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Wired868.com will not be the only online treat for Trinidad and Tobago football fans over the next fortnight.
The 2012 Caribbean Cup will be streamed live online at www.caribbeanfootball.org. An agreement has also been reached between CMC Sport and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) which means a televised feed for the competition is also available. But it is uncertain whether Trinidad and Tobago will pay to beam the games.
(Courtesy TTFF Media)
A Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) insider told Wired868 that president Raymond Tim Kee has appealed to the Sport Ministry to pay for the broadcast on a local station but attempts to contact either party proved futile.
Trinidad and Tobago opens its Caribbean Cup campaign from 6 pm tomorrow against Haiti at the Antigua Recreation Ground while, in another Group A contest, host Antigua and Barbuda plays the Dominican Republic from 8 pm at the same venue.
The top two teams advance to semifinal stage and automatically qualify for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Joint head coach Hutson “Barber” Charles, a former national stand-out player, assured supporters that the “Soca Warriors” would do its utmost to make a flying start tomorrow.
“Everything is going well and everyone is in high spirits,” Charles told Wired868, via telephone. “We are going out there to get three points to start this campaign. All due respect to Haiti but with the talent we have here we feel we can get three points.”
Charles did not want to give too much away regarding the team’s strategy for tomorrow. However, almost certainly, 22-year-old Kevin Molino would be handed the role of playmaker while versatile defender Daneil Cyrus, speedy winger Lester Peltier and towering striker Jamal Gay are also expected to force their way into the starting teams.
(Courtesy CONCACAF.com)
The Warriors had an eventful training session in Antigua this evening as the squad refused to use the assigned training ground only to play a cat and mouse game with a grounds man at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
“(The tournament organisers) sent us by a ground that we didn’t want to risk playing on,” said Charles, “because it was real uneven with high grass and so on. So we decided to use the venue that we are playing on (tomorrow)…
“They were installing lights there and the guy said he wanted no one on the field although it was not in use.”
Charles’ fellow head coach, Jamaal Shabazz, proved that two heads are better than one by distracting the grounds man with a lengthy plea for consideration while the players trained.
“Jamaal talked to guy and kept him busy while we trained,” said Charles. “About 20 minutes into the session, the guy got into his pick-up van and just drove it on the field in the middle of the session and that was the end of everything. But by then we had already done what we had planned to do (in training).”
Trinidad and Tobago football fans would hope their squad is just as resourceful tomorrow when the competition kicks off tomorrow evening against Haiti.
Possible T&T starting team (4-1-4-1): 1.Jan-Michael Williams (captain); 17.Daneil Cyrus, 20.Seon Power, 5.Carlyle Mitchell, 2.Aubrey David; 18.Densill Theobald; 12.Lester Peltier, 10.Kevin Molino, 3.Joevin Jones, 7.Hughton Hector; 15.Jamal Gay.
Substitutes: 21.Marvin Phillip, 4.Curtis Gonzales, 6.Kareem Moses, 11.Kevon Carter, 16.Keyon Edwards, 8.Ataullah Guerra, 14.Willis Plaza, 9.Devorn Jorsling, Richard Roy.
Technical staff: Hutson Charles (co-head coach), Jamaal Shabazz (co-head coach), Derek King (assistant coach), Jefferson George (goalkeeper coach), William Wallace (manager), Dave Isaac (physiotherapist), Terence Babwah (doctor), Michael Williams (equipment manager), Shaun Fuentes (press officer).
2012 Caribbean Cup schedule
(Fri December 7)
Trinidad and Tobago v Haiti, 5 pm, Antigua Recreation Ground,
Antigua and Barbuda v Dominican Republic, 7 pm, Antigua Recreation Ground.
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
