CRUCIAL CLASH
Trinidad and Tobago's Under 20 Men's team will begin their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) final round campaign aiming for three points against Puerto Rico from 3pm (4pm T&T time) today at Waterhouse Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.
A 19-man squad under head coach Ross Russell arrived in Jamaica on Saturday morning and trained twice at the match venue ahead of their opening encounter.
Team captain Duane Muckette was the only player to arrive behind schedule as he stayed back in Trinidad on Saturday, for his SAT examination. He joined the rest of the team at Four Seasons Hotel in Kingston on Sunday.
All seven visiting teams are based at the same hotel with the exception of hosts Jamaica, whose first match is against Antigua and Barbuda tomorrow.
Also accompanying the team, which received support from the Ministry of Sport, is TTFF technical director Anton Corneal, while former national midfielder Reynold Carrington is Russell's assistant.
Russell, who took over the team from Michael McComie for the opening CFU round earlier this year, is optimistic of starting the final round with a win.
"We've gotten a good feel of the venue and the surroundings because you would see it's obviously different to what we are accustomed playing international football in back home," Russell told TTFF media officer Shaun Fuentes following a session at the venue.
The stadium is at the centre of a community which is described as sometimes volatile, but has produced several past Jamaican players, including lanky striker Onandi Lowe.
Dancehall star Beenie Man and Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser are also from the area. The venue is also next to the Sandy Gully, Jamaica's largest waste water drainage system, and some residents use it as a major borderline in times of gang violence.
"The main (thing) is that we are here now and we have an objective, which is to qualify for the CONCACAF Final round and to try and top this group as well," said Russell who was the goalkeeper coach for the 2007 Under-17 team that qualified for the U-17 World Cup out of the CONCACAF final round, also played in Kingston.
"I think the squad has improved since the previous round, and I'm looking forward to seeing them demonstrating that on the field of play. We know that Puerto Rico's football has been improving but our boys are also very hungry for success and they know it's important for them to progress and qualify for the World Cup next year."
W Connection midfielder Jomal Williams, who scored two goals in the previous stage, is expected to lead T&T's play in the midfield along with Xavier Rajpaul, while defender Neil Benjamin also re-joined the team last week following a trial in Italy.
The conditions, which have been hot in Kingston, are expected to continue into today's match. The stadium, which has bleachers on one side of the field, usually attracts up to 5,000 fans per match in the Jamaica Premier League, and there will be no admission fee for fans for the current tournament.
Fellow Group A teams Haiti and Curacao will meet in this afternoon's second match from 5pm. T&T faces Haiti in their second encounter on Wednesday.
The top two teams from the group will advance to next year's final CONCACAF round in Mexico towards the 2013 FIFA Under 20 World Cup in Turkey. The other CFU group includes Jamaica, Suriname, Cuba and Antigua/Barbuda.
T&T Squad: Tevin Dodds, Quesi Weston, Adan Noel, Dwight Quintero, Alvin Jones, Anthony Charles, Damani Richards, Neil Benjamin, Shannon Gomez, Shaquille Nesbitt, Duane Muckette (captain), Xavier Rajpaul, Jomal Williams, Marcus Gomez, Akeem Garcia, Shackiel Henry, Keane McIvor, Kerron Bethelmy, Shaquille Holder, Garvin Samaroo.