Scoring 15 goals in seven international matches is by no means a lousy record in international football today. So to say the “Soca Warriors” have a lot of work to do in the finishing department based on the recent 0-0 draw with Nicaragua is not a fair statement.
Dating back to the 1-0 win over Haiti just prior to the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, the “Soca Warriors” have scored in every game leading up to the 0-0 draw with Nicaragua, including seven goals against Gold Cup champion Mexico. The scorers include Keron Cummings (three), Kenwyne Jones (three), Sheldon Bateau (two), Joevin Jones (two), with Jonathan Glenn, Yohance Marshall, Willis Plaza, Andre Boucaud and Radanfah Abu Bakr, getting one each. They have conceded ten, including seven in the two clashes with Mexico.
The improvement in goalscoring followed a small drought up until the loss to Jordan in June.
Of course, goals win matches and it will be an important factor in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers beginning with the pair of games with Guatemala and United States next November 13 and 17, respectively.
“I don’t think there should be any worrying factor or panic about not being able to score goals just based on the 0-0 draw with Nicaragua,” said defender Yohance Marshall.
“We have been scoring goals although we have missed a few chances as well. I think once we continue to work on our areas which we know need addressing then we should be fine for the two upcoming games. A good period together before the Guatemala game, maybe three or four days will be important for us. Defensively we will like to be more efficient and avoid any soft goals and I think finishing wise we will get it right.”
T&T head coach Stephen Hart also added: “We created numerous chances and to say I was unhappy with the performance because of the result (against Nicaragua) would not be a fair statement.
“Of course we are aware that chances are there to be taken and we cannot afford to let them go by but we’ll continue to plug away with the right approach and mentality which the players have demonstrated so far and go out there with the intention of getting the best possible start to the campaign.”
Coker confident of Beach team’s chances in W/Cup qualifiers
National beach football team goalkeeper Zane Coker believes this country is on the right path to success and he is predicting that the team will be strong contenders for a spot at the 2017 FIFA Beach World Cup in the Bahamas.
Coker was speaking after the recent success of the team at the Lucayan Cup Challenge in the Bahamas where they defeated Mexico (5-4) and Bahamas 5-3 to win the tournament.
“There is no limit to the success this team can attain at the moment. We have the players with the right attitude and professional approach. We have the cohesiveness and brotherhood within the team which has been a major factor for us,” Coker said.
“The World Cup campaign is the big stage we always look forward to. I would not say we are a minor powerhouse. Being the number one Caribbean team and having victories over Guatemala and Mexico means we are up there with the best.”
Some of the other players who have been outstanding for the beach football team include Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, David McDougall, Chad Apoo and Lemuel Lyon. Coker who played in Switzerland earlier this year said there are now opportunities for his countrymen to play overseas.
“It was an amazing experience for me in Switzerland. Just going out there and portraying the same professionalism and efforts of playing with the beach national team made it an easy transition. I went out there and just did what I had to do and flying the red, white and black out in Europe. There are avenues now for me and other players of the national beach soccer team to play in some of the overseas Leagues,” he said.
Coker will now look forward to playing in the Tobago Beach Soccer Championship from November 13-15 of which Barcelona FC’s beach football team will be a participating team.
Wales completes UEFA refereeing diploma
Local FIFA assistant referee Caleb Wales has obtained an UEFA assistant refereeing diploma after completing developmental courses hosted by UEFA at its headquarters in Switzerland in September.
Wales has been a referee since 2006 and an international assistant referee since 2013. His recent international assignments included the CONCACAF Final round of Under-20 Men’s World Cup qualifying in January as well as three CONCACAF 2018 World Cup qualifying matches including Canada versus Dominica and Aruba versus St Vincent/ Grenadines, one of T&T’s upcoming opponents in the semi final round beginning next month.
Wales, who grew up in Morvant, is a St Mary’s College and University of the West Indies (UWI) graduate and is also employed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry as an Information Technology (IT) specialist.
Commenting on the UEFA Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) courses in April and September for which he was among a selected group chosen to partake, Wales said, “It was mostly technical and the instructors assessed by performances at international games and they taught me how to critically analyse my performances with the aim of improving myself. There were a lot of physical tests and I was able to achieve high level results.
“It’s a hard journey as a referee because you have to start from the bottom and work your way up. My aim is to reach the highest level which is reaching a World Cup. I have to keep pressing and working hard to get there.”
Wales also credited the TTFA’s referees committee for their contribution to his development, saying: “I’ve had a tremendous amount help from the TTFA referees committees. They have a lot of experience with former FIFA World Cup referees like Ramesh Ramdhan and Michael Ragoonath who saw where I came from and they have pushed me along the way and continue to guide me.”
Shaun Fuentes is the Director of Communications for the TTFA. shaunfuentes@yahoo.com