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The Soca Warriors will start the CONCACAF Hex without ace midfielder Kevin Molino, who has incurred an additional two-match suspension for a breach of internal discipline.
Molino, an Orlando City player, was dropped from the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team for their Caribbean Cup qualifier against Martinique and, although the TTFA decided to leave his fate up to the technical staff, head coach Stephen Hart opted to suspend the player for an additional two matches.
(Copyright AFP 2016/Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
“I was told there was an Instagram apology but I also understand there was a [social media] post where he vowed to take a year off,” said Hart. “Molino sent an apology letter to management and I called him and commended him on it… But he will serve a two-game suspension and be able to fight for contention afterwards.”
The other omissions from the last squad named to face Guatemala and the United States in Russia 2018 World Cup qualifying were: versatile Colorado Rapids defender Mekeil Williams, Louisville City FC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh, Murcielagos FC forward Shahdon Winchester and W Connection playmaker Hughtun Hector.
Morvant Caledonia United goalkeeper Marvin Phillip returns to the squad after being left out of the Caribbean Cup qualifying tournament—in which the Warriors were eliminated by Martinique—and San Juan Jabloteh striker Willis Plaza was selected for the first time since his double in a 4-2 loss to China on 3 June 2016 in Qinhuangdao.
The surprise inclusions were 22-year-old W Connection defender Jelani Peters, who only picked up the game as a schoolboy at Tranquility Secondary but earned a reputation as tough, versatile customer at St Ann’s Rangers and then Connection.
And 25-year-old Central FC dynamo Marcus “Lobo” Joseph, who represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2007 and 2009 FIFA Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups but has yet to fulfil his promise at senior level.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Joseph’s phenomenal left-foot might be the most potent weapon in the local game. But his 11 senior caps—spread out over three years—yielded just one goal and he was once dropped by Hart for twice skipping physical sessions.
Hart also kept faith in team captain Kenwyne Jones, although he has not played any competitive football since he limped off the field with an injury against Martinique on 11 October. Jones, according to Hart, should represent Central FC in Pro League action from 6pm this evening against Police FC at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
And, yet again, France-based midfielder John Bostock is in despite the fact that FIFA has not yet authorised him to represent Trinidad and Tobago. Bostock is a former England National Under-17 captain and has been trying to switch allegiances to the “Red, White and Black” since March 2016.
Hart explained that the TTFA expects final word on Bostock’s availability on Tuesday 8 November.
(See Wired868 tonight for the full report on Hart’s press conference today and his message to the public ahead of their opening Hex fixtures at home to Costa Rica and away to Honduras on 11 and 15 November respectively).
Costa Rica have never lost to Trinidad and Tobago in a World Cup qualifier and they named a strong squad to travel to Port of Spain, which includes Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas and fellow 2014 World Cup heroes Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz.
(Copyright Daily Star)
Tickets are on sale at all Lotto Locations at TT$300 (covered section) and TT$160 (uncovered section). Prices increase tomorrow—from 5 November—until match day to TT$350 (covered) and TT$200 (uncovered).
Season Passes are available at all First Citizens Bank branches nationwide while fans can call the TTFA season pass hotline at 270-6868 for more information.
(Trinidad and Tobago team)
Goalkeepers: Jan-Michael Williams (Central FC), Marvin Phillip (Morvant Caledonia United), Adrian Foncette (Police);
Defenders: Aubrey David (FC Dallas—US), Daneil Cyrus (W Connection), Radanfah Abu Bakr (JK Silame Kalev—Estonia), Sheldon Bateau (KC Krylia Sovetov—Russia), Yohance Marshall (Murcielagos FC—Mexico), Jelani Peters (W Connection), Carlyle Mitchell (Seoul E Land—Korea Republic);
Midfielders: Andre Boucaud (Dagenham & Redbridge—England), Khaleem Hyland (KV Westerlo—Belgium), Neveal Hackshaw (Charleston Battery—USA), Kevan George (Jackson Armada FC—US), John Bostock (RC Lens—France);
Attacking Midfielders: Levi Garcia (AZ Alkmaar—Netherlands), Jomal Williams (Murcielagos FC—Mexico), Cordell Cato (San Jose Earthquakes—US), Joevin Jones (Seattle Sounders—US), Marcus Joseph (Central FC);
Forwards: Kenwyne Jones (Central FC), Trevin Caesar (Orange County Blues—US), Willis Plaza (San Juan Jabloteh).
(Copyright AFP 2016/Alva Viarruel)
(Costa Rica team)
Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Real Madrid), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense) Esteban Alvarado (Trabzonspor);
Defenders: Johnny Acosta (Herediano), Kendall Waston (Vancouver Whitecaps), Michael Umana (Alajuelense) Francisco Calvo (Saprissa), Cristian Gamboa (Celtic) Ronald Matarrita (New York City FC), Bryan Oviedo (Everton), Jose Salvatierra (Alajuelense) Pablo Salazar (Herediano);
Midfielders: Randall Azofeifa (Herediano), Celso Borges (Deportivo La Coruna), Yeltsin Tejeda (Lausanne), David Guzman (Saprissa), Bryan Ruiz (Sporting Lisbon), Cristian Bolanos (Vancouver Whitecaps), Johan Venegas (Montreal Impact), Rodney Wallace (Recife);
Forwards: Joel Campbell (Sporting Lisbon), Ariel Rodríguez (Bangkok Glass), Marco Uren (Brondby).
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Bostock nicee ah like him . Good going coach
coach hart moving in the right direction,to get the best out of the squad
Thats shit from Hart he needs to get fire ??????
OK not bad ,Mr William you need to take note with the one on you’re hands just saying l.o.l
Next call up i wanna see is Shackiel Smeck Henry
Well done to COACH HART – There can be only one person in charge, had he sacrificed his Professional Integrity on the altar of expediency, he would have eventually lost the dressing room. It was never going to be smooth sailing for him, whipping a bunch of talented but mostly in-disciplined players into a somewhat Professional Unit. The sort of in-discipline displayed has its roots in our cultural approach to everything, EXPECTING THE GREATEST REWARDS, without the necessary Hard work, Commitment and Discipline. Sadly however it will continue to be the Achilles heel of our local game, unless and until the TTFA makes a determined effort to eradicate it at every level and age group in our internal competitions. BEST OF LUCK TO OUR TEAM THE NATION IS BEHIND YOU.
Hmmmm…..
While the discipline is welcomed we have suffered going into Costa Rica the most balanced team in the hex. Also mentioned by coach Hart. Dotish non disciplined players will affect our World Cup chances regrettably.
There is another player that Coach Hart needs to really keep his eyes on J. Neptune a left wing back that likes to over lap and score goals and in this way Joevin Jones can finally be moved in the midfield/playmaker position, he represents Morvant Caledona 22 yrs old and the kid, eats, drinks, and ta ta football fuss he loves the game.
..More than that, he has to do something with it..
Ding ding ding
Marcus Lobo Joseph finally ⚽️⚽️⚽️ hope u get playing time ??
I could hear u saying beat him lobo in d stadium
Jomo I. u know he in charge of dismantling opponents
Roland Jemba Hamilton Sr. lmfao I just hope he get some playing time…wonder if he could beat keylor navas though
Jomo I. Johnson going and coming he can
We go see…my ticket done buy and I going early to avoid the crowd n get my proper seat
Jomo I. Johnson what date is d game
Next week Friday the 11th is d game in Trinidad then d 15th we playing in Honduras
I could see steve dropping KJ if he isnt fit enough …just common sense
I could live with that attitude Mr Hart! shake up the dressing a bit ??
Bostok in de mix niceeee
I really hope we come away with something against Costa rica…the team that dominates us most in Concacaf….their team is Strpng!
Thought that might have been the punishment. Well see you in the third Qualifier my brother. Just keep your self fit and inform. No worries man. Coach man just doing what the public expects of him.
Not THE PUBLIC THE CORRECT THING
Says an arsenal supporter. André Aleong lol
We must be responsible for our actions.
Lasana Liburd – nick de leon, sheanon Williams, Wright-Phillips….you know where I’m going with this ha
Hah. No word man. No word.
If Bostock gets cleared, Molino could be in trouble as we could end up using a deep lying playmaker shielded by Hyland and Boucaud. Molino could become Plan B if that starts to work out.
Oh Bostock might be tried in the number 10 role. Don’t rule that out. I suspect Marcus Joseph is the wild card. He has been playing alongside Kenwyne Jones for the last two months at club level. So don’t rule that out either.
Roneil will tell us more about Hart’s thinking in a more comprehensive report later.
There was an interview where Hart did say that Molino and Bostock can play the same no. 10 role. We all welcome the competition.
Bostocks deliveries will definitely benefit Kenwyne. I hope his clearance finally comes through.
????????????????????????
Jomo, Lobo is in and so is Marvin Phillip. You must be pleased. 🙂
Big up lobo same way and Marv…and I now buy my ticket inno…great stuff Aarön Andrews Vachel ‘tallo’ Thompson
Curious…has Kenwyne been playing in Central’s matches?
No. Not a minute since his last injury. He seems to have gotten special dispensation. But Roneil will give us more details on what the coach had to say later tonight.
And I suppose I will see Kenwyne play for Central tonight in the Pro League.
Looks like men were picked based on FORM…Plaza looked to be in good shape in recent games… hopefully Bostock can FINALLY make his debut and it’ll be interesting to see what our DEFENCE looks like vs the speedy Costa Ricans…it’s critical that we do NOT concede an early goal…this being the opening game for both teams it’s important we do not lose.
Hart should call for Mourinho to find out what Man U has been doing. And then do the opposite! Lol.
Lasana Liburd ur mouth dutty….and u is a manu fan eh???
Hahaha. Exactly!
He’s a long-time Jose-hater Don and recent ManU results haven’t helped…but I have faith in both SH & JM #SpecialHart ??
Lol. No argument there Brian!
Peace out Las ✌
Any word on why Mekeil Williams dropped ? Very odd unless he’s injured
We will probably hear more on that from Roneil tonight.
Mekeil isn’t injured.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the molino situation . More in this .. he’s been a starter for Hart
He gave a brief explanation. Should be in updated story
We need to stop a losing sequence and the coach promised changes after our loss in Martinique. So I’d expected to see some names left out.
Bostock again? He playing this time or he mamaguying we?
Lol. TTFA said they will know by Tuesday. Remember last time, even if he had come he would not have been able to play.
So the “theft” of his passport saved him a wasted trip.
I’ll believe it when I see it. Although I haven’t seen enough of him to determine whether he is worth all the headache. I’m eagerly optimistic to see him perform though
Once he doesn’t encourage teammates to party when they should be home resting for the game, he will be a step up. 🙂
He is a very religious guy who married his teenage sweetheart and has a young child. His only wrong move was going to Tottenham when everything was going well for him at Crystal Palace – he ended up at 20 competing for a spot against guys like Bale, Modric and Lennon…bad move from his agent. Not the kind of guy to party the night away. Check some of his moves of Youtube, the guy IS good, real good!
Point well taken lol
Lol
Go tnt
Finally may get to see Bostock.
I like it. But only if Bostock is really cleared to play
Yeah. We keep waiting and waiting and waiting…
Yuh sure Bostick get approval?
Hart explained that the TTFA expects final word on Bostock’s availability on Tuesday 8 November.
Steups
Imagine this going on since March … madness
Steups
tnt tnt tnt tnt
2 only he should of gotten 2years with his disrespectful self
Chillaxxx
Smh
Well finally I seeing some good sense prevailing. Plaza congrats.
How come Hudson get left out this squad? Call his dad now!!!
?
Lmaoo
Yes
Told y’all Jelani Peters will be in the squad by year’s end Lasana Roneil
Hey Wired868 has an eye on Jelani since he was at Rangers! Nice player. I wish him well.
http://wired868.com/2014/04/28/one-on-one-with-jelani-peters/
Marcus Joseph is in form. Man looking sharp.
Well, I’m looking forward to see Lobo and Kenwyne combine later. Because that could happen at some point against Costa Rica.
Kenwyne back later for Central then ?
He’s supposed to. If he doesn’t play, Hart will be using a man who hasn’t played a game in a month and was fit for less than a third of that time in two tough World Cup qualifiers!
Even with one game under his belt, it is a huge risk. Has to be that Hart is desperately short of leadership, firepower on top or both!
Guess he has to do what he has to do yes.
Lobo and Plaza will be there to give cover if necessary
It’s a gamble. If you saw Lobo or Plaza in the starting team, nobody here would say: “Yeah, that should work.” Except Jomo I. Johnson of course. Lol.
Lol. Or maybe yours truly
I do like Plaza though. But it must be a huge step up to go from Police FC to Costa Rica. No disrespect to the Lawmen. 🙂
hahahaa can’t deny that
It seems dat DJW is just a pawn in all of dis….if he claims to be in good standing wit FIFA’s boss, why is the TTFF being treated unfavourably in dis Bostock situation??? Clearly DJW has no ‘weight’ as it appears
..Say what you want about his business dealings, Jack would have sorted that out in a half day..
I think less than that ???
Well done my Foreign Base Trini Coach Hart , ah tired keep on warning them but they are not listening to me eh, when we met for the first time in N.J at the Gold Cup eh, his brother Cooper called me and said Mango what is wrong with your Coach eh, we went to the Hotel to hang out with the fellas and we wasn’t allowed to do so because it was about 11 pm, well I started to laugh and told him that my Coach Hart is a real professional Coach eh not because he is a “Trini” he will allow the set ah madness that alyuh players use to get away with in the past eh, so time to get it right Them really good yes.
Mango like you are back in tnt
Sweet TNT eh LOL
..We will await developments re: Bostock. Again. Remembering he is not a panacea for our ills..
He would probably replace Molino if he gets in. That helps. But we are starting from zero again and are not in great form. So we have to fight.
He’d provide us with a good presence in the middle. Seems to have good passing range, decent workrate, and long range shot.
#Bostock ⚽
Watch the FA stall on clearing Bostock again.
Good.