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There can be no sugar-coating it. Trinidad and Tobago are in deep trouble now.
At home against a traditionally generous visitor, the Soca Warriors fell to a meek 2-1 loss in Concacaf Nations League action last night. If only that was the worst of it.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
It is seven straight matches without a win for incumbent head coach Derek King—eight if you count an exhibition loss to Louisville City FC—and 10 for the Men’s National Senior Team, inclusive of the last three games of ex-coach Dwight Yorke’s tenure.
And Curaçao are next, with the Warriors set to face the “Blue Wave” in Willemstad on 1 October and in Port of Spain on 4 October.
Realistically speaking, Trinidad and Tobago’s target from here on is to avoid relegation. But that’s not the worst of it either.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Trinidad and Tobago ended today’s contest with deputy Jabari Brice between the uprights and a defensive spin of central defenders Jaheim Joseph, Neveal Hackshaw and midfield anchor Michel Poon-Angeron.
Brice was certainly not first choice, while Joseph, Hackshaw and Poon-Angeron were not in King’s initial 22-man squad at all.
Trinidad and Tobago finished the game with 10 players, like the Dominican Republic, after Wayne Frederick II was ejected for his aggressive response to serious foul play by opposing substitute Edison Azcona. And Grenada referee Reon Radix flashed the red card again after the final whistle, for “dissent” from midfielder Daniel Phillips.
At this point, it seems an understatement to say that King’s team—a revolving door of players who are either injured, suspended, or picking and choosing which games to make themselves available for—is in disarray.
Yesterday morning, Trinidad and Tobago awoke to hear that 76-year-old former Olympic gold medallist Hasely Crawford felt slighted by his attempts to gain entry into the venue that bears his name.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Today, King might be calling Crawford to ask if he can play in midfield.
Crawford should not have had much trouble getting to his parking spot yesterday.
There were over 12,000 spectators for Yorke’s final game as head coach, which was a 2-2 draw against Bermuda on 18 November 2025—and nearly double that number, five days prior, when the Warriors tackled Jamaica with a 2026 World Cup Play Off berth on the line.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Just over 3,000 spectators came out yesterday to see King’s first competitive game in Trinidad. That’s less than the expected turnout for Naparima College versus Presentation College (San Fernando) in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL).
So, there is no use hiding from the fact: something is very wrong with Trinidad and Tobago’s football.
In 11 previous meetings with Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic lost every single one. From eight contests in this millennium, the score summary was 31 goals to the Soca Warriors, two for the Spanish-speaking islanders.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
But the last of those wins came 10 years ago, when Stephen Hart was head coach. Needless to say, a lot has happened in the past decade—and there was never any indication that the Dominican Republic came to Port of Spain with an inferiority complex.
The Soca Warriors started on the front foot, with captain Levi Garcia forcing opposing goalkeeper Xavier Valdez to make a sprawling save off his deflected drive inside the second minute.
But, 50 seconds later, the ball was at the other end, as the visitors passed the ball smartly through the lines to expose Trinidad and Tobago’s hesitant backline. And Brice must have been relieved to see forward Mariano Diaz’s stinging drive clip the top of the bar, before going over.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
The Warriors eventually drew first blood, as a punched clearance by Valdez—off a cross ball—went straight to Phillips, who controlled by crashing home on the volley for the game’s first goal in the 37th minute.
Within five minutes, the Dominican Republic were level, as Diaz stepped in from the left and teed up midfielder Heinz Morschel, who beat Brice with a sweet, low drive from 25 yards.
And, five minutes after the interval, the lead changed hands, as Diaz faked Hackshaw to produce a composed finish from close range on the break.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Garcia was inches away from the equaliser in the 52nd minute, as he diverted a cross from Dantaye Gilbert on to the bar. Gilbert and Garcia both went close to a leveller in the final 30 minutes, as did substitute Ryan Telfer.
But Trinidad and Tobago did not do nearly enough for a result.
Poon-Angeron improved the Warriors’ outlook, after replacing veteran Andre Rampersad, as he quickened up the tempo of the hosts’ ball movement. Maybe, on another day, that would have been enough to inspire a turnaround—and a touch of Garcia magic, or one of those electric Reon Moore runs, might have led to something.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
Yesterday was not that day. There was nobody in red to paper over the cracks and obscure was has become obvious: Trinidad and Tobago, at present, do not possess a good football team.
The Warriors’ collective play is no longer a fair summary of the talents of our players. Rather than seeking to strategically wrongfoot opponents, Trinidad and Tobago rely on the shortcut of having a dynamic player solve problems on his own.
And King is short on such dynamic players, particularly with Tyrese Spicer and Dante Sealy out injured.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868.
In the stands, spectators tried to figure out why Trinidad and Tobago were labouring against mediocre opposition.
Is King the problem? Is it the players? Where is Real Gill? Where did Hackshaw come from?
And while stakeholders debate personalities, nothing changes.
The last time that the Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior won a match, on 10 October 2025: the Strait of Hormuz was opened (unconditionally), Ruben Amorim was Manchester United coach, and Nicolas Maduro was still, actively, the president of Venezuela.
Photo: CNN.
And the worst thing is that Trinidad and Tobago do not seem to have a real plan regarding how to change this.
Maybe next time will be different.
(Teams)
Trinidad and Tobago (4-3-3): 1.Jabari Brice (GK); 19.Rio Cardines, 4.Jaheim Joseph, 17.Justin Garcia (5.Neveal Hackshaw 46), 23.Noah Powder (2.Déron Payne 55); 8.Daniel Phillips, 18.Andre Rampersad (16.Michel Poon-Angeron), 14.Wayne Frederick II; 11.Levi Garcia (captain), 13.Reon Moore (7.Ryan Telfer 75), 15.Dantaye Gilbert.
Unused substitutes: 21.Jahiem Wickham (GK), 22.Denzil Smith (GK), 6.Andrew De Gannes, 9.Daniel David, 10.Luke Phillip, 12.Shervohnez Hamilton, 20.Real Gill.
Coach: Derek King.
Dominican Republic (4-4-2): 1.Xavier Valdez (GK); 23.Luiyi De Lucas, 4.Edgar Pujol, 5.Noah Dollenmayer, 3.Hector Firpo (21.Juan Familia 80); 19.Peter Gonzales (10.Edison Azcona 65), 6.Cristian Manon, 14.Jean Carlos Lopez (captain), 8.Heinz Morschel (7.Juan Pineda 65); 17.Dorny Romero (16.Daniel Leonardo 80), 9.Mariano Diaz (2.Jeremy Baez 90).
Unused substitutes: 12.Edwin Frias (GK), 22.Pedro Espinal (GK), 13.Yordy Alvarez, 15.Brian Lopez, 20.Lucas Breton.
Coach: Gabriel Neveleff.
Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada).
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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.
Smh. We expected differently? I commented in an earlier post that nothing changes if we don’t invest in a coach that would not be afraid to overhaul the whole system of how we approach football in Trinidad and Tobago. Derek King never was, is or will be the answer to TnTfootball.