Soca Warriors in line of Venezuela fire

CARACAS: Venezuela will use “everything it has” against Trinidad and Tobago in today’s friendly football international, coach Richard Paez said yesterday. “I always try to present the best we have to continue making progress and gaining experience (while) looking forward to World Cup qualifying,” Paez told the Associated Press.

Paez said six Venezuelans who play abroad would see action today. The friendly, he hopes, will prepare Venezuela for the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins in September. Venezuela has never qualified for the World Cup finals. In the last qualifying tournament, Venezuela finished ninth.

Last Friday, Honduras beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 and ended their hopes of competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the championship of the North and Central American and Caribbean region. The loss followed a 3-2 defeat by Martinique. Venezuela, who are ranked 65th by FIFA, beat Jamaica 2-0 earlier this month in its first match of the year. In March, Venezuela lost to the United States 2-0 in another friendly. Trinidad and Tobago are ranked 51st. Today’s match will be played in Nuevo Pueblo stadium in San Cristobal, 750 kilometres (465 miles) west of Caracas.