T&T Go for it in closing Group match

T&T Go for it in closing Group match

Trinidad and Tobago will close out Group A play with a must-win match against hosts United States at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte tonight at 7:00pm

Following last weekend’s 4-1 defeat to Jamaica, the Angus Eve-coached team can only advance with a win tonight which will push them through to the knockout phase against the winners of Group D which comprises Guadeloupe, Canada, Cuba and Guatemala.

T&T currently sit in third place with three points behind leaders Jamaica (4 points) and US (4 points).

The T&T side has trained twice at University of North Carolina over the past couple days.

At Saturday’s official pre-game press conference

In a pre-match press conference held in Charlotte on Saturday, Eve and goalkeeper Marvin Phillip stressed the importance of a victory.

“I know what it would mean for us but I don’t know what it would mean for the country. We came in 2021 after a failed World Cup campaign. Our expectation there was to make the group stage (Gold Cup) because we were still in a rebuilding stage,” Eve said.

“So to qualify proper this time, and to try to get out of the group, was the aim this time and that will show some level of improvement as we go along. So we’re very realistic in what we believe we can do.”

He said that TT’s football had “been in turmoil for a number of years” and that this was the first year, since the pandemic hit in March 2020, that TT had a league up and running.

Eve added, “There’s a lot of issues we’re working through; so it’s getting a little more quiet. The work is being seen on the park where we have been improving a lot. So now we want to make steps going forward every single time we play.

“Now we’ve qualified back to back for the Gold Cup, making the group stage, back to back, now we want to see if we can come out, that would signify progress.”

He confirmed that his squad was in a good mood ahead of the USA test and despite the odds stacked against them, “anything we do is a bonus coming out of this group. We’re still in it going into the last game and I think that in itself is progress.”

Phillip said that victory is the only option.

“We have that (win) in the back of our heads. It’s not going to be an easy game and it will be tough. But once we play to our full potential, we will get past the US and go on to the second round.

“It would be a significant feat to get over the US. We have been battling since 1989, there is always a rivalry there. We getting over the US at this point augurs well for our football going forward.”

Asked what was his biggest challenge, Eve said: “To start with the belief that we didn’t start with against Jamaica. I think for 30 minutes we looked shell-shocked but I thought after that in the second half, we settled down really nicely and started to show ourselves.

“We’re in a difficult group. Nobody expects us to come out of the group, nobody, because both teams (USA and Jamaica) are ranked higher than us. They have better quality players than us, so anything that we do is a bonus coming out of this group. Both teams have four points, we have three. We’re still in it going into the last game and I think that in itself is progress,” Eve explained.

The former national midfielder, who holds the record for the most games played for his country, dismissed claims that the US team is a second-string team, saying, the hunger of the team (USA), as the players have been battling for spots on the first team makes it even more difficult as the players all have a point to prove to their coaches and national selectors.

Since their 3-0 triumph over St Kitts and Nevis on June 25, the Warriors looked like a shadow of themselves, going down embarrassingly in a Caribbean affair 4-1 at City Park in St Louis, Missouri. Now, however, only a win can revive their chances of a quarterfinal berth.

Eve said he has been trying to find out what is the cause for their slow starts.

“That’s the mystery we’re trying to solve. The warm-ups were good, and the preparation was good. I think some of the mental preparation was not that good maybe, so we’re trying to correct that, but our second half in both matches was excellent halves.

“In the Jamaica game, we looked like we wanted to create a lot of chances and, in fact, we did create chances, without taking the opportunities. But in the St Kitts and Nevis game that’s when we took over but in that game, the pitch didn’t really help us in the first half, as there was a lot of water when we started the game.”

Trinidad and Tobago has been a frequent foe for the USA in Concacaf, with the U.S. holding a 20-3-4 record.

Trinidad & Tobago roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 21-Nicklas Frenderup (Ranheim/NOR; 10/0), 1-Marvin Phillip (Port of Spain; 91/0), 22-Denzil Smith (W Connection; 1/0)

DEFENDERS (8): 5-Leland Archer (Charleston Battery/USA; 3/0), 4-Sheldon Bateau (Beveren/BEL; 50/4), 2-Aubrey David (Aucas/ECU; 72/1), 14-Shannon Gomez (San Antonio FC/USA; 8/0), 18-Triston Hodge (Hartford Athletic/USA; 25/0), 16-Alvin Jones (Club Sando; 43/2), 12-Kareem Moses (FF Jaro/FIN; 16/1), 6-Luke Singh (Atletico Ottawa/CAN; 0/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Ajani Fortune (Atlanta United FC/USA; 4/0), 15-Neveal Hackshaw (Oakland Roots SC/USA; 32/2), 3-Joevin Jones (Police; 87/12), 23-Molik Jesse Khan (Minnesota United/USA; 4/0), 10-Kevin Molino (Columbus Crew/USA; 56/22), 17-Andre Rampersad (HFX Wanderers/CAN; 2/0)

FORWARDS (6): 20-Kaile Auvray (Sporting KC/USA; 6/0), 9-Kadeem Corbin (La Horquetta Rangers; 3/0), 11-Levi Garcia (AEK Athens/GRE; 38/8), 13-Real Gill (Club Sando; 1/0), 19-Malcolm Shaw (Atletico Ottawa/CAN; 0/0), 7-Ryan Telfer (Miami FC/USA; 21/8)

U.S. roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 18-Sean Johnson (Toronto FC/CAN; 13/0), 23-Gaga Slonina (Chelsea/ENG; 1/0), 1-Matt Turner (Arsenal/ENG; 29/0)

DEFENDERS (8): 15-DeJuan Jones (New England Revolution; 3/0), 3-Aaron Long (LAFC; 33/3), 4-Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati; 25/1), 20-Jalen Neal (LA Galaxy; 4/0), 5-Bryan Reynolds (Roma/ITA; 4/0), 12-Miles Robinson (Atlanta United; 21/3), 21-John Tolkin (New York Red Bulls; 2/0), 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami; 79/0)

MIDFIELDERS (6): 6-Gianluca Busio (Venezia/ITA; 10/0), 14-Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar/NED; 8/1), 16-Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew; 4/0), 10-Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders; 34/3), 8-James Sands (New York City FC; 10/0), 7-Alan Soñora (FC Juárez/MEX; 5/0)

FORWARDS (6): 11-Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes; 5/0), 9-Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas; 20/8), 22-Julian Gressel (Vancouver Whitecaps/CAN; 3/0), 13-Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders; 53/11), 19-Brandon Vazquez (FC Cincinnati; 5/2), 17-Alex Zendejas (Club América/MEX; 5/1)