Warriors face Grenada in friendly

The Puerto Ricans pulled out of the proposed contest due to their inability to arrive in Trinidad for the match, on the scheduled date.

Trinidad and Tobago is preparing for their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against Bermuda, in home and away ties, on the weekends of June 14-15 and June 21-22 while Grenada will meet Costa Rica during the same dates.

Among the top players in the Grenada lineup are striker Jason Roberts, who plays with Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League, and Shalrie Joseph, a midfielder with the New England Revolution in the American MLS.

Trinidad and Tobago coach Franciso Maturana has altered his training squad, with the players expected to resume training on Monday morning at the Marvin Lee Stadium.

American-born forward Randi Patterson, who plays with A- League team Charleston Battery, and Joe Public’s midfielder Silas Spann will not be available for the Grenada fixture.

National Under-16 players, captain and ace striker Jerrel Britto and Zavion Navarro, both members of the CLICO San Juan Jabloteh Under-16 squad, have been including in the training squad, as well as highly-rated Jabloteh midfielder Attulah Guerra.

Among the other players called up for the match are Kevaughn Connell, Jerol Forbes and Lester Peltier.

Connell, a 24-year-old striker who plays with Sannois Saint- Gratien in the French Third Division, played for Joe Public in 2006 while, a year later, he had spells with Metrostars in the American MLS, San Juan Jabloteh in the Pro League and AS Cannes in France before moving to Sannois.

The 23-year-old Forbes, a former star forward at Naparima College and a member of the national team at the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, which was staged here in Trinidad and Tobago, has finally made the step to the TT ‘senior’ team ranks after a fine run of form. Forbes has netted three goals in as many matches for United Petrotrin, who have topped the Pro League points standings with a maximum nine points.

Peltier, the much-hyped midfielder/striker from Jabloteh, has been selected more on potential rather than promise. The 19- year-old, who has played for both the national Under-17 and Under-20 teams, is yet to fulfil the high expectations many football fans have placed on him, but he will be looking to add to the one national cap that he has earned against the Puerto Ricans in January, a game in which the TT outfit rallied from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 in Bayamoun.

Following Trinidad and Tobago’s 2-2 draw away to Jamaica on March 26, Maturana has retained the services of captain and midfielder Aurtis Whitley; goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams of Belgium club Woluwe FC; defenders Akeem Adams, Kern Cupid, Akile Edwards, Keyeno Thomas and Makan Hislop; midfielders Keon Daniel, Khaleem Hyland and Kerry Baptiste; and striker Jamaal Gay.

Goalie Marvin Phillip and defender Keston Williams, who all featured in TT’s 1-0 win versus El Salvador at the aforementioned Tunapuna venue on March 19, have been selected, as well as the national Under-17 pair of keeper Glenroy Samuel and utility player Daniel Cyrus, who were on the bench throughout that encounter.

Completing the list of players chosen by Maturana are Toronto FC defender Julius James (who, like Forbes, Phillip and Jan- Michael Williams were members of the 2001 Under-17 World Cup squad), Caledonia AIA defensive midfielder Stephan David and the Defence Force quartet of Anton Pierre and Michael Edwards (both defenders), Kevon Carter and Devon Jorsling (both strikers).