Tweet
di Yaaard Massive nuh ave nutten fi report?
Training - Reggae Boyz?
Training - T'dad?
Mi deh yah a wait fi unnuh leggo di news!
Training - Reggae Boyz?
Training - T'dad?
Mi deh yah a wait fi unnuh leggo di news!
-
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -
From Flex's site-
25-Mar-2008.
Warriors to battle on without Sunderland duo.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF Media).
Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Footballers arrived in Kingston just around 2pm on Monday for their upcoming friendly international against Jamaica at the National Stadium here on Wednesday night. Head coach Francisco Maturana and captain Aurtis Whitley led the rest of the team in an evening training session at Tivoli Gardens and will have a final rehearsal at the match venue on Tuesday evening for the game which is being highly anticipated in reggae land.
Head coach of the Jamaican team Rene Simoes told the Jamaican media that he was going all out in the encounter which over the years has been billed as one where bragging rights is a major priority. The Jamaicans qualified for the 1998 World Cup and T&T performed a similar feat in 2006. The last time these two teams met, Jamaica came away 2-1 winners in a Digicel Cup encounter in 2004. Jamaica also won the two previous World Cup qualifying meetings 1-0 and 2-1. Simoes was at the helm of the T&T team in the second encounter played at the Queen’s Park Oval.
With Jamaica having the majority of its heavyweights for Wednesday’s game, T&T suffered a double blow with the news that both Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards would not be joining the squad for the match. The Sunderland medical staff, in communication with T&T team Doctor Terrence Babwah and team administrator David Muhammad explained Jones as still recovering from a virus and was unfit to travel. However Sunderland physiotherapist Peter Friar, in a letter to the T&T team management, stated that Edwards suffered a groin problem in training on Friday. However he was declared fit and the club felt he was too much of a key player to leave out. He managed to play 67 minutes for Sunderland in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
Friar said Edwards was still experiencing tightness in the groin and his hip was impinging in its adducted/medial rotation quadrant. Babwah, as was customary in such matters, requested an MRI of the injury as well as an independent examination. As has occurred in the past, a medical doctor in Birmingham has been used by the TTFF for similar cases with players during the 2006 World Cup qualification. However Sunderland stated that it was unnecessary for Edwards to undergo the MRI as well as get an independent assessment.
According to Muhammad, Friad relayed that the MRI scan possibly would not show any relevant hip pathology which he (Friar) was referring to in his letter, but rather pick up only a minor soft tissue lesion. Babwah recalled Jones himself undergoing an independent assessment by the same Birmingham-based doctor prior to the match in 2005 before returning to Port of Spain to represent T&T.
A FIFA ruling states that in such instances, the country’s governing body can enforce action whereby the player does not take part in training or in a match over a five-day period following the date of the match he was requested to be released for. The TTFF has gone ahead with that request through FIFA and both players will not be eligible to play for Sunderland in Saturday’s game against West Ham United. T&T head coach Francisco Maturana did admit his disappointment on not having Jones and Edwards available.
“It is sad that they will not be here because they are a very big part of the plans for the country just as they are for their club. We don’t get to have players every week like the clubs which is why it was important for them to be available for this game. Player selection is all part of planning for international games,” Maturana told TTFF Media on Monday.
“But we hope they recover well and we will not let that hold us down. We have other players here and they will have to play their game and we will prepare for Wednesday’s game.”
Whitley said his troops will soldier on. “It’s disappointing that both Carlos and Jonesy will not be here but we are here to play Jamaica and we will go play them and try our best to get a good result. We will not let that hold us back,” he added.
“The game will be a tough one. We know Jamaica always wants to beat Trinidad especially in football and the public will come out for this one but it will be a good test for us and I think we will be able to pull out the stops and go for something good."
Charleston Battery striker Randi Patterson, fresh from scoring a double over Toronto FC on the weekend, joined the team on Monday in Kingston and Jan Michael Williams and striker Darryl Roberts were scheduled to arrive later that day. Defender Osei Telesford and Collin Samuel will join the team at the Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday. Kick off at is 7pm (8pm T&T Time).
Video with team training in Jamaica.
Copyright 2000 - 2007 Soca Warriors Supporters Club, Inc. All rights reserved."Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Comment