Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 17 team will head off to the United States on November 3 to take part in a four-team invitational tournament which includes the Mexican National Under 18 team as well as the Youth Team of English Premiership giants Chelsea.
The tournament which is called the 16th Annual Newark International Cup, is being hosted by St Benedict’s Prep and matches will be played at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Lubetkin Field. All matches are expected to be viewed by several international scouts.
T&T will face Chelsea in its opening game on November 5, followed by encounters with St Benedict’s Prep a day later and close off against the Mexicans on November 8. The final and third place play off matches will take place on November 9.
At the media launch for the tournament on Monday, on hand promoting the International Cup, besides some of the St. Benedict's players and coach Rick Jacobs, was St. Benedict's alumnus and former United States captain Claudio Reyna.
On Saturday November 8, 2008 coaches and players from all the participating teams, along with members of co-sponsor, the NJ Ironmen, will conduct a free youth soccer clinic at Saint Benedict’s Prep.
This is the 16th year that Saint Benedict’s Prep has hosted this prestigious international tournament, which has seen some of the world’s best youth teams travel to Newark, NJ. Alumni from this tournament play in all the top leagues throughout the world including the English Premiership, Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Mexico’s Primera and the Unites States’ MLS.
Currently the pool of 23 players in the T&T national squad have been in a strength training program with several of the players also representing their schools in the ongoing League .
“We felt it would be an ideal chance for the players to get some much needed practice and international exposure before the qualification tournament next year,” team head coach Corneal told TTFF Media. “We haven’t played an international match since the game against Brazil’s U17s which was another valuable experience for us but now we are hoping to build on that with this upcoming tournament.”
According to the team manager Christopher Gouveia, the programme is being conducted by the Physical Training Instructors of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force.
The players will be involved in four training sessions next week before leaving on Monday 3rd, November for the one-week tournament. The current squad, with Corneal at the helm, will be cut to eighteen players before departing for the US.
18 Players will come from:
NAMES / D-O-B / CLUB
GOALKEEPERS
1.John Thomas / 18-11-1993 / Joe Public
2.Raheem Belgrave / 07-11-1992 / Joe Public
3.Jamal Francois / 16-09-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
DEFENDERS
4.Akeems Grant / 07-04-1992 / W Connection
5.Reshad Wint / 12-02-1992 / Joe Public
6.Dwight Ceballo / 06-06-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
7.Dillon Kirton / 25-04-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
8.Kylon Gay / 17-06-1992 / Joe Public
9.Stephen Wiltshire / 26-03-1992 / Joe Public
10.Shaquille Stewart / 10-11-1993 / W Connection
11.Dinnel Lopez / 15-06-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
12.Rodney Young / 10-11-1992 / United Petrotrin
13.Omarr Charles / 12-03-1992 / Stokelyvale F.C.
14.Savion Kirton / 12-09-1993 / San Juan Jabloteh
MIDFIELDERS
15.Zavion Navarro / 31-12-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
16.Shahdon Winchester / 08-01-1992 / W Connection
17.Luke Hernandez / 24-03-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
18.Vernell Ramirez / 19-03-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
19.Moriba Ballah / 03-01-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
20.Ross Russell / 09-01-1992 / Defence Force
21.Daquille Matthews / 07-06-1992 / W Connection
22.Anslem Jackson / 18-01-1992 / San Juan Jabloteh
23.Ryan Frederick / 11-06-1992 / W Connection