally proved his worth when driving up the flank, and eventually setting up Darryl Roberts for a shot which went straight to David James.
The Soca Warriors played a much better second half, but another lapse in defence saw them conceding a second Defoe goal just three minutes into the second period of play. Like Barry earlier, Defoe had an easy knock-in after substitute Peter Crouch out-jumped the T&T defence and headed the ball towards him.
T&T had a couple half-chances. Khaleem Hyland had substitute keeper Joe Hart at full stretch with a 30-metre shot, after being set up by some fancy footwork from captain Whitley. And later, Whitley should have done better than scoop his shot over the goal after a good set-up from Edwards.

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Yorke joins T&T team for Sunday's friendly.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
     
Former Trinidad and Tobago captain Dwight Yorke met up with the rest of the Trinidad and Tobago team on Saturday morning and is expected to take part in the Training session at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on the eve of Sunday’s match against England.
Meantime Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones seems set to play a leading attacking role for Trinidad and Tobago in Sunday’s friendly international against England at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
The Sunderland “Player of the Season” was doubtful up to last week after suffering a wrist injury against Arsenal in his club’s final Premiership game of the season but he has looked untroubled in training all week for the “Soca Warriors” and has been included in the final 18-man squad by Francisco Maturana.
 Jones, who has Southampton striker Stern John as an experienced partner up front, is relishing the chance to pull off a win against England in his hometown.
“I think we are going to see a very good game and I know all of Trinidad wants us to beat England this time around because we were seven minutes away from getting a point when we met them in Nuremberg in 2006,” Jones said.
I’m feeling good at the moment and we’ve come through a good week of preparation for the match. England are coming off a win against the United States but I think on Sunday it’s going to be a different ball game. Both teams I think will give a good showing and it should be a treat for the fans,” Jones added.
 Roberts, formerly of Dutch team Sparta Rotterdam, said he feels honoured to be in a squad that will face the country which won a World Cup in 1966.
 “I know it’s going to be a very difficult game but I am ready and all the boys are ready to show that we can compete hard and fair. Any game against a team like England is always going to be a big one and hopefully it will be a great one for the players and the fans. I would love to test myself against them because against a team like England you can really see where you are in terms of a level of readiness for football at a high level,’ Roberts added.

Maturana names his 18 for England clash
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).
   
On the same day that the opponents England arrived in the country, Trinidad and Tobago head coach Francisco Maturana announced his final 18-man squad for Sunday’s friendly international. Maturana conducted a training session at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Thursday morning and then announced the squad which includes the likes of Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones, Carlos Edwards, Dennis Lawrence, Stern John, Clayton Ince, Osei Telesford and Darryl Roberts.
Some of the younger faces getting into Maturana’s 18 include defenders Makan Hislop and Kern Cupid, Ancil Farrier, Khaleem Hyland, Kareem Smith and midfielder Ataullah Guerra.
Maturana, in a brief comment on his squad, said he came to the decision after five days of intense preparation.
“This is the squad we will go into Sunday’s match with,” Maturana told TTFF Media.
“It’s a squad that we have assessed and looked very carefully at in our preparation to play against England and we will work towards making it happen good on Sunday. I know England are confident because they defeated America on Wednesday but we will not let that affect us. We will play at home and we will hopefully play with the heart and the determination to do well on Sunday.”
Roberts, formerly of Sparta Rotterdam, said he feels honoured to be in a squad that will face the country which won a World Cup in 1966.
“I know it’s going to be a very difficult game but I am ready and all the boys are ready to show that we can compete hard and fair. Any game against a team like England is always going to be a big one and hopefully it will be a great one for the players and the fans. I would love to test myself against them because against a team like England you can really see where you are in terms of a level of readiness for football at a high level,’ Roberts added.
The T&T team will train on Friday evening at the Larry Gomes Stadium and then at the match venue in a closed session on Saturday. The team is now in camp at the Holiday Inn Hotel. FIFA Vice President Jack Warner, who met the England team just as they came off their private jet, says he’s hoping for a fantastic affair on Sunday. Before that the England team will train on Friday morning at the Hasely Crawford Stadium and then some members will conduct a coaching clinic for 80 kids at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Centre of Excellence from 6pm.
“I think that the fact that they are here in the flesh now means that we have a great game to look forward to and I want to wish the entire country an enjoyable time on Sunday. Even for those who don’t have a ticket, I want to tell them, don’t do the illegal stuff, don’t give the scalpers good business and look out for the counterfeit tickets. But for those who were not lucky to get the ticket we have ensured that you can see all the action on national television (NCC Channel four),” Warner said.
“The coach Fabio looks to be in good spirits and he has promised us a very good game on Sunday and so have our coach has also promised a competitive showing from his boys. I think we will be in for a grand show,” Warner said.

T&T Squad:

Goalkeepers:
Clayton Ince (Walsall), Marvin Phillip (W Connection).

Defenders:
Kern Cupid (W Connection), Makan Hislop (United Petrotrin), Ancil Farrier (University Of Southern Connecticut), Dennis Lawrence (Swansea City), Kareem Smith (United Petrotrin), Osei Telesford (Puerto Rico Islanders), Akeem Adams (W Connection).

Midfielders:
Aurtis Whitley (W Connection), Ataullah Guerra (San Juan Jabloteh), Hayden Tinto (Caledonia AIA), Khaleem Hyland (Un-Attached), Carlos Edwards (Sunderland), Keon Daniel (United Petrotrin).

Forwards:
Kenwyne Jones (Sunderland), Stern John (Southampton), Darryl Roberts (Un-Attached).

Edwards keeps Keane eye on England meeting.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF). 

Sunderland midfielder Carlos Edwards is expecting England to go all out when they meet Trinidad and Tobago in Sunday’s friendly international at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Sunday. Edwards, a former Wrexham and Luton Town player, ended the Premiership season injury free with the “Black Cats” after appearing in just twelve matches because of injury.
But he’s recovered sufficiently from a broken leg and is ready to try and push the “Soca Warriors” to a favourable result against Fabio Capello’s men. And guess what. It appears he may have promised Sunderland boss Roy Keane a bit of a favour aside from staying injury free.
 "I think he would be pleased if we could pull of a result against England. He's coaching there now and of course he's played so many years for (Manchester) United but we've got to remember he's Irish and they always want England to lose. So in a way yes.. I think he would love for us to get one on the English on Sunday," Edwards said.
“It will be nice to face these guys on home soil. I have been playing in England for around eight or nine years so having them here to play against us is going to be massive. I will have no choice but to up my game a notch and hopefully we can get a positive result.
I know England definitely will be coming here to put on a good show because those guys are playing for a pick for their World Cup qualifiers,” Edwards told TTFF Media after a workout along with Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones and the rest of the Trinidad and Tobago squad on Monday.
“This game has a lot of interest in it. It’s not just for the team but for the country on a whole. We had a successful campaign at the Word cup. Even though we didn’t win a game but I felt we did pretty well.
Just judging by the response for the ticket sales for this game, being sold out in two days… shows that there is a lot of interest in the game.. We have just to make sure and give a good account on the evening,” he added. Having had to look on from the sidelines due to injury for the majority of the Premiership season, Edwards feels he is now mentally stronger.
“I think when you go through such a lengthy lay off it can be frustrating but it’s made me mentally stronger and I will not allow it to affect my game in a negative way. If you decide that you are not going into a tackle or an attacking play with a one hundred percent approach then right away you’ve lost half the battle. And thankfully I haven’t gotten to that stage… I will  still go all out when I’m involved in a play.”

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