TT seek full points

Both teams suffered home defeats in their opening Final Round games on Friday, with Trinidad and Tobago beaten 2-0 by Costa Rica while Honduras fell to a 1-0 loss against Panama.

John, who has a tally of 70 goals in 115 international appearances, said in a TT Football Association (TT FA) media release, “I really look at Honduras as a three-pointer for us. I think going there gives us a chance to get a result.

We will get more chances.

“We can play a bit quicker and with a bit more drive. We don’t want to be panicking and in fact we don’t need to be in a panic mode...I don’t think we need to play too defensive but we also don’t want to be more open.” John, who currently plays for Saddle Hill Hotspur in the National Super League Championship Division and also serves as an assistant coach with Central FC, continued, “after 10 to 15 minutes we can be settled in and start moving the ball.

We need to see more guys breaking their necks and busting their tails to get into the box.

We need more players making runs past Kenwyne (Jones) around the box. The Costa Ricans were passing and moving while we were just passing without much movement. We need to make unselfish runs and work for each other. But for me I think this can be a three-pointer for us.” The 39-year-old John went on to state, “the Hondurans will be under pressure after the loss to Panama so their fans will be on their backs early. I think if we can take the sting out of the game, and get their fans out of it, we can go on to get the victory.” Stephen Hart, the TT coach, has acknowledged that his charges will have to improve in their attacking plays in order to emerge victorious in today’s match.

“We know very well that we need to improve in the attacking third,” he said.

“How we combine our movement off the ball needs to be a lot more dynamic and we will have to close down Honduras effectively.

Not just close them down but try to win the ball in crucial areas of the pitch and try to get on top of them because that is what they are going to try to do to us in the opening minutes.” Hart continued, “they (Honduras) are very dynamic, lots of hard running, hard tackling. They just put you under pressure all the time and we have to try and counter that by playing quicker, playing deeper and doing the same to them.

It’s just a matter of the mindset and the attitude towards doing what needs to be done.”