TTFF NEWS - Warriors prepare for Sunday's do or die return leg

Warriors prepare for Sunday’s do or die return leg

 

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers returned to the training pitch on Tuesday afternoon at the Larry Gomes Stadium as they sort to get their act together again ahead of Sunday’s do or die 2010 World Cup qualifier against Bermuda at Hamilton.

 

Head Coach Francisco Maturana will also conduct a session at the Malabar venue on Wednesday prior to the team’s departure for Bermuda at 7am on Thursday

 

There have been two changes to the squad going to Bermuda with Defence Force defender Michael Edwards coming in for Ancil Farrier and Defence Force winger Kevon Carter replacing Hayden Tinto.

 

Midfielder Carlos Edwards admitted that T&T had only themselves to blame for Sunday’s defeat but maintains that his “Warriors” will bounce back, needing to win by two clear goals to advance to the semi-final round of the campaign.

 

“Of course we are disappointed. We have put ourselves in a hole with this loss and it means while the situation might be a desperate one now we have no right to be going to Bermuda needing to win by two goals. But that’s the script and we have to forget everything and go out there and do what we have to do – that is to win convincingly if we are to keep our dreams alive,” Edwards told TTFF Media.

 

“I think having reflected on what took place on Sunday we realize that there were things that we didn’t do right and Bermuda have gained the advantage. I felt I could have done more and so the other players as well but we need to make sure we do everything now. We have another match to make up for it. It’s only half time right now and we have to go out there and pull out all the stops now. ”

 

Team captain Aurtis Whitley may have more than work in the middle to do as his leadership qualities will have to show up some more now to ensure his troops are mentally ready for Sunday’s game.

 

“We have to really dig deep and we know that. It’s going to be a lot more than just the 90 minutes on the pitch on Sunday. Now isn’t the time to blame anyone but we must come together and make this happen.We expect they will be full of confidence after the win and that means they will try to make it very difficult for us. We must be ready for this,” Whitley said.

 

The Bermudans are a highly confident bunch at the moment and as football correspondent Stephen Wright wrote in the Royal Gazette, they are prepared to knock T&T out the South Africa campaign.

“Emblazoned across the back of Trinidad's training tops are the words "impossible is nothing,” Wright started

“Ironically, it was the underdogs Bermuda who did the most to endorse that sentiment at the Marvin Lee Stadium with an astonishing victory over the Caribbean's top-ranked side.

“The stage is now set for an epic encounter with the National Sports Centre sure to be transformed into a furnace of partisan support, who will be hoping to witness their heroes forge a piece of footballing history.

“Once again they will be striving to ram Stern John's pre-game prophecy back down his throat with the Gombey Warriors now truly believing that 'impossible is nothing'.” Wright added.