Terry Fenwick expects well-organised Montserrat in Gold Cup qualifier

NATIONAL men’s football coach Terry Fenwick says he expects a well-organised Montserrat team when both teams meet in the Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers in early July.

TT will play Montserrat on either July 2 or 3 in Florida, US.

The match against Montserrat will be held just weeks after TT continue their quest in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Zone qualifiers.

TT will come up against Bahamas on June 5 in Group F, followed by their final game of the first round of the qualifiers on June 8 against St Kitts/Nevis.

TT are in second place with one win and one draw, two points behind St Kitts/Nevis. TT eased past Guyana 3-0 in their opening match of World Cup qualifying in Dominican Republic on March 25, before being held 1-1 by hosts Puerto Rico three days later.

Only the top team in the five-team group will advance to the next round of World Cup qualifying.

Speaking to Newsday on Friday, Fenwick said, “Montserrat, we recognise (they have) multiple players from the lower leagues of the UK English divisions so we know they are going to be relatively well-organised, some good players in there.”

However, Fenwick is uncertain what players will be available for TT and Montserrat because the covid19 pandemic is still affecting travelling around the world.

“The underlying factor here is whether their players as well as the players that we are attracting from the UK are actually going to be available because of travel restrictions…it is a difficult call at the moment.”

Several overseas-based TT players were available for the World Cup qualifiers against Guyana and Puerto Rico including captain Khaleem Hyland, Joevin Jones, Levi Garcia and Sheldon Bateau. Daniel Phillips, an English-born player who has TT roots, made his debut for TT against Guyana.

Fenwick said he continues to scout players with TT heritage who can be beneficial to the team.

“I don’t want to name any names until they actually land in Trinidad…but we have got some big players that we are speaking to, we want them involved with TT football. We need to get back on a winning track.”

Fenwick has had his challenges arranging friendly matches during the downtime for his players since he took over as coach in January 2020. He has had to settle for matches locally including matches against local club teams and a Tobago XI.

“We are rolling from World Cup qualifiers and almost immediately into Gold Cup qualifiers. I am trying again to organise a friendly game or two, in and around these competitive games, for the players that come in, but it is not easy we have gotten no football on the ground in TT so we are limited.”

Prior to the World Cup qualifiers in March TT were targeting friendly international matches against Dominica, St Vincent/Grenadines and Grenada but those matches did not materialise.