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The Trinidad and Tobago National Football Team has announced a September 4 international friendly against Mexico in Salt Lake City, which is meant to help prepare the “Soca Warriors” for their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
(Copyright Alfredo Estrella/AFP 2015)
It will be the second time that the Warriors and “El Tricolor” clash this year as they will also meet in the 2015 Gold Cup on July 15.
Warriors head coach Stephen Hart welcomed news of the friendly clash.
“World Cup qualification demands complete planning and proper preparation,” Hart told the TTFA Media. “This is the quality of opposition we need to get into our campaign.”
At present, Mexico is ranked 23rd in the world by FIFA and second in CONCACAF while Trinidad and Tobago is 67th and sixth respectively.
El Tricolor boasts of some of the Confederation’s top players like Manchester United’s Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, PSV Eindhoven’s Andrés Guardado and Villarreal’s Giovani dos Santos, although Chicharito has just been ruled out of the Gold Cup due to a collar bone injury.
The Warriors, who are already without injured players Kevin Molino, Carlyle Mitchell, Hughtun Hector, Seon Power and Robert Primus, will hope to keep their remaining players healthy when they face Haiti from 5 pm tomorrow in a closed doors training match at the Central Broward Regional Complex in Fort Lauderdale.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Haiti is preparing for Gold Cup matches against Panama, the United States and Honduras while the Warriors face Guatemala, Cuba and Mexico in their group.
At present, Trinidad and Tobago has 22 players in camp as Iceland-based attacker Jonathan Glenn and winger Cordell Cato joined the squad today.
Winger Lester Peltier is expected to miss the Haiti warm-up match, though, due to a delay in acquiring the relevant travel documents. The Warriors staff expect him to arrive later this week.
Hart is trying to introduce his squad to a new 4-3-3 system and the Haiti friendly is their only chance to try it out in a game situation before the Gold Cup.
(Trinidad and Tobago Gold Cup team)
Goalkeepers: 21.Jan-Michael Williams (Central FC), 1.Marvin Phillip (Point Fortin Civic), 22.Adrian Foncette (Police FC);
(Copyright AFP 2014/ John Amis)
Defenders: 6.Radanfah Abu Bakr (HB Koge—Denmark), 18.Yohance Marshall (Juventud Independiente—El Salvador), 4.Sheldon Bateau (KV Mechelen, Belgium), 17.Mekeil Williams (W Connection), 5.Daneil Cyrus (W Connection), 2.Aubrey David (Shakhter Karagandy—Kazakhstan), 3.Joevin Jones (Chicago Fire—USA);
Midfielders: 14.Andre Boucaud (Dagenham & Redbridge—UK), 8.Khaleem Hyland (KVC Westerlo—Belgium), 15.Dwane James (North East Stars), 19.Kevan George (Columbus Crew—USA), 11.Ataulla Guerra (Central FC), 20.Keron Cummings (North East Stars);
Forwards: 9.Kenwyne Jones (Cardiff City—UK), 13.Cordell Cato (San Jose Earthquakes—USA), 23.Lester Peltier (Slovan Bratislava—Slovakia), 10.Willis Plaza (Central FC), 16.Rundell Winchester (Portland Timbers 2—USA), 7.Jonathan Glenn (IBV—Iceland), 12.Kadeem Corbin (St Ann’s Rangers).
(Copyright AFP 2014/ Juan Mabromata)
Gold Cup fixtures
(Thu July 9)
Trinidad and Tobago v Guatemala, Chicago;
(Sun July 12)
Trinidad and Tobago v Cuba, Phoenix;
(Wed July 15)
Trinidad and Tobago v Mexico, Charlotte.
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Pity this game wasnt announced sooner I would have adjusted the dates of my US trip to attend…sigh!
Not holding my breath.
Of course not does anyone think that they will ever give up the millions that they have been making over the years while exploiting the clubs, the players, and our sweet country eh, and the general secretary asked me why do I always say that corrupted TTFA. Them really good yes now is really the time for a football revolution in our sweet country yes.
the latest with that uncle Earl Mango Pierre is the executive aint want to sign off on the changes to the constitution. They aint want to lose power to clubs and such
hahahaha not me nah Darron Davis I am keeping from now on with plenty good vibes. We shall rise again. Them really good yes that corrupted TTFA by the way what is going on with the elections not really hearing anything about it like it has been swept under the carpet or what eh Gordon Pierre
Yea right I am sure the ttfa will mess this one up and we will end up playing a super league team. Not so Earl Mango Pierre?
hahaha uncle Earl Mango Pierre u safe right now i resting from bussing files!! lol waiting to see a candidate list!! but seriously i want real vibes from trini posse we need to lift our team call them to account but vibes it up!!
Utah has never been classed as a red neck state that i have ever heard. It is recognized as the home of the Mormons.
And why utah isn’t that a big red neck state what kind of support the teams will have way out there
hahahahaha did you not read where Gordon Pierre said that I need to be spreading good vibes eh, so from now on I will be doing so eh because I don’t want him to buss any files on me eh.
D boss you on two strikeouts already lol!
I’m pretty sure Hart has nothing to do with the selection of opponents.
Playing sports and beating books are two different things eh, not every player is into the books thing so with the right coaching by Hart and my Technical Director Kendall Walkes in whom I have alot of confidence in eh because of his accomplishments while playing the game and then coaching in the America eh I know that we shall definitely rise again it is all about the right timing.
Remember D Boss we no longer dominating like in the past if that was the case I totally agree with tougher opponents but it’s not the present situation
My son is not passing his basic grades so promote him to a higher class so he can do better
And if you can recall we also tied with Sweden another big team eh, and when my under 20 team played against my Americans we lost by only 1 goal I think so although the corrupted TTFA is always doing madness with regards to getting things done the right way our teams are not doing to bad in the tournaments the only thing now for us to get right is in the goalscoring department and I know eventually more prolific goalscorers will once more rise up again in our sweet country like they always do as you and I know my brother Kurtwyn Baird.
Again much respect but we hiding behind the fact we cannot play well against weak opposition so play higher quality teams so nobody expects us to win
From my experiences a not so good team as ours really needs to play against top class teams to eventually get better it isn’t about loosing right now and continuing playing against other Caribbean teams well of course except Jamaica will only keep us on a certain level man because when we use to play against other Caribbean teams and dominate them and then when we met the real professional big teams it was a set of licks as usual like when we played against England in the 2006 World Cup and then in our sweet country and also against Argentina so I agree with Coach Hart we really need to stop living in the stone ages and start to play against the big teams and we will definitely rise again like our neighbors Venezuela.Kurtwyn Baird.
I don’t want to be misunderstood I want the best for all Trini footballers male and female but we really not realistic at all with our methods of how we intend to change our path to be productive
They lost to Curacao and Jordan so i am not sure there are any guaranteed wins to get confidence higher..
Again I think as a coach you would want your players confidence high with playing well rather than playing Argentina and Brazil or Mexico and only chasing shadows
Kurtwyn Baird .Well all the Mexicans have to do is send another third string team the same like what they brought to our sweet country during the 2006 World Cup qualifications and Stern John scored a hat trick ent and when my Americans played my second bestest team in the universe Germany a friendly recently and won the game eh, my Germans bestest players didn’t play, so for the big teams the games will be for giving the new faces their chances to prove themselves that is all exhibition games should be all about. Them really good yes
Well, we can’t quarrel when we play Curacao and then quarrel when we get Mexico. Every game has its pros and cons. Remember we going straight into the CONCACAF semifinal round. So I think we need players to be ready for that jamming.
Lol I may be wrong about my method of coaching I may want these types of friendly games as a coach because it brings attention to players but I would avoid them until our team shows total domination to lower level opposition otherwise it could also continue our downward spiral if we cannot make a quality game of it
Maybe the next game will be behind closed doors the same ent a matter of fact the way the team is playing right now all the games should be behind closed doors yes because not even 1 goal can they score. Them really good yes.
Why they playing mex again aren’t they playing them in the gold cup ?
Gordon Pierre ah fine that yuh stop busing the files eh , and I heard that a certain local Coach got the call up to be the one to be replacing Terry at Central. F.C. and I am always saying that they will never hire a local coach ent. Them really good yes.
Oh Lawd I don’t deal with mediocrity eh Gordon Pierre and until they start to put a good product on the field of play eh, I will always be pounding the Soca Worries. Them really good yes.
Uncle Earl Mango Pierre i find u aint spreading good vibes about my national team eh!! Stop it bring good vibes
Hope we beat Haiti
Hope we beat Haiti
And I really hope we beat Guatemala…
Beat everyone if possible would be even better
And why they always playing games behind the iron curtain(Closed doors) steeuppss. What are they always trying to hide eh, and then only to find out they get ah set ah licks. Them really good yes.
A few good games here and there is better than nothing. As drowning men, we are obliged to clutch at straws.
Good stuff, hopefully we can play a full compliment(4) of friendlies in September and October. Hope to see more games announced soon.
That is what I am talking about I am hoping that they stay on course with respect to playing against other big teams like Argentina , Columbia, Equador, Brazil which is long over due, Venezuela our neighbors and even my second greatest team Germany, USA and a few African teams in preparation for the next World Cup 2018. Them really good yes.