Trinidad and Tobago Under-23 football team were held to a goalless draw by a TT Invitational team at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet on Friday evening.
The TT Invitational team featured eight players from the “Soca Warriors” team which squared off against Guyana in a pair of 2014 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Zone qualifiers last week.
However, due to a “breakdown in communication”, a number of local-based players were not released by their clubs (TTEC and North East Stars) for the “Warriors” team, hence ten players from the sister isle Tobago were drafted for the game.
According to a media release from the TT Football Federation, “the Pro League did cancel its weekend schedule in order to facilitate this game.
“The clubs though indicated that they would have preferred an official written invitation request from the national team for use of the players who were invited in order to give the Under 23s the best possible test on the evening.”
The Invitational team, under the coaching duo of Anton Corneal and Hutson Charles, featured national players Keon Daniel, Kendall Jagdeosingh, Hayden Tinto, Osei Telesford, Carlyle Mitchell, Marvin Phillip, Clyde Leon and Devorn Jorsling, as well as Caledonia AIA midfielder Akeem Armstrong and ex-TT defender, Makan Hislop (now with St Clair Coaching School).
Midfielders Hughtun Hector and Kevin Molino did not feature - Hector is reportedly due to leave for trials at an un-named club while Molino is expected to join the Under-23 team, under coach Angus Eve, for their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Final Round Qualifiers in St Kitts/Nevis later this month.
“It was a fantastic work out for us,” said Eve. “The intensity was good and they introduced some local Tobago kids who, when they get an opportunity, they want to take it and so they were up for it.
Eve, the former TT midfielder and captain, continued, “the guys had to work hard. We started off very tentative in the first half probably giving a little too much respect to some of the ‘senior’ team guys.
“I thought though that we played to our tempo and our flow when we came back out of the dressing room. Overall it was an excellent work out for us,” he noted.
Regarding the team’s readiness for the CFU qualifiers, Eve stated, “I think we’re ready for it. The basis is playing very solidly defensively and we saw that in this match. We just have to take our chances better and if we can buff up in that area then we’ll be in good stead.”