Angus Eve today announced a Twenty-four man Trinidad and Tobago Men’s U-20 Squad that will head off to the CONCACAF Men’s U-20 Championship in Honduras next month. Prior to arriving for the championship, the squad will travel to Costa Rica for a training camp.
Eve oversaw a residential training camp at the Home of Football in Couva from May 19th-28th with thirty seven players. During the preparations, the team played six practice matches, defeating Defence Force (2-1), Police (1-0), Cunupia FC (4-1), losing to Terminix La Horquetta Rangers (3-1), Guyana Senior Men’s team (1-0) and drawing with AC Port of Spain 2-2.
Preparations resumed with training sessions in T&T on May 3 following Combines in Washington and Florida in April during which a total of 78 players, either eligible to represent T&T through parentage or place of birth, were seen in DC (48 players) and Fort Lauderdale (30).
“For the last two weeks I saw the kids come in. We have a particular way we like to play and for the most part, every single kid gave their best, they gave a hundred percent. I was very happy with the camp. I think Trinidad and Tobago’s football is in a good place seeing these kids coming up,” Eve told TTFA Media.
“Unfortunately we can’t keep all of them and maybe put some of them in another league so we can continue seeing them like the bigger countries such as Mexico and the US do. But we will keep the boys in a database so we will know how to locate them and monitor their progress.
“On the players who have made into the final cut- some of them have a bit of international experience. Some would have been with the previous U-15 team a couple years ago and some would have been in Stern’s (John) previous Under 17 team. And then we had some standouts from the local league here. We have a couple players who are also plying their trade in the MLS, so it’s a nice cadre of players.
“I’m gutted for the guys who were not selected and I’m overly emotional over it but as I explained to them… this is not the end. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school team and he became the best basketballer we’ve ever seen so this is just a stumbling block and they can go back to the drawing board and come back stronger.
“The staff with the Under 20s will leave on June 5th and we have two practice matches over there.Reynold Carrington will be in charge of that group. We will join them on the 14th after we play our last CNL match on June 13th.”
A twenty-man squad can be registered for the actual championship.
The former Senior Men’s team captain and member of the first T&T team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup, the 1991 FIFA World Youth Cup in Portugal, said he was looking ahead to the next few weeks with keen anticipation.
“I am extremely excited about the next few weeks of our football. I am extremely fortunate. God has blessed me with position where I can try to affect… improve and help Trinidad and Tobago football get back on the map and I am very humbled by that,” Eve added.
“The staff is excited with what we’ve seen of the players. We had some really good practice matches against Defence Force, Police FC… top teams with really good coaches. I respect Hutson Charles and Richard Hood and these guys. We played against Rangers. We played Guyana national senior team and thank you to Jamaal Shabazz for that run out.”
T&T opens Group F against Haiti on June 19th at the Estadio Morazan in San Pedro Sula and will face Mexico on June 21st and Suriname on June 23 at the same venue.
The top three teams in the group advances to the round of 16, where they will be joined by the four teams advancing from the 2021 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying.Unlike the previous editions, the competition will determine not only the four CONCACAF representatives at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia, but also the two CONCACAF representatives at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
T&T Squad
Goalkeepers:
Tristan Edwards (Fatima College), Rushon Sandy (Patuxent Football Athletics—USA), Jahiem Wickham (Toronto FC—Canada);
Defenders:
Christian Bailey (Defence Force FC), Isaiah Edwards (Police FC), Jaron Pascall (Police FC), Jaheim Joseph (W Connection), Marvin Waldrop (Club Sando), Noah Roka (FC Stadieu—Austria), Josiah Cooper (Club Sando);
Midfielders:
Luke Phillip (Deportivo Point Fortin), Andrew De Gannes (Atlanta Utd Academy—USA), Dantaye Gilbert (FC Malaga City Academy—Spain), Isaiah Thompson (Unattached), Tyrik Trotman (Hartford Community College—USA), Curtis De Leon (University of Alabama, Birmingham—USA), Kaihim Thomas (Terminix La Horquetta Rangers), Kassidy Davidson (IFAPT—Portugal), Molik Jesse Khan (Minnesota United II—USA),
Attackers:
Jaheim Faustin (Defence Force FC), Tarik Lee (W Connection), Real Gill (Terminix La Horquetta Rangers), Josiah Wilson (Cercle Brugge KSV—Belgium), Nathaniel James (W Connection).