MEN’S FOOTBALL national coach Terry Fenwick will today name his squad for next Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Guyana after which the local contingent will head to the Home of Football (HoF) for a short quarantine.
Players in Trinidad and Tobago will depart tomorrow for the Dominican Republic match venue and will be joined there by the overseas-based contingent.
T&T open qualifying for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, next Thursday, against Guyana, kicking off from 7 p.m. at Estadio Panamericano in the capital Santo Domingo of the Dominican Republic, before flying to Puerto Rico for a similar qualifier against Bahamas three days later, also with a 7 p.m. kick-off, at the Estadio Centroamericano in Mayaguez.
On Monday, the team played its final local warm-up. Soldier Brent Sam scored the lone goal as the Soca Warriors scored a 1-0 win over Pro League champions Defence Force at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, having also defeated Police FC 4-1 last Friday.
In that match, the aforementioned Sam, USA-based midfielder Duane Muckette and industrious San Juan Jabloteh striker Sean Bonval --Who netted a barce -- account for the goals. Meanwhile, Raheim Jawahir scored for the lawmen.
One of the players hoping to make Fenwick’s final squad is Justin Sadoo, the 23-year-old former Naparima College and Point Fortin Civic midfielder. Sadoo was among the shining lights for the resurgent Civic Centre -- finishing third when local Pro League football was last played in March 2020. And he is confident the T&T team has what it takes to beat both Guyana and Bahamas.
“I think we just have to follow what the coach says, and keep the togetherness, and I think we will pull through,” Sadoo said. “Victory first and foremost, and a good performance. I think if we take what the coach has told us onto the field, that will get us the victory.”
Sadoo believes it was beneficial to have trained alongside several players who play their trade abroad, among them Kevin Molino, Joevin Jones, Alvin Jones, Duane Muckette, Neveal Hackshaw, along with others with previous overseas experience.
He is also particularly pleased by the togetherness exhibited among players in the squad. “It’s been amazing. It’s been an honour just to share the field with some of these players,” Sadoo intimated, adding, “This is the longest spell I have had with the national team. I know things have not been the best, but for me, it is always an honour and always a privilege to play.”
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Fenwick to name Trinidad and Tobago squad Wednesday
By Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).
T&T men’s football team coach Terry Fenwick is expected to announce his squad on Wednesday for a pair of 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Zone qualifiers, against Guyana (March 25 in the Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico (March 28 in Puerto Rico).
Fenwick said on Tuesday, during a telephone interview, “In my mind, I’ve been settled for a long while on the players that I want to introduce and bring in. Some of them, unfortunately, would not be available for these two games coming up.
“We’ve got one or two (with) injuries that we’re accessing,” he added. “I’ll be naming my squad (on Wednesday) morning.”
Concerning the team’s expected departure from T&T, the T&T coach said, “Everything is in the hands of the (FIFA-appointed) normalisation committee. I’m hoping we’re going to fly on Thursday.”
The T&T team defeated Defence Force 1-0 in a warm-up game at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Monday.
According to the T&T coach, “I thought we played some really good and exciting football. We should have scored more goals. Defensively we looked relatively solid. We tried two different formations with the different players that we had available for the game.”
Asked if the players are buying into his tactics, Fenwick replied, “The guys have recognised (that) whatever team I’ve managed in (T&T) that I’ve always won a title.”
Concerning the mood in the camp, Fenwick said, “We’ve kept them very buoyant. Apart from the US game (where T&T lost 7-0 on January 31), we’ve won every game that we’ve played. They’ve seen the benefits of how we’ve played over 95 minutes where we’ve changed the style of play, what we’re trying to achieve with and without the ball.
“It’s a very young squad. My intentions are that the locally-based (players) will continue to get younger as we progress. I’ve got a handful of senior players around which I would consider as good role models, players that the youngsters can look up to. That is trying to shortcut to the success that we need.”
In a message to the T&T public, Fenwick said, “Get behind your country, get behind the kids that have come from your communities. This is a chance to give them your support, show them a level of trust and let’s do this together.”