FORMER Soca Warriors player Anton Wolfe said T&T head coach Angus Eve needs to be given a chance in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup as everyone will have their opinion on who should have been selected on the squad.
The Soca Warriors will play St Kitts/Nevis in their opening Group A match of the Gold Cup on Sunday at the DRV PNK Stadium in Ft Lauderdale, US, at 3.30 pm.
After the match against St Kitts/Nevis, T&T will play Jamaica on June 28 at 7.30 pm followed by the US on July 2 at 7 pm.
The Gold Cup will be hosted by US and Canada from Saturday to July 16.
Eve said it was a tough task to leave out players from the 23-man squad. After the squad was named he said players like Reon Moore, Josiah Trimmingham, John Paul Rochford, Nathaniel James, Duane Muckette and Justin Garcia were some of the players who were unlucky to be overlooked.
Only six local-based players have been chosen in the squad including goalkeepers Marvin Philip (AC Port of Spain) and Denzil Smith (W Connection), defender Alvin Jones (Club Sando), midfielders Joevin Jones (Police FC) and Real Gill (Club Sando), and striker Kadeem Corbin (Terminix La Horquetta Rangers).
In an interview with T&T Football Association media after the squad was named, Eve said, “I just want to say that they are part of the team, but unfortunately you can only pick 23 players at this point in time...Looking at the squad that we have here we just thought that this group was the best group for us to go forward with at this point in time.” Wolfe told Newsday, “If you ask me if I agree with the coach’s selection I may say no, but I respect it,” he said.
Wolfe would have liked to see more local players get the chance but said Eve must be supported.
“Yes, I think a little more local-based (players) should have been on the team, but that is the coach’s decision. Maybe he is seeing something in the foreign players that the local players may be lacking, I don’t know. As (former T&T coach) Leo Beenhakker always say it have 1.3 million coaches in T&T and once your favourite player is not selected you will kick up against the selection.”
Wolfe said often times local players don’t ask their coaches questions to improve their game.
Wolfe, a member of the 2006 World Cup squad coached by Beenhakker, said, “I think it is time we just relax, give Angus Eve his opportunity. Whatever team he pick we will support them. If the team do bad is his selection, if the team do good is his selection. Everything is up to him at the end of the day. The local guys just have to stay strong, keep working and wait for the opportunity to come again and grasp it.”
T&T are ranked 104th in the FIFA rankings. The Soca Warriors will be underdogs against both Jamaica and the US as they are ranked 63rd and 13th respectively. St Kitts/Nevis are the lowest-ranked team in Group A at 139th in the world.
Wolfe said T&T can qualify for the next round.
“I always believe in a tournament all teams have a chance to come out of the group because football is played on the day.
“It is how much you really want it...I think T&T have a fair chance of coming out the group. It is all about the guys who he (Eve) selected on that day to go and to play. They have to want something for themselves.”
At the last Gold Cup in 2021, T&T did not advance out of the group phase. T&T were drawn in a tough group alongside Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.
T&T ended third in the group with draws against Mexico and Guatemala and a loss to El Salvador.
SOURCE: T&T Newsday