Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers will assemble in Miami at around 3pm on Sunday as the local contingents departs Piarco International Airport in the morning and will be joined the quota of overseas-based professionals scheduled to arrive from London in the afternoon.
Head coach Bertille St Clair had his final session at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Friday morning and was satisfied with the progress of the home-based pros which he hopes will compliment the ones flying in to Miami from London.
The list of players leaving from home includes midfielder Angus Eve, defender Atiba Charles just back from impressing in trials and is reported to have impressed in his stint with Oldham Athletic, Keyeno Thomas and Nigel Pierre of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, Defence Force’s Anton Pierre, Leslie Fitzpatrick and Nigel Henry.
Arriving from London will be Portsmouth goalie Shaka Hislop, Crewe Alexandra’s Clayton Ince, Wrexham’s Carlos Edwards, Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones, Yokohama FC midfielder Silvio Spann, Scottish-based duo Marvin Andrews and Brent Sancho, Gillingham’s Ian Cox, Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke and Coventry City’s Stern John.
Wrexham striker Hector Sam will arrive on Tuesday while United States-based duo Cornell Glen and Marlon Rojas will meet the team in Miami. Assistant coach David Nakhid will also link up with the team in Miami, coming in from Lebanon. The rest of the staff includes team administrator Peter Rampersad, trainers Wayne Cumberbatch and Zeph Nicholas, goalkeeper coach Michael Maurice and team doctor Terrance Babwah. The team will be in a live in camp in Miami before departing for Guatemala on Thursday.
Eve, who was in action mid week against New York/New Jersey MetroStars, said he expected the “Warriors” would be ready for Guatemala despite the team not being together since February.
“The majority of the team hasn’t been together since the last qualifying match but I think that because we have been playing for a while now, it shouldn’t be a headache to gel as a team again. It’s something that we have had to deal with before and the few days in Miami should come in well for us at this stage. Some of the guys faced Guatemala last year so we will not be going in there as any strangers. We are going after three points in this one,” Eve told TTFF Media on Saturday.
Midfielder Edwards is also hoping to make a valuable input in the matches coming up which includes a home qualifier against Costa Rica on March 30 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
“I haven’t played against Guatemala in their home field but this is chance for us to go and show that we have the kind of steel to overcome such a stiff challenge. They will be gunning because they are at home but I have no fears about us being able to rise to the challenge,” Edwards said.
Originally carded to play Honduras in a friendly at the Ted Hendricks Stadium next Tuesday, T&T will now play a local club team on the same day as the clash with the Hondurans had to be cancelled because of the fact that both teams are in the same CONCACAF Gold Cup group.