US coach will respect TT in Gold Cup

UNITED STATES men’s football team coach Gregg Berhalter said that his team will have respect for TT when both teams clash in the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup Group D fixture at First Energy Stadium in Cleveland, US on June 22.

After the Gold Cup draw announcement in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Berhalter said, “I have a lot of respect for TT, a lot of respect for their coach (Dennis Lawrence) and a lot of respect for their team. We are looking forward to it. For us it would be an opportunity to potentially advance with this game and its going to be an exciting game.”

Berhalter continued, “I think we have a strong group. I think Group D is one of the strongest groups in the tournament and I am excited about that because any team that gets through our group is going to be prepared for the remainder of the tournament,” he said.

Guyana coach Michael Johnson was also eager to contest the group as Guyana open their account against the US on June 18.

“It’s real excitement. To pick the States, Trinidad, Panama and you look at these nations that have obviously qualified for World Cup campaigns, anybody looking would probably say Guyana has never qualified for a World Cup and never qualified for a Gold Cup. You would probably think we are at the bottom end of the group,” Johnson said.

“I am a very spiritual guy and if anyone knows the David and Goliath story on any given day, David on that day wins. I remember the Buster Douglas story with Mike Tyson. So underdogs can bite at any given time, We will be at our best and if any team looks at little Guyana and thinks well maybe we don’t have to research and do our home work then that might be an opportunity for us,” added Johnson, who is a former Derby County player.

Pinpointing the game versus TT in Kansas on June 26, he continued, “It’s a big game for both countries. I respect Dennis and the work has done. I know Stern John from the region, Shaka and a lot of the guys down there. It is a game we would obviously respect and we will obviously do our home work and research and make sure that we are as prepared as we possibly can be. We can’t get away with not being prepared. We are little Guyana as everybody says so we have to make sure that hopefully we can catch Trinidad on their off day and our players are well prepared and has a ten out of ten day,” Johnson stated.