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The Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team will continue their World Cup qualifying preparations later this month with an international friendly away to Grenada on 29 April in St George’s.
The fixture is the only confirmed outing for the Soca Warriors before vital qualifiers away to the United States and Costa Rica on 8 and 11 June respectively.
Mexico won 1-0.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Warriors head coach Dennis Lawrence told the TTFA Media that he will use the Grenada outing to assess players on the fringe of his first team and to maintain the fitness levels of his home-based players. The game is outside the FIFA match window and clubs are not obliged to release players to take part.
“This international game will be useful in terms of it being part of the preparations for our squad ahead of the next set of World Cup qualifiers in June,” said Lawrence. “It’s a good opportunity for myself and the coaching staff to have a further look at the players who are on the fringe of World Cup team selection, also including those who were involved in the past two qualifying matches.”
Trinidad and Tobago are ranked 83rd in the world by FIFA at present while Grenada are 158th—four places lower than Barbados. The two nations met in friendly action last year when the Warriors, with a totally home-based squad, drew 2-2.
Trinidad and Tobago downed Barbados 2-0 at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 10 March 2017 and Lawrence might suggest that the tussle with lowly opposition did his players little harm, as they went on to edge Panama 1-0 in World Cup qualifying action on 24 March before a 1-0 loss to Mexico on 28 March.
Striker Jamille Boatswain earned his place in the World Cup squad with a double against Barbados while it offered the first chance for a new central defensive pairing of Curtis Gonzales and Daneil Cyrus, who were retained for both qualifiers.
(Copyright AFP 2017/Alfredo Estrella)
“It will be a good opportunity for us to have the players together again, particularly for those who are in off-season,” said Lawrence, “as it gives us a chance to continue implementing some of the things that we started a few weeks ago in the lead-up to the last set of games against Barbados, Panama and Mexico.”
At present, defending Pro League champions Central FC and San Juan Jabloteh are preparing for next month’s Caribbean Club Championships. However, most local teams are only just starting pre-season.
Twelve players in the Trinidad and Tobago squad for the last two World Cup qualifiers were attached to Pro League clubs earlier this year.
They are goalkeepers Jan-Michael Williams (Central FC), Marvin Phillip (Morvant Caledonia United) and Glenroy Samuel (Ma Pau Stars), defenders Carlos Edwards (Ma Pau Stars), Gonzales (Defence Force), Tristan Hodge and Cyrus (both W Connection), midfielders Hughtun Hector (W Connection), Hashim Arcia (Defence Force), Leston Paul (Central FC) and Nathan Lewis (San Juan Jabloteh) and forward Boatswain (Defence Force).
Most Pro League players automatically become free agents at the end of each season and can choose which club they want to represent for the new term.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
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Allyuh making a HUGE ASUMPTION that the TTFA even wants to qualify for Russia 2018
Nearly their every action since this new administration has come on board has demonstrated just the opposite.
We warmed up for Panama and Mexico against Barbados in T&T
A warm up match against Grenada in Grenada for WCQ’s away against USA and Mexico is consistent.
Is either the TTFA inept even beyond our understanding
OR
Something more sinister at play
The fact that I hoping for the former is an indication of where our football is at the moment.
BOOM.
There are days when I think of that huge pile of horse manure that leads our ttfa and unkind thoughts continuously inhabit my weary skull ……
its about time we advance our preparations to meet all conditions we face in qualifying…..The Road to Russia means we must beat these teams at any venue……winning is everything at this point
We should be trying to get a camp from now with the local guys at altitude in a country such as colombia , venezuela, ecuador, guatemala etc…..we do have the resources to sustain this plan
That’s the thing. We actually DO have the resources for just that.
Yes I, we have the best talent in concacaf, but it must be harnessed properly and in a timely manner. Quick fix will not cut it….we have the money, but its not spent on the proper program
Hopefully, there will be other “tougher” practice matches before the hex resumes. By comparison, I believe Mexico is playing against Coratia and Ireland before their next hex matches.. Good luck to the technical staff and players.. as the WCQ journey continues..
i mean no disrespect to grenada but oh gosh if we playin costa rica and usa next why we cant get opposition close to them neighbouring countries or atleast clubs in these two countries
Water in basket
It’s like racing against a three legged donkey to prepare for a race with the best thoroughbreds in the world
I’m inclined to believe pursuing a victory by vaps would be chosen over investing in a 2-week Chile training camp. Let see how things unfold!
Training camp should be in chile in the high altitude
How does playing grenada helping the soca warriors prepare to play top flight teams like costa rica and usa????? We should be playing stronger teams or top flight league teams in the hemisphere. …..
Also, I hope the TTFA doesn’t wait until a day before the US game to realize the team need to practice in a high altitude environment prior to the game to be adequately prepared.
After the game, I don’t want to hear any nonsense about the high altitude conditions affecting the players’ breathing.
Does it really matter who we play at this point? It’s not an official FIFA match day, so the bulk of the foreign-based will not be available, and the local-based have been out of season for a while now. What did we gain/learn by playing Peru, Uruguay, and China last year? It will be another exercise in trying to widen/deepen our player pool.
..Yes, but you want to widen the player pool against the best opponents available. And in the right conditions. Those matches you referred to were an exercise in politics and commerce..
Tallman and Keith, please allow me to interject. Regardless of the opposition, there are pro’s to having the national team assembled for a match! Would I consider this match befitting preparation, no…there are still take always though. Cheers-stallion
Playing a top team without even your best players is pointless I think. But I feel we could gain more by facing a better nation like El Salvador, Cuba or Nicaragua as well.
I think we should try to have more than one game anyway. Make the next one better.
..Yes. I am not saying that playing Grenada is not useful. For local, international neophytes. As World Cup qualifying preparation? Against two of the three best footballing countries in CONCACAF? Not so much..
Proper planning is part of the problem…as much as we know the dysfunction that exist in TTFA…they only learnt of the venue in Colorado recently…maybe insufficient time to arrange a more appropriate opponent…still their choice does not seem to cater for any serious strategy outside of getting the local players together for a sweat…
Venezuela is a 15 minute boat ride ?. All jokes aside, I am sure Coach Lawrence knows this is not ample preparation, it still allows him to evaluate players nevertheless. It would behoove him to encourage the TTFA to seek another friendly against a more challenging team, but taking DJW pattern of behavior thus far, it is highly unlikely.
..Precisely..
Hey the game vs Grenada is later this month and we have the whole of May to play games. Why are we so pessimistic. I really hope the clown called DJW finds a better team to play in May month.
Grenada……whoopie!!! We’ll be good and ready for the qualifiers for sure…..smfh….
And this is where it all falls apart … or maybe I should say it all falls into place
We should be looking for a friendly against Bolivia at their Estadio Hernando Siles Stadium which is 11932 feet above sea level. This is the kind of preparation we need before we head to the Colorado Mountains to take on the USA and then another game at altitude vs Costa Rica
You see why ah does pound them, satire them and tell them that they will only beat up my second sweetest country only when the corbeaux grows teeth eh and some people does really get vex with me eh, but we don’t stick when it comes to treating our Coaches, our players, and the beautiful game with plenty respect eh. Them really good yes hahahahahaha
Them really good yes. Geezanages.
And sometime ago I shared that same point about the Ato Boldin Stadium which is located right next to the newly bulit Cycle Dome and the Swimming Dome, so all they have to do now is bulid those same dormitories near the stadium because there is plenty of land and they can also add some more training fields to the one that is located outside of the stadium but someone mentioned that my president of the TTFA is looking into organising the Ram Johnny Stadium down in Marabella for those purposes so we shall be waiting very pateintly if this really comes through in a timing eh. Them really good yes.
Well before they get to the dormitories how about their own Football Training facilities, just imagine that our national teams does have to be renting fields to practice eh even the Marvin Lee Stadium that should have been the Training Facilties with the dormitories that you is speaking about and conference rooms etc, etc, but when FIFA had given it to us for all of those purposes the corrupted Jack Warner and his cronies captured it for their own purposes eh. Them really good yes.
I cannot understand why we do not built some large dormitories to house visiting teams so that they will come to our sweet country and we will get better competition for our national teams in the various sporting disciplines. Put one in Tacarigua and another in Couva so accommodation is a done deal and invite teams from far and wide. What is the purpose of all these facilities if you do not invest in reasonable accommodation? All you need is a large bedroom with proper comfortable bunk beds, toilets, bathrooms and a large area to relax with a few big screen televisions, a few washing machines and dryers and we good to go.
These same dormitories will save us money, since we camp at hotels to train out teams. They will always be in use, we have many teams to occupy them.
Like Curacao and Suriname
Grenada .. seriously? even if we broke and wanna keep it in the Caribbean .. at least play Haiti, Jamaica or Cuba nah .sighhh
..Frankly, all jokes aside, is seems to me that there are so many better options than Grenada: Jamaica. Cuba. Nicaragua. Guatemala. Salvador. We playing USA and Costa Rica man..
DJW is a failure. And Trinidadians are so wounded as a people that we are numb to this asinine build-up
They might as well have taken them up to El toucouche ,
Lol
St George’s in Grenada is 108 feet above sea level. Colorado is 5,223 feet above sea level. But that’s a start I guess. :-/
Ey Lasana you really good yes….hahaha
Them jokey yes
Warm up vs Grenada?? MUST BE A MISPRINT…!
Yeah great idea but behind plenty close doors eh. Them really good yes. hahahahaha
So I’m guessing this match will be played on Grenada’s highest peak ?
Hahaha. Good call!
Opposition not! DJW needs to go!
They should just play a Tobago XI. Cheaper and closer
Leh meh hush meh mouth eh. Steeeeuupppsssss Them really good yes.
Grenada wow
Well done TTFA. That is a proper warm-up match ???
jokers…that is not the quality of teams we should be playing….T&T not just serious and ready….this campaign is already over….
Oh lawd fadda!!! We need more challenging teams than Grenada
lol Grenada
Well we play Barbados and didn’t look bad against two good teams
Grenada?? Doh make me laugh.
..TTFA serious?..
Looking forward to see other locals rise to the forefront like Gonzalez. Keron Cummings get yuhself fit. Waiting for the camp and better practise games in May.
I don’t know , I just hate for us to be playing teams at this level. I don’t mean to play teams that are way advance than us but geez man..
It’s a start . Need two more around mid May to start of June . Preferably against better opposition
I’m hoping for the same. We may very well end up facing off against Nicaragua again
I’ll gladly accept that