USA-born Randy Waldrum is expected to return to T&T soon for a third stint as head coach of the Women’s Soca Warriors as they look ahead to the Caribbean Football Union opening round of the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers for Rio de Janeiro, next year.
The top two finishers in the tournament will qualify for the 2016 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament that will run from August 3-20 in six Brazilian cities including the host city of Rio de Janeiro.
Speaking at a T&T Football Association media conference called to relaunch the “Soca Warriors” and give updates on a number of activities planned, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, VIP Lounge on Friday, T&TFA president Raymond Tim Kee confirmed that Waldrum will be back in charge of the team.
The current coach of US National Women’s Soccer League Houston Dynamo, Waldrum was last in charge of the T&T women’s team for this year’s Canada World Cup qualifiers, in which T&T fell at the last hurdle, losing 1-0 at home to Ecuador in their playoff tie, after a 0-0 away deadlock. He was expected to be at the helm of the T&T women’s team for the recently concluded Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada as well but he failed to come to a suitable agreement with the T&TFA due to his commitments with his US women’s club.
However, with the NWSL season coming to a close within the few two weeks, and his team still five points out of a playoff spot, the 53-year-old American has committed himself to serving as coach for the Maylee Attin-Johnson-captained Women Soca Warriors once more.
A few months ago, Tim Kee, when questioned about Waldrum not being re-appointed as coach of the Women’s Soca Warriors team, had explained that the team had two major tournaments around the corner and the T&TFA did not had the luxury of time to wait on him.
Following a few weeks of searching and training under Under-20 women’s coach Jason Spence, former national goalkeeper and Defence Force coach Ross Russell were appointed on an interim basis to coach of the women’s team for the Pan American Games in Canada, where the T&T women drew 2-2 with Argentina and 1-1 with Colombia, before losing to Mexico 3-1 in their final round-robin group match and failing to make the semifinal playoffs.
On returning home, Russell was hired as coach of reigning Digicel T&T Pro League and Caribbean Football Union Club champions, Central FC, which again left the national women’s team without a coach, until Waldrum was again appointed, and according to Tim Kee, when both men last spoke over a week ago, the American was ready to come on board as soon as possible.
In explaining the return of Waldrum as team coach, Tim Kee noted that contrary to what some may say, the women’s arm of T&T football has been very active. “Russell was filling a void left by Randy Waldrum who had to be excused because of his commitments for a tournament in the USA.
“He had to ask for a sort of sabbatical for the last few months to attend to some of that business and as case would have it Ross Russell has been appointed as a coach for of our clubs teams locally, therefore that void that was created will now be refilled by Randy Waldrum”, stated Tim Kee. “He is expected to be in a few days to commence training and clinics for our senior women’s team as they prepare for Olympic qualification.”