TT, Panama battle for survival

Trinidad and Tobago’s men’s team will be looking to secure three valuable points for the first time on the road during the CONCACAF Final Round of World Cup qualification when they face off with Panama at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City at 9pm tonight.

The match follows defeats for both teams with TT being edged 2-1 at home to Honduras last Friday and Panama going down 1-0 away to Mexico, putting both countries in a must-win situation as they attempt to make up for lost ground.

The TT squad arrived in Panama City on Sunday night and was scheduled to have its official one-hour training session at 8pm last night.

Head coach Dennis Lawrence maintained that his team must have a positive approach to the match despite the disappointment of having dropped three points at home to Honduras.

“We have no choice but to be positive and to take the right approach to this match which is to go out and play for three points. Obviously we are not in the best of positions on the table but once we are mathematically in with a chance – which we are at the moment – then we have to give it everything and pull ourselves together to try and get what is required,” Lawrence said.

TT midfielder Kevan George believes the team is capable of pulling itself out of a difficult situation.

“We as a team haven’t given up on anything. Regardless of the all the negative reports, there is still a a positive mood in the camp. Obviously after a loss like Friday, people are saying all sorts of things about the squad and the Football Association but this is expected when the results are not going your way. What I can say is we remain a team and we want to make the country proud and we know how important it is for us to do something positive to boost the FA and football overall in the country. These are the times when we have to stick together and fight it out,” George told TTFA Media on the eve of the match.

“We know the fans are disappointed and we as a team was also disappointed but as professionals we have had to put this past us and get on with the campaign. We have three games left and we owe it the administrators, the stakeholders and the fans to pull off something here in Panama. We owe ourselves a proper performance,” George said.