Part of the Trinidad and Tobago senior team will jet off to Ft Lauderdale on Monday morning to commence a one-week training camp at the Hilton Hotel ahead of the opening CONCACAF Gold Cup encounter against Honduras on July 6 at the Orange Bowl in Miami
Head coach Leo Beenhakker and manager Bruce Aanensen will spearhead the staff along with the rest of the contingent of players including Angus Eve, Cyd Gray, Atiba Charles, Aurtis Whitley, Glenton Wolfe, Anton Pierre, Daurance Williams, Densill Theobald, Jason Scotland, Collin Samuel, and Kenwyne Jones.
The other players, coming out of the United Kingdom and within the US, will meet up with the local traveling contingent in Ft Lauderdale later on Monday with Carlos Edwards being the only player coming in a day later as he has to fulfill some early commitments with new club Luton Town.
Beenhakker will also welcome Glasgow Rangers defender Marvin Andrews whose presence for the Gold Cup has been debated in the Scottish Press. But Beenhakker has come out on top, insisting too that there is no rift between T&T and Rangers over Andrews playing for the “Warriors” in the Gold Cup.
“There is no situation with Marvin Andrews,” a Beenhakker said. “I don’t understand all the fuss over there (in Scotland). I had two very good conversations with Alex McLeish, the last one a few days ago, and everything is arranged. We talked about it and there is no problem at all. He knows it’s an official tournament, a FIFA competition. Of course he will complain about the rules like everybody does, but we just talked about the situation and there’s no problem at all.”
Beenhakker added in a Sunday Herald report: “I have a good connection with Glasgow Rangers and we know exactly what we have to do with him and how we have to take care of him. I will do that, no problem at all. After the Mexico game the ones who play in Europe had a summer holiday. I have experience of 40 years so I’m not stupid. I know I have to work in two groups on Monday – the guys still in competition and the ones who had a rest.”
The Dutch-born coach intends to make full use of the training camp, carding a first session for Monday evening at the training pitch within the Hilton compound, the same venue T&T used for preparations ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Guatemala earlier this year.
“It’s a good chance for us to continue working as a team and getting things right before the games. We have a squad of players available to us now and it will definitely help us to tighten up in various areas as a team,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media.
T&T Squad:
Goalkeepers: Shaka Hislop (unattached), Kelvin Jack (Dundee FC), Daurance Williams (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh)
Defenders – Marvin Andrews (Glasgow Rangers), Brent Sancho (Unattached), Cyd Gray (Jabloteh), Atiba Charles (Vibe CT 105 W Connection), Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Anton Pierre (Defence Force), Avery John (New England Revolution)
Midfielders – Silvio Spann (Yokohama FC), Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Glenton Wolfe (National Quarries North East Stars), Carlos Edwards (Luton Town), Densill Theobald (Caledonia Fire), Aurtis Whitley (Jabloteh), Angus Eve (Jabloteh), Brent Rahim (unattached)
Forwards – Collin Samuel (Dundee Utd), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton), Jason Scotland (Dundee Utd), Cornell Glenn (Columbus Crew) and Stern John (Coventry City).