The overseas-based professionals sanctioned by Soca Warriors’ Colombian Francisco Maturana for the next two 2010 Concacaf World Cup Second Rouand Qualifying matches away to Guatemala on October 11 and four days later at home to the USA will begin arriving in T&T today.
Assistant coach/player Russell Latapy is expected to arrive tomorrow (Monday) following Falkirk’s match against Motherwell today, along with Chris Birchall (Coventry City), Carlos Edwards (Wolverhampton), Turkish-based forward Darryl Roberts, Scottish-based winger Collin Samuel (St Johnstone) and Stern John (Southampton) while Puerto Rico Islanders defender Osei Telesford is on a likely replacement for Toronto FC defender Julius James, who is struggling to win his battle against a hamstring injury.
Already here ahead of Wednesday’s warm-up match against the Dominican Republic at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 5 pm is Miami FC defender Avery John as well as Belgium-based midfielder Khaleem Hyland (SV Zulte Waregem), who both missed the 3-0 loss away to USA last month due to suspension. Despite picking up a knock earlier in the week, T&T leading striker and top scorer Stern John who was overlooed for the first three matches against Cuba, Guatemala and USA said he is expected to be fully fit for the matches.
So far this season Birchall, who featured in the win over Cuba in Havana has appeared only for the Coventry City Reserves but club boss Chris Coleman has given the assurance that the midfielder has kept his fitness rate up and expects him to be snapped up by another club soon.
Edwards who made his debut for Championship Division side, Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3-1 loss to Jason Scotland’s Swansea City is also anxiously looking ahead to the matches.
“It felt good putting on the Wolves shirt for the first time but obviously it was a disappointing way to start with the result. Scotty (Jason Scotland) was on fire today. He really did the trick for them. For me personally the minutes was good for me to get with the two games coming up next week in Guatemala and then back home,” added Edwards, who moved to Wolves on a three-month loan deal on Thursday from Sunderland.
“The main thing was going out there and feeling well and now the intention is to come home and continue this momentum going into the Guatemala match.. The friendly on Wednesday is a good tune up because obviously some of the guys will value the playing time,” he said.
Meanwhile, The T&T team which will go into a live-in camp at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wrightson Road, from tomorrow, will have its first training session under coach Maturana at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, in the afternoon. Following the match against Dominican Republic on Wednesday, the Soca Warriors will depart for Guatemala on Thursday ahead of the match two days later before returning to Port-of-Spain immediately after the match on a charter flight.
The match officials for T&T vs Guatemala are as follows: Referee – Mauricio Navarro (Canada), Assistant 1 - Hector Vergara (Canada) and Assistant 2 – Darren Clark (Canada). The match commissioner is Dave Fredericks from the Cayman Islands and Jamaican Peter Prenderast is the referee assessor. For the T&T/USA match, Costa Rican Walter Quesada is the match referee with Honduras’ Roberto Giron and Costa Rica’s Oswaldo Luna to serve as the assistants. The T&T/Guatemala encounter will also be aired live on CNMG Channel 6 as well as on Radio 105 FM and I95.5FM.
T&T squad: Clayton Ince (Walsall), Marvin Phillip (W Connection), Dennis Lawrence (Crewe Alexandra), Avery John (Miami FC), Keyeno Thomas (Joe Public), Cyd Gray (Clico San Juan Jabloteh), Makan Hislop (Utd Petrotrin), Aklie Edwards (Defence Force), Julius James (Toronto FC), Dwight Yorke (Sunderland), Clyde Leon (W Connection), Russell Latapy (Falkirk), Keon Daniel (Utd Petrotrin), Christopher Birchall (Coventry City), Khaleem Hyland (SV Zulte Waregem), Carlos Edwards (Wolverhampton), Anthony Wolfe (North East Stars), Collin Samuel (St Johnstone), Andre Toussaint (W Connection), Cornell Glen (Clico San Juan Jabloteh), Stern John (Southampton), Darryl Roberts (Denizlispor Kulubu).