Aubrey David – Trinidad and Tobago need to 'tough it out' against US

Soca Warriors captain Aubrey David says TT need to "tough it out" against the US if they are to get a favourable result in the first leg of their Concacaf Nations League A quarter-final tie in Texas on Thursday night.

TT meet the defending champions from 10 pm TT time, with the return leg scheduled for 8 pm on Monday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo. With the winner of the home-and-away tie booking an automatic spot in the 2024 Copa America tournament, David says his team needs to seize the moment and "stay united."

"We are two games away from entering a Copa America tournament which is one of the biggest things for us," David told TT Football Association (TTFA) media. "We are focused and the guys are responding well. The guys are ready for the encounter.

"It is no secret (the US) have top-class players. That does not deter us from going and getting a result also. We need to go and stick to the game plan and tough it out and see if we can get the win."

The US got a thumping 6-0 win over TT in the group stages of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. David, 33, says TT will need to have tactical discipline to keep the US at bay.

"I think we achieved the mission which was to get back to playing these caliber of games. If we can get a (draw), that will leave us playing for everything for 90 minutes in TT. With good support from the crowd, I think we can finish the job there."