Five-day camp for TT Under-20s

A FIVE-day camp will be held next week for the national Under-20 football team as they prepare for the final round of the 2005 CONCACAF Under-20 Qualifiers. The camp will be staged from Monday until Friday at a venue yet to be determined. Trinidad and Tobago will face hosts United States, Costa Rica and Panama in Group A of the final round, from January 12-16 at the Home Depot Centre, Carson, California for two places in the World Youth Championships in the Netherlands. Coach Anton Corneal commented on the progress of the team during this traditionally hectic Christmas period.

“We’re in the middle of our training,” he said. “We’ll be going five days a week, hoping to get two games before the final round.” As far as the training squad is concerned, Corneal noted: “we have 28 players in training right now. We’re looking at a new goalkeeper (Andre Charles), we looked at (English-born utility player) Ricky Shakes who (went) back on Wednesday. (Striker) Abiola Sandy is training with us. Makan Hislop and Kevin Crooks are both back in the squad.” Corneal continued: “it’s going to make it very competitive to make the final 18 but we’ll take the players that are most ready at that time and also the ones that gained the experience out of the Cuba and Venezuela games. They’ll have a little edge on the other players.”

Corneal, a former Malta Carib Alcons and national midfielder, also spoke about the roles Shakes, Hislop and Crooks can play in the squad. “I think Shakes would bring a little bit of speed to the team, a little bit of experience,” stated Corneal. “Makan Hislop has been part of the team, he did not play in the last game against Cuba but, of course, he brings a bit of composure in the back, reading the game, good height defensively to win the ball, also able to find players early.” “So I think with both of them and Kevin Crooks would give us more opportunities to vary our game a little bit,” ended Corneal.