Soca Warriors down Lions 2-1

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers scored a 2-1 victory over Joe Public in a training match at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, on Tuesday.

Coach Zoran Vranes, in the company of technical advisor Alvin Corneal and interim assistant coach Jamaal Shabaaz were having their first look at their locally-based players in a match situation since the appointment of an interim technical staff for the upcoming Gold Cup playoffs in Martinique from April 23-27. Goals in the second half by Vibe CT 105 W Connection striker Kendall Davis and Caledonia AIA midfielder Conrad Smith gave the Soca Warriors to win.

Nigel Pierre pulled a goal back for the Joe Public from the penalty spot. “We obviously have a lot of work to do in a short time. I was hoping the players we have here would be in better physical condition but this match didn’t show that. But it could be other things like hot weather and the ground condition,” Vranes said. “I’m not disappointed with their focus. The fact is that we have little time and no real warm-up matches but I am not worried as such about that,” he said.

Vranes is cognisant that the overseas-based players will not be with team too long before the opening match against Martinique on April 23. “Only (Stern) John or (Marvin) Andrews may be late and that’s nothing big for us because they have the necessary experience to fall into the team. They will not be doing anything that they have not done before. It will basically take some explanation of what we want of them before the match and I have good experience working with the  two players,” he said. “We have already called our best players. We have analysed this closely. It always gives someone new the chance to make the team by the time we pick our 18 players next week,” he said.

The Yugoslav-born said that Nigel Pierre was not considered for selection as Pierre was not sufficiently fit and ready for international duty, and would be better off regaining his touch with Joe Public.