St Clair hopes Seabra can play for TT

Trinidad and Tobago’s footballers will play the British Virgin Islands on December 12 in an away second-round Caribbean Football Union Digicel Cup encounter. TT finished top of Group “D” ahead of Grenada and will meet BVI who were runners-up in Group “E” action. The return leg will be played in Trinidad on December 19. The second round series victors will advance to the CFU tournament’s third round which has three home-and-away encounters January 9 and 16,  2005. The Third Round winners will then join the host Barbados in the CFU Final Round of the Digicel Cup from February 20-24. Three teams will qualify for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold  Cup from July 6-24 in the USA.

Following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Suriname at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar the “Soca Warriors” resume training today at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. They should be joined by recently appointed assistant coach David Nakhid who was scheduled to arrive from Lebanon on Monday evening. Head coach Bertille St Clair expressed some satisfaction with the showing of some of the locally-based players in the past three matches in which TT played unbeaten. He also spoke of the possibility of Brazilian-born midfielder Jose Luis Seabra joining the team once he acquires Trinidad and Tobago citizenship.

“Seabra is a very good player... good touch with good vision. He is also a lefty which is always an asset on any team. It would be great if he could play for TT. This kind of thing  happens all over the world, even in the big countries. The US gave citizenship to Freddy Adu of Ghana so he could play for  them,” said St Clair. “Seabra spoke to me some weeks ago and he really wants to play for Trinidad and Tobago. I hope things work out so that he will be eligible for us,” St Clair said. Looking ahead to the following weeks, St Clair said emphasis will be placed on preparing the locally-based pros. “We are now going into a very important phase of the programme and the next few weeks will be a lot of hard work. Everybody has had a chance to show themselves over the past few months, overseas and local players.

“When I started off I said we would open up the team and see as many players as possible and I am satisfied that we did the right thing. Now it is time to put the pieces together and  build a cohesive team for the final World Cup qualifying round,” the Tobagonian said. “I am really pleased that the local players will be available from now on and there is no excuse for players not to train with the national team. Overall, I was pleased with some of the performances in the Digicel Cup and it shows that the players are growing. We have to increase the pace and get into top shape for the final round next year,” St Clair added.

Players to resume training: Durance Williams, Jan Michael Williams, Kevin Graham Anton Pierre, Keyeno Thomas, Cyd Gray, Josh Johnson, Atiba Charles, Nigel Daniel Derek Phillips, Ian Gray, Marlon Rojas, Avery John, Stephen Cruikshank, Derek King Densil Theobald, Kerry Baptiste, Leslie Fitzpatrick, Kerwyn Jemmott, Aurtis Seaton, Silvio Spann, Lyndon Andrews, Michael Celestine, Uzz Taylor, Marvin Oliver Cornell Glen, Ordelle Armstrong, Jerren Nixon ,Errol McFarlane, Nigel Pierre, Kendall Davis, Conrad Smith.