Although still patching his wounds following the latest round of Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL) play, Central FC’s Marcus Joseph has found the motivation to rebound.
The 24-year-old and his Sharks teammates, in the club’s first-ever SCCL appearance, have found the early going challenging. Road defeats to the LA Galaxy (5-1) and Communicaciones (1-0) have left the Caribbean champion at the foot of Group D.
Despite Central’s struggles, Joseph’s play has helped him earn a Trinidad & Tobago recall for a friendly international against Mexico on Friday. The sides played to a 4-4 draw in July’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
“It (SCCL) shows that I can play at that level,” Joseph told CONCACAF.com. “I just need to step up and make myself a better player.”
With the captain and lead striker Kenwyne Jones not suiting up for the Mexico match, a spot has opened up in the Soca Warriors offense. It is a void that Joseph hopes to fill.
“It is a great feeling to be back on the team and play against Mexico,” said the attacker, who was on the field for 90 minutes against Comunicaciones before giving way to late sub Kerry Baptiste.
A man of very few words, Joseph is content to let his talent do the talking. While as a member of Point Fortin Civic FC, he was the 2014/15 TT Pro League’s third leading scorer with 15 goals.
What can be expected of him come Friday? Joseph replied simply, saying: “I hope to do well against Mexico, maybe score.”
Keeping it simple, with a focused attitude, just might bring Joseph and the Soca Warriors more success.