Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team ended their jet-packing global exhibition forays today with a 3-0 loss away to Russia at the Kaliningrad Arena in Kaliningrad.
The Soca Warriors were, predictably, outplayed by a team perched 68 places higher on the Fifa rankings at 35. But to the relief of Trinidad and Tobago football fans—and, quite possibly, the host nation and match agent as well—it was not a humiliation.
(via TTFA Media.)
Coach Derek King would take some credit for that in wringing a spirited showing from a patch-work team, which lacked as many as six potential starting players.
Goalkeeper Denzil Smith was the most obvious hero, though, as he produced an impressive eight saves to ensure a somewhat respectable scoreline against the offensive-minded hosts.
At the final whistle, Russia had 65% possession with 532 passes to 287 from the Warriors, which led to 21 shots for the northern Europeans. But the boys in red, white and black did manage seven shots and even conjured two genuine scares for the Russians, only for Ryan Telfer and Reon Moore to miss the target after good approach-work.
Smith was on song today too as the Soca Warriors played to a 3-0 loss away to Russia.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Let’s just say that when team captain and Russia-based professional Levi Garcia declined the invitation to play today—along with about a dozen other players—there were fears that things might have ended a lot worse than this.
True, Trinidad and Tobago are now eight matches without a win, which is a barren run that stretches back eight months to last October. But when King reconvenes his squad in September for their first match window of the 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League A competition, it would likely be a far less intimidating opponent facing the Warriors.
Of course, the Soca Warriors cannot expect three points against even the likes of also-rans like Nicaragua, Martinique or the Dominican Republic. But it would not be a foregone conclusion either, as is the case in a fixture against the Republic of Korea.
Today, things did look like getting out of hand early on. Smith made two important saves from Russia forward Ivan Sergeev inside of the first six minutes, before a sharp half-volley from left back Mingiyan Beveev, off a corner kick, squirmed past him in the seventh minute.
And Russia doubled their lead in the 15th minute, as defender Aleksandr Silyanov volleyed home from inside the area off another sweeping attack.
(via Sports.ru.)
For sure, when a central defender scores against your team from open play with a finish inside your own 18-yard box—well, it is time to be concerned.
Yet, Russia were the ones to get the next scare as Telfer charged half the length of the field before stabbing wide, as he almost punished the gung-ho approach of the hosts.
And, in the 23rd minute, Trinidad and Tobago won their first corner kick as midfielder Daniel Phillips released left back Andre Raymond on the overlap, and the latter’s cross severely tested the Russia defence.
From the subsequent set piece, defender Anthony Herbert eventually got a header on frame—although it never really troubled opposing custodian Anton Mitryushkin.
And the first half ended with Phillips picking up Russia central defender and irritant, Silyanov, and slamming him into the Kaliningrad turf as though he were a running back celebrating a touchdown by spiking the ball.
Silyanov tugged Phillips’ short and flicked his boot at him more than once in the same play and the stocky Trinidad and Tobago player got fed up of waiting for the referee and meted out justice as he saw it. (The referee booked both players involved.)
(via TTFA Media.)
Surely if Russia president Vladimir Putin was watching on, he might have offered a chuckle at Phillips’ belligerence, even in the face of the law. Or maybe not, considering his country’s inability to get its way at its western border—Russian might is just not what it used to be.
Russia came out flying at the restart, though, and it is worth noting that nine of the 14 goals that King’s troops conceded, before today’s contest, came after the interval.
Midfielder Aleksey Batrakov got Russia’s third in the 59th minute, after winger Lechi Sadulaev outfoxed Trinidad and Tobago full back Kaihim Thomas and then exploited midfielder Michel Poon-Angeron’s hesitant cover.
Photo: Ria Novosti.
But a string of remarkable Smith saves—none better than his double block from Sergeev and substitute Maksim Petrov—defied the hosts.
And, in the end, Russia seemed to run out of steam, which was just as well as King replaced the overworked Smith with Central FC custodian Jabari Brice in the 74th minute. (Incidentally, Russia had 51 touches in the Trinidad and Tobago box today, while South Korea had 34 in their 5-0 win last month.)
Brice, remarkably, did not have a single save to make—a statistic that did owe something to Russia’s errant marksmanship.
(via TTFA Media.)
Moore might have even given Trinidad and Tobago a momento in the 84th minute, as he broke the offside trip and rounded the opposing goalkeeper, only to hit his angled attempt into the side netting.
So, Trinidad and Tobago had to settle for a 3-0 defeat. King might be relieved at that.
Playmaker Molik Khan, who started as a false nine before drifting to the flank, completed all 14 passes attempted in the first half, despite Russia’s aggressive counter-press, and had an 80% success rate in his duels.
By the time the promising 22-year-old was replaced in the 74th minute, his passing accuracy was 95% and his duel success stood at 50%. But, make no mistake, Khan showed that he has the personality to match his talent. Hopefully, he has a long future ahead in red, black and white.
Credit too to captain Andre Rampersad, central defender Justin Garcia and Phillips, who performed double shifts to make things as difficult as possible for the Russia players.
Smith was undoubtedly the man of the match though.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868.
So, a gruelling run of games against Bolivia, Venezuela, Gabon, South Korea and Russia are done with, and hopefully TTFA president Kieron Edwards ensures, albeit belatedly, that the players are compensated from the handsome match fees that would have been handed over to the local football body.
The least that King deserves is a settled, satisfied squad of players for when competitive action resumes in September.
(Teams)
Trinidad and Tobago (4-3-3): 22.Denzil Smith (GK) (1.Jabari Brice GK 74); 20.Kaihim Thomas, 5.Anthony Herbert (12.Ali Kazim Nakhid 74), 17.Justin Garcia, 6.Andre Raymond (23.Noah Powder 61); 18.Andre Rampersad (captain), 19.Michel Poon-Angeron (9.Daniel David 86), 8.Daniel Phillips; 13.Reon Moore (15.Jaheim Faustin 87), 10.Molik Khan (11.Judah Garcia 74), 7.Ryan Telfer.
Unused substitutes: 21.Teshorne Ragoo (GK), 3.Shervohnez Hamilton, 14.John-Paul Rochford, 16.Isaiah Lee.
Coach: Derek King.
Russia (4-3-3): 23.Anton Mitryushkin (GK) (16.Denis Adamov GK 46); 30.Ilya Vakhaniya (4.Danil Krugovoi 46), 24.Aleksandr Silyanov, 2.Yevgeny Morozov, 22.Mingiyan Beveev (26.Kirill Danilov 80); 7.Aleksey Batrakov (6.Dmitri Barinov 75), 27.Ivan Obliakov (captain), 59.Aleksei Miranchuk (19.Amir Ibragimov 75); 28.Nikita Krivtsov (21.Anton Miranchuk 66), 13.Ivan Sergeev (9.Georgi Melkadze 75), 20.Lechi Sadulaev (29.Maksim Petrov 66).
Unused substitutes: 1.Aleksandr Maksimenko (GK), 14.Viktor Melyokhin, 18.Matvey Kislyak.
Coach: Valeriy Karpin.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Friendly international
(9 June 2026)
Russia 3 (Mingiyan Beveev 7, Aleksandr Silyanov 15, Aleksey Batrakov 59), Trinidad and Tobago 0 at Kaliningrad.
Senator David Nakhid, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, described the non-payment of match fees for Read more
Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Derek King will travel to Russia without squad captain Levi Garcia Read more
On 17 April 2026, the day of their must-win Brazil 2027 World Cup qualifier against El Salvador at the Hasely Read more
The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team endured a humbling night in Utah yesterday as they were trounced 5-0 Read more
Twenty-two-year-old defender Kobi Henry will lead out the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team tomorrow, as the Soca Warriors Read more
Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Derek King announced 11 changes to his squad, inclusive of three Read more
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.
