Warriors send SOS for Marcano and Leon

The Trinidad and Tobago national football team has been granted special permission from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU)  to add St Ann’s Rangers attacker Jason Marcano and DIRECTV W Connection midfielder Clyde Leon to its squad as the “Soca Warriors” chase their first Caribbean Cup title since 2001.

Marcano and Leon will replace injured players Hughtun Hector and Lester Peltier, who will take no further part in the competition.

Trinidad and Tobago plays Group B winner, Martinique, in the second semifinal match on Friday evening in Antigua.

Leon, who has 46 international caps and is a popular team member, could help shore up a midfield that appeared to be lacking muscle during the group stage. The versatile midfielder, who turned 28 last week, anchored the Warriors for the preliminary rounds in St Kitts and Nevis and played in two of the three semi-final round fixtures in Tobago.

Marcano, who is also 28, made nine prior international outings but has never played in a competitive fixture for Trinidad and Tobago. He is employed as a central midfielder at Rangers but Shabazz suggested that the Warriors are more likely to use him on the flank where he played with former Pro League team San Juan Jabloteh.

“He won’t be guaranteed a starting position but we feel he can boost our wide options,” Shabazz told Wired868. “He is clever and fit and can work box-to-box and play inside too. At Jabloteh, under (Terry) Fenwick, he showed a perfect understanding of how to be a winger in attack and a midfielder in defence. We like his workrate and we will give him a chance to do that for us.”

The Warriors have already qualified for their first CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament since 2007 after finishing Group A with four points following yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic and a goalless draw against Haiti last Friday.

(T&T’s Caribbean Cup 2012 team)

TT: 1.Jan-Michael Williams (capt), 21.Marvin Phillip; 17.Daneil Cyrus, 4.Curtis Gonzales, 6.Kareem Moses, 20.Seon Power, 5.Carlyle Mitchell, 2.Aubrey David; 11.Kevon Carter, 10.Kevin Molino, 18.Densill Theobald, 16.Keyon Edwards, 3.Joevin Jones, 8.Ataullah Guerra; 9.Devorn Jorsling, 13.Richard Roy, 14.Willis Plaza, 15.Jamal Gay.

Unavailable: 7.Hughtun Hector, 12.Lester Peltier.

Replacements: Clyde Leon, Jason Marcano.

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