For Alvin Jones, the last year has been a roller-coaster with deep dips and huge highs.
His highpoint was scoring a free kick winner against the United States in a 2-1 win in a CONCACAF Nations League A second leg match, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in November.
But he also experienced the low of being dropped from the national team following a disastrous showing at the 2023 Gold Cup in July, having also not secured a contract overseas last season.
Jones, 29, had served one-year contracts over the previous four years, playing with OKC Energy, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs and Forward Madison, in the United States.
Following his time abroad, he returned to local football in early 2023. Playing in a right-back position, he scored seven goals in ten matches and helped Tiger Tanks Club Sando to third spot in the inaugural Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football league (TTPFL).
Now with Miscellaneous Police FC, he joins elder brother Joevin Jones —the former America-based MLS midfielder— and is hoping for an even better second TTPFL season.
“As a lil’ kid I’ve always been in and around the Police dressing room. I have a lot of history when it comes to Police,” he said, explaining that with his father Kelvin Jones playing, and later coaching the lawmen, he has always had an association with the Police team.
Jones believes that a good local season could serve as a springboard to an overseas campaign once again.
“I trying to get ‘Defender of the Season’ and things like that,” Jones declared. “I’m using these games to keep my fitness, and building to try and get a contract overseas.”
Jones also triumphantly returned to the national set-up for a pair of CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final matches last in November. His tenure in national colours had appeared ended, following a clear-out of older players by coach Angus Eve after the team’s dismal showing at the CONCACAF Gold Cup last July.
Jones was among those dropped, including goalkeeper Marvin Phillips, his brother Joevin, Sheldon Bateau and the retired Kevin Molino, all having gone past age 30.
While many accomplished national footballers --his good friend Molino and Densill Theobald included— cannot boast of having played on a winning senior national team against the USA, Jones has done it twice, both times scoring the match winner with his trademark rocket free kick.
“It’s one of my strengths,” he noted. “Kicking the ball, passing the ball, that’s definitely one of my strengths. The free kick was the right timing. It was good for the fans, for the team, and victory helped us a lot to have that confidence to go into the next round and try to qualify for the Copa America.”
For Jones, qualification for the Copa American 2024 will be huge. T&T play Canada in a one-off eliminator on March 23 at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, with the winners securing a berth in Group A --alongside World Cup champions Argentina, Chile and Peru.
“It’s everything going to this tournament,” Jones stated. “We all see the draw. We can play against the likes of (Lionel) Messi, (Argentina) World Cup winners and the last Copa America winners.”
He continued: “For me the draw alone is everything. Once I get the opportunity to represent the country, I will be putting my best foot forward and trying to help the team in all aspects, defence and even in attack. So, for me, it’s huge.”
Despite the tough assignment come March, Jones is of the view the No.96-ranked Soca Warriors are capable of beating Canada, a team listed 48 places above them. “It’s just one game and it’s a neutral ground, which is a good advantage for us,” he said. “It’s just for us to stay focused and keep that momentum we had in (the Nations League) group stage. The last game we played, we won over the USA. Obviously, the confidence is there.” But he added: “We have to be focused, patient. At times we will be suffering and don’t have the ball. We just have to first enjoy the game and hopefully we come out with the win.”
Jones also had a message for local football fans, citing that 50 per cent of the Trinidad and Tobago unit comes from the local league.
“I think the fans should come out (to) the Pro League and push the players, not only the players on the national team, but for the players that want to be on the national team. It will give them that drive to try and make the team and it will only make us as a country better if we have 50, 60, 80 players knocking on the door (and trying) to come (on to) the national team.”
SOURCE: T&T Express