With National Senior Team head coach Stephen Hart set to announce his squad to face Argentina this week, the man in charge of the Senior “Soca Warriors” says this country has everything to gain from playing the two-time World Cup champions mere days before the 2014 World Cup kicks off in Brazil.
Hart has explored the various options with his pool of players in order to get the best available squad for the June 4th friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires which will be followed by another friendly against World Cup finalists Iran in Sao Paolo on June 8th.
These outings are being supported by the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Tourism. T&T are also preparing for the Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup and Copa America Qualification later this year.
He described the matchup with Lionel Messi’s men as a “PhD in the approach to the game of football”.
“We know how much work it’s going to take for us as a nation to get to that standard of world football,” Hart said.
“You cannot run 10.3 in a hundred metres on one occasion and then expect on race day to suddenly run 9.6. And it is important that we play games like these for a number for reasons. We have nothing to lose. We are going to play two teams that will be thoroughly prepared for a World Cup, one of them arguably being a favourite to win it,” Hart added.
“Playing Argentina in Argentina is going to be a PhD in the approach to the game at that level.
“If the scoreline is not anything we’d want to see, I still don’t thing it’s a setback. Any realistic football fan will like to see a spirited performance from our team and that’s what will be pleasing for us.
We haven’t play an international game in eight months but matches like these you cannot stay away from. I prefer to look at the positive side of this. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Hart stated.
One player who will make his first entry in to the T&T squad is 23-year-old English-born defender Gavin Hoyte who is a product of the Arsenal academy. He is the younger brother of current senior team defender Justin Hoyte.
Hoyte (G) spent five years at Arsenal, coming up through the ranks and made one appearance for the first team. He also played for Watford, Brighton, Wimbledon and Lincoln City. He is currently attached to Dagenham and Redbridge. Hoyte also played for the England national Under 17, U-18, U-19 and U-20 teams.