T&T strengthens squad for encounter with Boyz

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC): Five overseas-based pros - led by Cornell Glen - have been added to Trinidad and Tobago's (T&T) men's national team for friendly internationals on October 6 and October 10.

Glen plays for the San Jose Earthquakes and is one of three players from Major League Soccer in the United States who have been added to boost the Soca Warriors' squad.

The other two are Los Angeles Galaxy defender Yohance Marshall and DC United defender Julius James.

Kendall Jagdeosingh and Keon Daniel have also been invited. They play for the Puerto Rico Islanders in the United States Soccer League.

"It's important for us to start having a look at some of the overseas-based players available to the team for the Digicel Caribbean Cup and as such we have opted to invite some of the players that are playing in the (United States)," said Soca Warriors operations manager, David Muhammad.

ja showdown 0ct 10

The Soca Warriors are coming off a 1-1 draw with Guyana last Sunday in Georgetown and are set to face a yet-to-be-named opponent at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on October 6, before leaving for Jamaica to face the Reggae Boyz on October 10.

Muhammad noted that the fixture against the Jamaicans would be a very crucial encounter for the Warriors.

"The Jamaicans, as we know, will be taking this return friendly in Kingston seriously as they want to ensure that their impeccable home record remains in place," he said.

"They too will be inviting a number of overseas-based players for the encounter. They are really on a high at the moment."

Initially, the Warriors had toyed with the idea of inviting the pair of Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones and Ipswich Town midfielder Carlos Edwards from Britain for the friendly against Jamaica, which falls on a FIFA international date.

quickly shelved

But this was quickly shelved when it was discovered that neither would be available for the Digicel Caribbean Cup, and so it was agreed that Warriors coach Russell Latapy should use only players available to him for the regional competition.

A string of feeble results left T&T wobbling over the last month. They lost 3-1 to Jamaica on home soil in August and then suffered a 3-0 loss to Panama on the road, before being held 0-0 by Belize.

Latapy's team then managed to pull off 1-0 and 3-0 wins over Antigua and Barbuda and St Lucia, respectively, before the draw with the Guyanese.

The results prompted T&T Minister of Sport Anil Roberts to give Latapy an ultimatum of winning the Digicel Cup, or quitting his post, when the regional competition was launched last week.