The Soca Warriors of Trinidad and Tobago will finish their Argentina tour with one defeat coming at the hands of Second Division club Atletico Los Andes in yesterday's final warm up before the Warriors head of to El Salvador for their opening game of the Hexagonal series with that country at the Estadio Cuscatlan Stadium on February 11 (19:00).
Apart from it's only defeat though Trinidad and Tobago did however managed favorable result during their Argentine tour. It started of with a (1-1) tie against Primera Division club Argentinos Juniors, a (3-0) win over Second Division club Quilmes, a hard fought (3-2) win over Primera club Tigre and a (2-2) draw with Atletico Platense.
As reported by TTFF Press officer Shaun Fuentes, the T&T team will depart Buenos Aires for San Salvador via Panama City. They are expected to arrive in San Salvador and check into the Radisson Hotel close to midnight. Head coach Francisco Maturana heads off to Los Angeles on Thursday to view a friendly international between El Salvador and Peru which leaves Latapy in charge of the team until Sunday. Two full sessions will take place on Monday and Tuesday prior to Wednesday's opener for the “Soca Warriors”.
El Salvador meanwhile, under Mexican coach Carlos de los Cobos opened their Central American Nations Cup with a (1-1) draw with lightly regarded Nicaragua, bounced back with a 4-1 victory over minnows Belize that essentially put them in the semifinals of the Copa de Naciones de UNCAF, but a 2-0 loss to fellow World Cup final round qualifier Honduras has cast some doubt over El Salvador.
And, as predicted El Salvador did fall apart in the semifinals to Costa Rica (3-0). A game in which El Salvador will not want to remember. After sixty minutes of play El Salvador was reduced to six players. Two El Salvador players, Alexander Escobar and Eliseo Quintanilla, were awarded red cards in the first half, and Deris Umanzor, Rodolfo Zelaya and goalkeeper Juan José Gómez were injured and had to leave the game after El Salvador had already exhausted their three substitutions. The game was eventually called off and El Salvador skipped a bullet. They played Honduras again this time for a 3rd place play-off spot but got piped (1-0) in the end and had to settle for fourth, nonetheless, El Salvador still managed one better than T&T did in their quest to reach the 2009 Gold Cup, they will compete in next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup while T&T will stay at home.
El Salvador heads into the 10-round “hexagonal” having lost twice to Costa Rica in the semifinal round, including a 3-1 defeat at home in the final game after it already was assured of advancing. Seeking one of three guaranteed berths from CONCACAF in South Africa, El Salvador likely will rely on Rudis Corrales of Salvadoran club CD Aguila, who scored seven goals to equal Jamaica's Luton Shelton for most in the 12-team semifinal stage.
He has been responsible for a quarter of Salvador’s scoring so far in qualifying, converting crosses and in tight spaces in front of goal. Rodolfo Zelaya of domestic club Alianza, who scored three of his four goals in the previous round in a 5-0 victory over Haiti on September 6,provides another finishing option. El Salvador’s most critical member could be Corales' Aguila teammate, left-footed midfielder Eliseo Quintanilla.
Atletico Los Andes: Walter Cáceres, Cristian Vega, Patricio Grgona, Mariano Sardi; Matías Maidana (Walter Alcaraz) Brítez Marcos Ojeda, Gustavo Arce, Gastón Montero, Jaime Molfeso (Alberto Yaque), Gonzalo Bustamante (Maximiliano Acosta), Juan Martín.
Coach: Enrique Hrabina.
Trinidad and Tobago: 1.Marvin Phillip; 14.Akeil Guevara (Sean Power), 4.Makan Hislop, 5.Keyeno Thomas (capt), 3.Aklie Edwards; 2.Clyde Leon, 7.Trent Noel (Densill Theobald), 19.Keon Daniel, 10.Russell Latapy, 9.Errol McFarlane (Cornell Glen), 8.Anthony Wolfe.
Coach: Francisco Maturana.