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The Soca Warriors will aim to build on their closing 2018 World Cup qualifying win over the United States with friendlies against Grenada and Guyana in what the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has termed as the beginning of their new mission.
Both outings will be played at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva—coined “the Home of Football” by the TTFA—on Saturday 11 November and Tuesday 14 November respectively.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
The Grenada fixture will kick off at 6pm while there will be a 7:30pm start for the Guyana encounter.
The Warriors will be near full strength for the two matches as head coach Dennis Lawrence included Eredivisie-based winger Levi Garcia, MLS-based playmaker Kevin Molino and Kazakhstan-based central defender Sheldon Bateau in his 23-man team.
Costa Rica-based forward Jamille Boatswain and Finland-based full back Aubrey David were also included after serving internal suspensions for playing minor league football.
Saudi Arabia-based midfielder Khaleem Hyland, who captained the Warriors against the United States, was excused due to club commitments while Daneil Cyrus, Kareem Moses, Trevin Caesar and Joevin Jones also miss out.
Lawrence told the TTFA Media that the upcoming matches are the first step towards his new goal of turning Trinidad and Tobago into Caribbean champions once more.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/CA-Images/Wired868)
“Obviously we want to continue where we left off versus Mexico and the United States,” said Lawrence, “and end the year on a good note, as we look ahead to the future.”
Grenada are ranked 141st in the world by FIFA while Guyana are ranked 165th. Trinidad and Tobago are ranked 83rd.
The remaining five nations from the 2017 CONCACAF Hex will also be in action during the November match window.
Honduras will tackle Australia in a two-legged FIFA Play-off on 10 and 15 November while Mexico are due to face Belgium and Poland, Costa Rica play Spain and Hungary, Panama take on Colombia and the United States will travel to Portugal.
Warriors fans can see both local games for the price of one ticket due a special from the local football body.
“When you buy a ticket for the 11th, you automatically have a ticket for the 14th,” said TTFA president David John-Williams. “These games represent the start of a process envisioned by coach Lawrence and supported by the TTFA and we want the fans to be there from the beginning.”
(Copyright AFP 2017)
Tickets go on sale from Monday 6 November at all NLCB outlets. Covered stand tickets cost TT$100, uncovered are TT$50 while children under the age of 12 will be admitted free of charge.
(Trinidad and Tobago team)
Goalkeepers: Adrian Foncette (Police FC), Greg Ranjitsingh (Louisville City FC—USA), Glenroy Samuel (Morvant Caledonia Utd);
Defenders: Mekeil Williams (Colorado Rapids—USA), Curtis Gonzales (Defence Force), Sheldon Bateau (FC Kairat—Kazakhstan), Alvin Jones, Triston Hodge (both W Connection), Kevon Villaroel (North East Stars), Josiah Trimmingham (Club Sando);
Midfielders: Leston Paul (CD Pasaquina—El Salvador), Nathaniel Garcia (Point Fortin Civic), Kevan George (Jacksonville Armada—USA), Jared London (Club Sando), Neveal Hackshaw (Charleston Battery—USA);
Attacking midfielders: Kevin Molino (Minnesota United—USA), Nathan Lewis (San Juan Jabloteh), Neil Benjamin (W Connection), Hashim Arcia (Defence Force), Kathon St Hillaire (St Ann’s Rangers), Levi Garcia (AZ Alkmaar—Netherlands);
Forwards: Shahdon Winchester (Murciélagos FC—Mexico), Akeem Roach (CD Vida—Honduras), Jamille Boatswain (LDA Alajuelense—Costa Rica).
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Guyana Head Coach Wayne Dover relishing rematch with Soca Warriors
http://guyanachronicle.com/2017/11/07/dover-relishing-rematch-soca-warriors
wait nah..dem does rotate coachman too ??
I wonder if Joevin asked to be excused, because he supposedly left without permission last time? The first leg of the Western Conference Championship against Houston Dynamo is not until November 21st.
Sorta Doubt it – even USA didn’t pick players involved in playoffs for their friendly vs Portugal
Or maybe a personal choice, because three of his teammates were summoned for international duty. In two of the cases, it was just for friendlies.
Nigel Myers Ye I just noticed – a 4th in Torres from panama ?? is staying back with Joevin
So probably the clubs & respective federations had a trade off
Colin Benjamin you saw Torres’ form recently?! Nah man. Torres almost singlehandedly kept Panama from qualifying for the World Cup. I’d say there is zero justification in picking Torres until he gets pack in shape.
Can’t blame him. It’s only so many times a man will fly down to play bottom kiss bench.
Ranjitsingh declines Trinidad and Tobago call-up in favor of remaining with Louisville City FC for the USL Cup Final.
http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/853297
So now they want to give him a call up eh, because they now realizing that the Soca Worries needs another top of the line goalkeeper moving forward eh, he shouldn’t be taking no call ups to represent our Soca Worries especially when the players are not being paid the well earned monies after each game steeuuppss. Them really good yes.
Ranjitsingh, Louisville FC will play NYRB II on Saturday, November 4th in USL Eastern Conference final. If Louisville FC win, he will play for the USL Cup 2017 Championship on Monday November 13th. Are we sure he is accepting this call up?
If what you say is true ….no way the club is going to release him for a friendly. Plus …he’d be stupid to do it …….
My son plays for NYRBII, he has a flight to Louisville this afternoon. If Louisville lose tomorrow then its no problem for Ranjitsingh. http://www.uslsoccer.com/2017-usl-cup-playoffs
Noah Powder’s Dad!! …. I was trying to make the connection …. Nice to make your acquaintance and goodluck to your son tomorrow. May the best man win 🙂
My pleasure.
Well Louisville beat NYRBII 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 scoreline through extra-time. Ranjitsingh saved two penalties. So we’ll see if he’ll still come for the Friendlies.
The second save he made in the shootout was incredible.
Can not see him missing the Championship game for these friendlies. The City of Louisville just approved a new 10,000 seat stadium for them and football is really growing there, Dennis will be calling another keeper by Monday
He won’t ….. or else he’ll need his head examined.
@ Malik Johnson, You really good yes.
Them really good yes.Toolah Julien
You know
A new start should have meant teams higher than us in the FIFA rankings. We have to start doing like Jamaica and Haiti and start courting tougher opponents outside of the Caribbean pool.
It’s nice to have back Boatswain and Cato back in the team. Come guys lets be dissaplined and move forward with the beautiful game.
KJ still has alot to contribute …he’s only 32 if not as a starter then an experienced head off the bench
He can volunteer to be head of sanitation
Lol
So is this squad and acceptance that K Jones days for is over as long as Lawrence is coach ?
By the way I could somewhat agree with Lookloy that we may not win both games – remember, Guyana have oil now! And, Grenada, the prices of spices have soared!
Lots flying all over this TT football scene here but, and though there will never be a, one-correct answer to this puzzle, my one comment would be to categorically support what Travis has stated – “That’s why we should build a competent local team”. I have been long in my insistence that a coach would be wise to build on that strategy. Before taking up the job, convince the players that a patriotic effort is afoot. Convince the players that there will be trust between the coach and them at all times and that the program is ALL about and only, THAT – a total commitment he, the coach to them, and they, the players to the him and the cause. Convince them that, not too long ago, these very same, “foreign based” players were right here in these soils and were then, picked up – they too will and the more they buy into this total philosophy, the more their value will sore and the better their chance will be to gain a contract in a first and surely, second tier team of a prominent league. Convinced the players that the team to be picked will more likely host 70-80% local players and the other percentage will be carefully selected from those playing abroad. Convince the players that their efforts will not be in vain and their hard work will give hope to the younger players that would be just a hand’s reach away from their new heroes – the future will be better because of you and your making better that which has been given you. Convict the nation that you, the coach is bent on your fiduciary responsibilities and will, at all costs, maintain a genuine sense of integrity – being true to the truth and remaining faithful especially when no one is looking. Ya! No mas! Khullas! Punto finale! Nuf said!
Lasana Liburd… can we get a clear the air article on Attula Guerra ??
Gary Hector, Dennis just is not that kind of coach. He doesn’t seem to think that he owes anyone an explanation for anything–whereas obviously our last four coaches were much more open to the public: Tom Saintfiet, Stephen Hart, Jamaal Shabazz and Hutson Charles.
Roneil K Walcott will ask again at Friday’s press conference and see.
I’ve asked before and got no real answer other than he is in the pool.
i hear you…but plz ask again…thanks
Gary, remember what happen when Lawrence was asked about Boucaud’s absence? He said “next question”.?
ah want tuh feel Tulla cuss somebody at the FA…
Lasana, what pool, de cesspool?
Nigel Myers eh heh ??..did not know dat…and thats a next thing…thats bad
Gary, yep. I asked about Boucaud and he felt that was he was not even deserving of the most cursory response.
And Boucaud represented Trinidad and Tobago for a decade. If he can be so dismissive of him then who is Tullah I guess…
sad…not good…very disrespectful…
dodgy…
Hahaha… if alyuh continue to ask about Tulla d man go feel alyuh beggin inno ???
we are…well..I AM.
Dennis don’t study the negative comments go foward with your plans alot of football lovers are with you.
Posh there no stadium to far real supporters follow their team home and abroad
..There is a presumption here that we are by definition better than both opponents. The team with the most to lose is Trini. We lucky if we win both..
We’ve played these teams many times before in situations like this just after a failed qualification attempt and such games have never worked for us as we always fail to qualify for the next world cup. Why not try something new by playing only difficult teams. Please note that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity.
..If we win both we lucky. Moreover, people seem to believe that there is a long line of top footballing countries clamouring to play Trini. Wishful thinking. This is probably who we could get..
Keith. I totally agree with you. As a footballing nation, we need to face reality and recognize where we are and what is the goal going fwd..
Let me add.. I attended a pro ProLogue game yesterday and one of the team’s showed up with no goal keeper…when I left, it was 5 – 0
Out side of our national team, who should be the benefiter of players coming from the top local leagues is not producing. That is a fact.
So we need to get off our high horses and feel we to good to play other Caribbean teams.
We have to understand first, every thing is a step. And to me this is a start..
Let’s fix our situation from the ground up.
Keith Look Loy Keith. I totally agree with you. As a footballing nation, we need to face reality and recognize where we are and what is the goal going fwd..
Let me add.. I attended a pro ProLogue game yesterday and one of the team’s showed up with no goal keeper…when I left, it was 5 – 0
Out side of our national team, who should be the benefiter of players coming from the top local leagues is not producing. That is a fact.
So we need to get off our high horses and feel we to good to play other Caribbean teams.
We have to understand first, every thing is a step. And to me this is a start..
Let’s fix our situation from the ground up.
I’m not trying to discredit Grenada or Guyana but we should attempt to play teams that are comparable to us on paper such as Venezuela or Guatemala. I wouldn’t be surprised if Grenada or Guyana defeats us due to the woeful state of our football but that should not be the reason to play such teams. Play teams whose style of play is similar to the styles of teams that consistently defeat us and prevent us from qualifying such as Mexico and Costa Rica.
De season pass still good for these games? Supposed to be valid until November 2017, but dat could mean either de beginning or end of de month.
The back of my pass says valid THROUGH to Nov 30th Nigel so YES it is.
ok, cool
Guyana and Grenada???? We just not making any sense!!!!
We should be facing tougher opposition.
And if he fails to qualify for the Gold cup fire him and bring in another coach? Carlos we need to be real. We are not a top footballing nation tho God has blessed us with talent. Talent is luck you were born with it. Success as you very well know calls for more tgan talent. When you send your teams out to battle without proper preparation you should prepare to fail. Look Carlos Lee at who playing against next USA playing Portugal. We coulda go Venezuela and play Caracas F.C 2 friendlies and derive more from thay exercise.
Why kick the can down the road Travis? Did you see anything that suggest an extension is needed? Why not fire him now and start afresh with a new coach and use the Caribbean cup as their initial assessment?
And the TTFA/you all don’t consider qualifying for the 2020 Olympics a worthwhile goal?
Cause this rebuilding squad doesn’t seem to cater to the Olympics.
Better I try and make this team boi
Try u might get a run u name Lawerance lol
It is a FIFA window so therefore the coach has access to the country’s best players…so he calls who he sees fit…but my grouse is the quality of the opposition the TTFA has seen it fit to test our players against.
I dont agree with that . He should be given till the Caribbean Cup just like Latas when he also oversaw a failed campaign. Its not like we are expected to qualify for EVERY WC . Our yardstick should realistically be the hex . And with grenada and guyana as friendlies not even the hex. But the next tournament is in the caribbean . So lets see
What would you say is an appropriate target for the Caribbean Cup Travis? What placing?
Final. Nothing less.
Travis that seems fair. Once he passes whatever evaluations the technical committee has for him along the way and doesn’t have a meltdown with his own players.
I don’t mind that they keep him really. I would just like the technical committee to come out and give their reasoning and say what they feel he has done right or wrong.
Not necessarily in great depth. But something to suggest that this is a team that belongs to the country and not just to a couple egotistical administrators.
LoL. What planet u living on ???
Planet Hope. And Planet Never Give Up. Lol
Thats why we should build a competent local team.
Lawrence still have that job? Hmmm
I’d be very surprised to see the Central America based players traveling to these matches while they are in the crucial part of the season.
Its a FIFA date for Internationals its not up to the clubs but rather the discretion of the TTFA/Coach.
To play friendlies?
Where is Alvin Jones? He needs those caps.
I know that but we have a different dynamic than the US and mexico they can call on players from the MLS or Liga MX to step up
I expect to see Ranjitsingh play
You are so so correct Carlos Lee because if Stephen Hart was disposed-of…then why not Dennis…but i guess the TTFA top-brass will be scratching their heads as to wonder who will they appoint…and then the issue (AGAIN) of finance comes into play
Fans should stay away until a thorough review of the failed WC campaign is done and shared with the general public. Time for accountability is NOW! I’ll also like to know why Dennis is still the head coach of the national team. You don’t reward failure.
Well he did come midway into the Hex with a hill to climb. In my opinion the quality of play improved but we had some poor results that maybe didn’t quite reflect how the game went.
I think we should have some patience. We shouldn’t keep swapping managers all the time. He didn’t get a full campaign. It’s his first top managerial role. We have some years to review before making such a definitive decision
Waw. Caribbean teams and we still calling foreign players?
That’s nothing new Travis since back in the 90’s I remember watching Yorke Latas Leonson Marcelle & Nakhid all foreign-based at the time playing vs Cuba Jamaica etc in Shell Caribbean Cup…later years Stern & Ancil who were US-based also got called into the squad. Maybe DL wants to begin the integration process of Local -US-European-CentralAmerican from now and future squads will reflect that balance?
Ok . I hear you.
But the same mistakes of that era might be made i think a local based squad should be developed
Respectfully disagree, today’s local-based is tomorrow’s foreign-based…Perfect example is Boatswain who made his debut for the National side back in March this year but is now plying his trade in Central America…we need to develop team chemistry so if we can get a core group playing together regularly Coach will have less work to do getting men to gel and accustomed playing with one another.
Watch out for Kathon St Hillaire
Am starting to think that someone on the staff or in the TTFA don’t like Ataulla Guerra because I can count more than 5 players he is better than and I know for a fact he was playing week in week out for his team after he came off injury and they got knocked out of the playoffs
When I noticed they called his teammate Hackshaw and left him out, I assumed that was the final slap in the face.
Ataulla Guerra is more creative than a lot of these guys and not for love or money they would give the man a call…. Lasana Liburd that’s not only a slap that 2 lolll
I think Guerra is our most gifted player bar none. I don’t think he has done himself justice much of the times. But considering the lack of options–particularly with Kerron Cummings’ deterioration–I’d definitely give Guerra another shot.
Plus the challenge of a new environment in the States could only help.
What I also think is he was played outside of his favorite position a few times also and as u mention with the changes I think he should have bin given another chance to show his worth because at his club he plays right behind the striker
The door should never be closed to a talent like Tulla. Poor from Dennis
Players perceived as tough to manage are usually discarded which is the other extreme of giving players countless chances to get their act together . Their needs to be a balanced approach. Then personalities comes into play alot of times.
Its done in ALL walks of life. For 3xample a journalist not liking an ex player and taking up fire rage for players who complained that the coach told them their touch is 2 2
I have always gotten along Stern even better than with you eh Travis. You call yourself a historian so be sure to write that down. 😉
Jomal and Winchester?
Dwane James and Leston Paul?
Leston and Shahdon are in the team.
Yes was making the point about picking only one player of two playing for the same club
There can be different reasons for picking one….. One probably on form and the other isn’t…. they both could be fighting for the same position…. also the one that is picked probably has what the coach is looking for in that 24
Simone I gotcha.
Calvin like Chris Rock said, there is a reason to push an old man down a flight of stairs. Doesn’t necessarily make it the right call. Lol. But I understand what you mean.
Guerra really didn’t take advantage of the chances repeatedly given to him by Stephen Hart, but since then, he has churned out consistent performances at Charleston Battery. In my opinion he has done more than enough to warrant a recall to the national team.
Nigel Myers more than enough
https://youtu.be/FMKvA6qQHDA
It seems that Tulla is blacklisted because of something that took place in the locker room when the bestest Coach Hart was in charge of the squad, because it was since then that he never wore the red , white and black, anymore, and yes he was recalled for a game by Coach Hart but pulled up in practice with an injury because at the time he was in our sweet country he just hanging out after his season ended in my second sweetest country, hence the reason that he was on the bench and never played in the game but he really deserves another chance , since others who has done worst like breaking camp to go on the boatrides . Them really good yes.
Earl Mango Pierre that doesn’t make sense. One, the fact that Hart recalled him shows there wasn’t a blacklist.
Two, Lawrence has waved away all sorts of indiscipline himself as coach with some of his call ups.
So I don’t buy that story at all.
Well give Coach Lawrence a call and let’s hear what he has to say nah, that is all and I am hoping that he will really tells you the “TRUTH” eh Them really good yes.
Guyana and Grenada?..great way to start preparations for the next major tournament.
Don’t say it too loud. Some folks here are very sensitive about that.
As an agent struggling to place some of these players though, I have to deal with the consequences of playing teams about as good as amateur sunday teams in every corner of good ol USA. No club gives a damn about a player excelling in any of these “international” matches.
Simone, is this about you or the coach and his team’s development?
It’s about the players trying to earn a living and improve as players. Two things that won’t happen playing friendlies of that level.
That’s your opinion. The coaching staff has a different view and they are making decisions based on having more holistic information than we all have at the moment. No real pressure at this point, even though I would like to see tougher opposition myself.