TTFF News - T&T Olympic team secures berth in final CFU round

Olympic team secures berth in CFU final round

Issued by Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media Officer, September 5, 2007

They needed a draw to secure the top spot and a berth into the next
phase and that was the result the Trinidad and Tobago National Under 23
team achieved in Tuesday's final Group A CFU Olympic qualifying match in
Paramaribo. The game between the hosts Suriname and T&T was tightly
contested, finishing 0-0 leaving T&T on seven points ahead of Guyana
(four points) who drew 2-2 with Netherlands Antilles in the second game
of the double header.

The T&T team will however have to play its next match in the CFU final
round without the services of defender Radanfah Abu Bakr who was sent
off in the 84th minute on a second bookable offense after receiving a
first caution in the 30th minute from Barbados referee Mark Forde. T&T
had earlier kicked off thegame without two regular starters who were
injured - striker Carlyle Mitchell and defender Corneal Thomas.

T&T substitute goalie Kareem Gray also had to come up big with a penalty
stop in the second half. He replaced Kevin Mussio who came off with a
head knock in the 53rd minute.

T&T coach Michael McComie made three second half changes with Gray
replacing Mussio, Kendall Jagdeosingh being replaced by Hayden Tinto in
the 62nd and US-based forward Stephan St Louis coming on for Simeon
Augustus in the 74th .

"The boys started off this game well. We never entertained the idea of a
draw but it so happened we got the one point which we needed to go
through. Suriname played their best game against us but in saying that
our guys applied themselves well in the sort of manner which we wanted,"
McComie told TTFF Media.

"We started off this tournament in a manner which allowed us not to
relax for the follow up games but it meant that we were never left
panicking. The players deserve all the credit because to play three
games and not concede a goal is an accomplishment at any level
especially away from home.

"They knew it would not be the ideal scenario coming here but they
worked their legs off and did the job despite what people had to say
about the team and its selection going into the tournament. The more
impressive thing is that all these players came through the entire
preparation and you sense that bit of relief after the final whistle
because the initial goal was to progress to the next phase. Now they
will return to their clubs and we will concentrate on our next opponents
for the upcoming round. We will look at the teams in the Cuba and St
Vincent group and prepare accordingly from there. We will also open back
up the squad and maybe look at some other players we have in mind with
an aim to strengthen the squad as we see necessary," McComie added.

T&T will now contest the CFU final at a venue and date in October to be
determined. The winner of the group comprising Cuba,Puerto Rico, Cayman
Islands and Bermuda and the winner of another group comprising St
Vincent/Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia will join T&T in the
next round. The winner of that final group along with another group
winner will then progress as the Caribbean's two representatives in the
CONCACAF final stage in 2008 towards the Beijing Olympics. Already
through to the final phase are Mexico, Canada and United States.

Elsewhere, the Men's U23 Central American Preliminary Qualification will
have two groups of three with Panama hosting El Salvador and Honduras
from November 7-11, while Guatemala welcomes Costa Rica and Nicaragua
from November 14-18.

T&T start team: Kevin Mussio, Devon Drayton, Akil Edwards, Radanfah Abu
Bakr, Keon Daniel, Shane Calderon, Kendall Jagdeosingh, Larry Bacchus,
Simeon Augustus, Marcelle Francois and Christopher Sam.