The Britain-based duo of Fulham striker Bobby Zamora and Aston Villa's Jlloyd Samuel will not make their World Cup qualifying debuts for Trinidad and Tobago against El Salvador tomorrow at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Skipper Dwight Yorke is also still in doubt for the affair.
Yesterday, senior T&T football manager David Muhammad said Zamora had been injured Saturday in pre-season action with Fulham, and was disappointed to miss the crucial encounter.
Samuel, was unable to make the registration deadline necessary for him to be eligible for the match. The pair, however, remain available for subsequent matches.
Yorke is in Trinidad and joined the 24-man squad's live-in camp at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain on Sunday. But there has been no word as yet as to whether he will take the field for T&T.
Head coach Russell Latapy would only say that he intends to field T&T's best XI. A replacement for Yorke in the event he does not take the armband has not yet been named.
"He's (Yorke) available to play, that's why we invited him to play," Latapy said plainly. Yorke has been out of club since he was released by Sunderland in May, and his match fitness may be of concern to the technical staff.
Latapy kept details of his personnel selections for the crucial CONCACAF final round qualifier close to his chest, only saying that, "in my opinion, the players who deserve to play on the day will play".
The former T&T star midfielder added that the spirit in the "Soca Warriors" camp is high at the moment. Latapy also stated that in addition to gaining three points from the match, he would like to see his team play with their traditional flair.
"We have always had that attacking flair and style, and for us to play that way, this is what I would like to see," he articulated.
The foreign-based regulars in the squad include Sunderland players Carlos Edwards and Kenwyne Jones, Wigan Athletic's Jason Scotland, Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince, all based in England, as well as Scottish-based defender Marvin Andrews (Hamilton), Silvio Spann (Welsh-based club Wrexham) and currently unattached Dennis Lawrence. US-based Cornell Glen (San Jose Earthquakes) and Chris Birchall (LA Galaxy) have also joined the team.
Among the local-based players are Joe Public's Hayden Tinto and Kerry Baptiste, and W Connection's Hughtun Hector and Clyde Leon and the coach himself.
Latapy hopes a win can trigger renewed vigour in T&T's World Cup 2010 campaign.
"We are the bottom of the table," he said, "and I have to concentrate on T&T winning games. If we win five games or four games, then our destiny is in our hands."
T&T's 24-man squad:
Clayton Ince, Marvin Phillip, Dennis Lawrence, Marvin Andrews, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Keyeno Thomas, Keon Daniel, Densill Theobald, Carlos Edwards, Kenwyne Jones, Hughtun Hector, Clyde Leon, Trent Noel, Jan Michael Williams, Silvio Spann, Christopher Birchall, Jason Scotland, Cornell Glen, Keston Williams, Aklie Edwards, Kerry Baptiste, Hayden Tinto, Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy.
Zamora, Samuel out of El Salvador contest.
By: Joel Bailey (T&T Newsday).
Striker Bobby Zamora and defender Jlloyd Samuel will miss tomorrow’s FIFA World Cup CONCACAF Zone Final Round qualifier against El Salvador due to various reasons, according to Trinidad and Tobago football team manager David Muhammad.
This news was disclosed at a press conference yesterday at the Teak Room in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Port-of-Spain.
The pair, both 28 years old, who play for English Premiership clubs Fulham and Bolton Wanderers respectively, were invited to join the team for tomorrow’s match, following the granting of their TT passports – the two were former members of the England Under-21 squad.
“Neither of the two will be part of the squad for this game,” Muhammad said. “Bobby Zamora suffered an injury on Saturday and we were informed immediately by the physiotherapist of Fulham and the general secretary of the team.
“They immediately contacted us because we’ve already made flight arrangements for him,” he added. “He’d acquired his passport a few days earlier from the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission. Even his father is already here in Trinidad for the match.
“With regards to Jlloyd Samuel, he was on pre-season training (for Bolton) and he missed a deadline to pick up his Trinidad and Tobago passport.
“There is a mandatory 72-hour registration period in which a passport number is a mandatory component of that registration,” the TT manager added. “We could not register him if he did not have the passport itself. He still wanted to come over but we would not have been able to play him by (the) rules.
“Both players have expressed again their zeal to participate in the September 5 and 9 matches against Honduras away and the USA at home respectively,” he said. When asked about Zamora’s loyalty to the national team, Latapy said: “Although I understand that you’re probably unhappy with some of the options and decisions that he’s made in the past, I would like to think if he can help us to qualify, then he deserves to have his chance.”
Latapy noted that the players will be chosen on form and not on reputation. “As long as I am here, the national team, the starting 11 and the players who are involved with the national team will be based on performances,” he said.
Regarding the veteran players selected (Dwight Yorke, Clayton Ince, Jason Scotland, Carlos Edwards, Marvin Andrews and Dennis Lawrence), Latapy noted: “They are key players because they have shown over the years, with their fitness, (their value) to the national team.
“But we have a lot of young players coming up and they’re playing well in the local league,” he added. “Kerry Baptiste, for example, has got 23 goals in 15 games, and we need players to score goals. “So it might be an opportunity for Kerry Baptiste to get his chance. And, I hope if he gets his chance, then he can make good use of it.”
Since Latapy took over from Colombian Francisco Maturana as TT coach in April, the national team has only played one friendly international – a 3-2 win away to St Kitts/Nevis in July. When asked about the lack of practice matches, Latapy replied, “There is a bit of concern. This was a different situation from when I first took over the team, for the Costa Rica and Mexico matches.
“There was a lot of work to be done so I didn’t do any warm up games at that particular time,” he said.“It doesn’t matter to me if we’re playing warm-up games or not,” said Latapy. “We’re still going to go into this game, do our best and play for a result.”
With two points from five matches, Trinidad and Tobago is in last place in the six-team standings. But Latapy is still optimistic that the team can still book a spot in South Africa.