Soca Warriors face tricky SVG

KINGSTOWN: Trinidad and Tobago senior footballers seek to begin their campaign on a winning note in the 2006 World Cup qualifying semi-final round against St Vincent and the Grenadines today. The “Soca Warriors” trained at the Arnos Vale pitch under steamy weather yesterday after being forced to use a below par Sion Hill Ground the previous evening.

Today they willl be taking nothing for granted when they face the SVG team in the Group “C” clash. “We won’t be having our guards down at any time,” captain Angus Eve said on the eve of the crucial match. “We have been guilty in the past of taking the Caribbean teams lightly but this is the semi-final stage of the World Cup qualifiers and everybody wants to win at all costs. We will play our game with all intentions of going back home with a win,” Eve said. The skipper is counting on full support from his teammates Arnold Dwarika, Stern John, Anthony Rougier, Brent Sancho, Scott Sealy, Brent Rahim and tall defensive duo Marvin Andrews and Dennis Lawrence.

That list, with the exception of Sealy have sufficient World Cup qualifying experience under their belts to know what to expect. They topped the semi-final phase two years ago and will be hoping to start on a positive note once again after defeating Canada 2-0 on the road in their first match last time around. “We are here on a mission and everything depends on how good we are in the mind and body. We must be focused in every aspect and taking the game to them will be important to us playing away from home even,” St Clair said yesterday. “The next level of the journey begins from here and we must be able to take our game up another level as well. And starting with a positive result could be no better way for us,” he said. Sealy is likely to start with John up front with Lebanon-based forward Errol McFarlane providing back up while Eve will aim to orchestrate the middle with playmakers Brent Rahim, Arnold Dwarika and Silvio Spann all with their work cut out.

Southampton’s Kenwyne Jones, Derek King, Marlon Rojas and Keyeno Thomas will no doubt have important roles as well. “I expect St Vincent to come at us as well because they are  playing at home so therefore we cannot afford to leave any spaces or present them with any easy chances,” Andrews stressed. “By the grace of God and with a strong performance, I think we will  come away with a win.” The locals here seem confident of getting a win against the “Soca Warriors.” Already boldly calling themselves the “Soca Boys”, SVG have in their line-up Oldham Athletic striker Rodney Jack; winger Kendall Velox; Wesley John, who have both played in the TT Pro League; experienced defender Cornelius Huggins; and forwards Shandel Samuel and Renson Haynes. They will prove a tricky test for TT. But the team, coached by Englishman Adrian Shaw, should be no hurdle which St Clair’s men cannot overcome. American referee Terry Vaughn will carry the whistle in this encounter. TT overcame the Domincan Republic 6-0 on aggregate while St Vincent got past Nicaragua 6-3.  The other Group “C” clash between St Kitts/Nevis and Mexico has been pushed back to November 13.

Meantime, St Clair has responded to newspaper reports that he left out Scottish-based striker Jason Scotland because of his hair style, saying there was not truth to that. “This is real foolishness. Whoever is making these claims is being very dishonest but I will say no more at this time. However I am glad that Jason’s club is willing to release him and it now means that whenever we ask for him for the full five days that FIFA allow there will be no problems at all,” St Clair said. “For this match he could not arrive on August 15 along with the other forwards, so we replaced him with Errol Mc Farlane. By the way, has anyone seen Mc Farlane’s hairstyle?” St Clair asked. McFarlane is currently sporting a “kinky dread” hairstyle, while Spann, Dwarika and Sancho all have dreadlocks.