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DIRECTV W Connection and Trinidad and Tobago starlet Joevin Jones will have to wait a bit longer for the chance to ply his trade abroad; and it will probably not be in the Serie A.
Wired868 understands that Jones failed to impress during a trial with Italy top flight club, Udinese, and was sent home early. The talented 22-year-old utility player is expected to land in Piarco tomorrow night.
(Courtesy Wired868)
Jones’ trial was supposed to run for 12 days. Instead, it was cut short in under a week after the “Soca Warrior” played in a reserve team match for Udinese on Thursday.
A source, who kept in touch with Jones during his stint abroad, told Wired868 that Udinese felt the player did not yet have the dynamism expected for a club of that level.
Trinidad and Tobago players have walked straight out of the Pro League and into top flight teams in Scotland, Kazakhstan, Belgium and Hungary. But the gap between Connection and a respected Serie A club that once had the likes of Brazilian legend Zico and, more recently, Chilean star Alexis Sanchez on its books was apparently too wide to cross in barely a week’s time.
Twelve years ago, another Serie A team, Perugia, signed Connection midfielder Silvio Spann but Spann never played in the top flight and spent much of his time on loan in Serie C.
The Chilean star has since swapped Udinese for Barcelona. But Joevin Jones will not take his place.
(Courtesy FIFA.com)
Jones’ return adds to a miserable spell for Connection in the transfer market as teammates Daneil Cyrus, Jamal Clarence and Jerrel Britto all left Vietnam last week without securing deals after trials with Hanoi T&T and Song Lam Nghe.
It is unlikely any of that quartet will feature in Connection’s upcoming TTFA FA Trophy final from 7.30 pm on Wednesday December 18 against Central FC at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
Connection won the FA Trophy three times before but its last success was over a decade ago in 2002 and the “Savonetta Boys” lost in three FA Trophy finals since then against North East Stars (2003), Caledonia AIA (2008) and Joe Public (2009) respectively.
Still, Connection starts as favourites against a Central outfit that is in its second successive FA Trophy final but enduring a modest run of form. Caledonia defeated Central 2-0 in the 2012/13 edition of Trinidad and Tobago’s oldest knock-out tournament.
(Courtesy Allan V. Crane/Wired868)
Connection owner David John Williams could not be reached for comment on Jones’ imminent return and what the club’s recent transfer setbacks might mean for its business in the upcoming transfer window.
Connection is certain to add at least one fresh face to its ranks when the local transfer window swings open on December 23. Twenty-one year old attacker Shahdon Winchester has already returned from a loan stint with Finland Premier League team, FF Jaro, and spent the last month training with the Couva-based outfit.
Connection has already agreed to send Winchester back to Jaro for another loan stint early next season.
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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.
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