Fenwick wants TT players to step up against US

TT FOOTBALL team will return to action, after 14 months of inactivity due to the covid19 pandemic and a FIFA-suspension of the TT Football Association (TTFA) on Sunday, when they face hosts United States in a friendly football international at the Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida from 8.25 pm (TT time).

This match will be Fenwick’s first in charge of the TT squad since replacing Dennis “Tallest” Lawrence in January, 2020.

After Saturday’s training session at Orlando, Fenwick, in an interview with TTFA media officer Shaun Fuentes, said, “I’ve been delighted because it’s a fusion of players that haven’t even met each other before. We’ve brought guys from (North America) that have got (TT) parentage together with the locally-based players that we brought up here.”

Fenwick added, “The preparation is not really long enough because we’re playing against the United States who have had five to seven years of development programmes. You look at the players that they’re bringing through.”

Fenwick, the 61-year-old English-born tactician, wants the TT players to make use of this opportunity to face the US outfit.

“These kids that we’ve got don’t get experience unless you give them opportunities,” he said. “It’s a big opportunity for the locally-based players, and for the guys from (North America) on a big stage, against US, to come and do some good for themselves.”

What does he anticipate in Sunday’s game? Fenwick replied, “We’ve got to recognise that (the US) are well in front of us. Their national team have an average age of 22-23. They have players all over Europe, we can’t ignore that. We should understand that their development process is working. We in TT have got to get on that same streamline, to give our kids a chance.”

Does he see this game as a valuable opportunity for the TT squad?

“We could have played Caribbean sides, we could have gone (to play) a smaller team,” responded the former San Juan Jabloteh and Central FC coach. “I want a big focus because it’s mental pressure for our players.

“I want them to have that experience, that knowledge that they’ve been in front of a crowd (of) 4,500. It’s live on television (on cable network WESN). It’s a lot of things that some of our players haven’t experienced yet. If you don’t get that experience, we can’t ask for anything from them.”

Commenting on their stay in the US thus far, bubble in which the TT team (players and staff) are in, Fenwick said, “It’s been absolutely first-class. It’s been quite wonderful, the camaraderie between TT and the United States players and staff members. A wonderful venue that we’re training on.”