TTFF News- T&T try to turn tables on El Salvador (match preview)

T&T try to turn the tables on El Salvador

 

Issued by Shaun Fuentes in San Salvador, October 16, 2007

 

US-based striker Andre Toussaint will carry the brunt of Trinidad and Tobago’s attacking responsibilities on Wednesday night as a Wim Rijsbergen uses another friendly, this time against El Salvador to expose some local talent on the international stage.

 

Rijsbergen, selected just six of the players who represented T&T at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and there are six others who are putting on the T&T uniform for the first time at the senior level. They include CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh forward Jason Marcano, Devon Jorsling, Defence Force’s Keston Williams, Terrence McCallister, Jabloteh goalie Cleon John and Kern Cupid.

 

On Monday night the team arrived to a heavy media welcome at the Comalapa International Airport in La Paz,

 

The local squad, comprising several new faces, will go into action for the first time since June’s CONCACAF Gold Cup during which it lost to the Central Americans 2-1 when a splendid Silvio Spann free kick goal failed to earn T&T at least a point.

 

This time around Spann is not in the mix and neither is captain Densill Theobald nor Dutch-based forward Darryl Roberts. That leaves W Connection and Charleston Battery striker Andre Toussaint and striker Conrad Smith with the workload up front and heavier responsibilities on goalie Marvin Phillip, defender Keyeno Thomas, Seon Power, North East Stars’ Glenton Wolfe, Joe Public midfielder Kerry Baptiste  and Jabloteh’s  Trent Noel among others. The other newcomers will be looking to the do the T&T strip proud from 7pm (9pm T&T time) at the Estadio Cuscatlan.

 

The team arrived in El Salvador shortly around 5:30 pm (7:30pm T&T Time)  following stops in Miami and Nicaragua. Peter Rampersad was part of the traveling party as team manager while Wim Rijsbergen addressed the eagerly awaiting media personnel which included a couple cameramen who had to be hustled out of the team bus prior to its 45-minute drive under police escort to  Hotel Capital in San Salvador. A couple more reporters later tried to force their way into the team’s dinner room attempting to get words with Rijsbergen and photos of the players. They were advised to return for the morning training session.

 

“We are here to play the game on Wednesday which I think is important for us. We have some new players we want to have a look at and I think it’s the same with the El Salvador team. Of course they have some players from their Gold Cup team but they also have some younger guys and they got the draw with Costa Rica on Saturday so we hope it turns out to be a good game on Wednesday. It should be a good experience for our guys,” Rijsbergen said upon arrival in San Salvador.

 

Looking ahead to the game, Rijsbergen remained hopeful of a purposeful showing.

 

“Its’ definitely a chance for some of the local guys to stake a claim and try to improve their game on the international level. We have said before that they need the exposure and that’s why they are here. We will go for a good result and hopefully we will get the kind of showing we want from the players,” Rijsbergen added.

 

Andrei Pacheco, attached to MLS team Columbus Crew isn’t worried by the fact that the T&T team has more inexperienced players than usual.

 

“I think they are all looking sharp and they are anxious to play. We have seen what El Salvador plays like before because we played them in the Gold Cup so I think once we settle down we will be able to match them at home and push for a good result,” Pacheco told TTFF Media. “The adjustment to playing a quicker game is process and I am getting more accustomed to it at Columbus and hopefully I can try to get this same kind of work from the other players here as well.”

 

The T&T team could only have a light warm up session on Tuesday morning at the El Salvador Goal Project Centre as a poor outfield didn’t allow for any ball work. Then both T&T and El Salvador had their evening session scheduled for the match venue called off as inclement weather left its effects on the playing pitch and the organizers preferred to avoid further damage before the game. T&T were afforded another training ground, in better condition than the previous one for the evening session.

 

El Salvador will look to Eliseo Quintanilla and Shaw Martin who both got goals in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Costa Rica. They have the likes of Ronald Cerritos and Victor Turcios who made up their Gold Cup squad.