Soca Warriors coach, Russell Latapy has added former national team-mate Marvin "Marvellous" Faustin as a temporary assistant coach to his senior team technical staff. This was announced by Latapy, prior to the start of another national team screening session with locally based players at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday. The 42-year-old Faustin was a former team-mate of Latapy with the 1989 "Strike Squad" and old local powerhouse Trintoc. Both Latapy and Faustin, who last played professionally in 2000 with Clico San Juan Jabloteh, winning a First Citizens Cup winners medal, also lined-up for the once Secondary Schools Football League giants, San Fernando Technical Institute.
Speaking on the addition of Faustin, who played 43 times for T&T, Latapy said: "Obviously there is a lot of work right now and I needed someone to step in and help. "I have known Marvin for almost all my life and we have gone through a lot of things together. I trusted him as a player a lot and he knows football and thinks along the same lines as me. "We will see how this works out for Marvin, myself and the players in general," he added. Asked if his close friend and former national team-mate Dwight Yorke will be returning as an assistant coach, a post he held during the last part of the failed 2010 South Africa World Cup campaign, Latapy said: "I've already spoken with Dwight and told him of my desire to work with him again. "He (Yorke) has also expressed his desire to work again with the team also. But in the world of football I think only clubs like Chelsea and Manchester United, operate without any financial trouble. "The situation with Yorke and any other possible technical staff additions will depend on the kind of support from the local federation and the support they get as well."
Soca Warriors coach Russell Latapy, right, gives instructions to Keon Daniel, centre, and Jason Marcano during a national team screening session at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday.
The "Little Magician" who first took over the post on April 8, 2009, after Colombian Francisco Maturana resigned said he was quite satisfied with what he has seen from the local players at the screening sessions. "The sessions are basically to test the level of fitness and technical ability and it will continue until we are satisfied that we have the best possible group of players in the country on the national team. He added: "Everyone knows that local players can play and have talent but it's at the tactical level we must improve if we are to compete with the best teams and that is one of my jobs to get done." Looking ahead to his first major tournament since being re-appointed earlier this month, Latapy said he intends to use a full local squad for the Digicel Caribbean Cup from which four teams will qualify for the Concacaf Gold Cup. "We missed out last time on reaching the Gold Cup and we need to build again with players like Theodore Guerra, Hayden Tinto and Keon Daniel.
"Being there before as a player also has shown it's not always a good thing to bring back a number of international players for Caribbean tournaments. "The overseas players tend to find it difficult to fit into the team during the short space of time and when they get back to their clubs after missing three or four matches, they then find it difficult to break back into their club teams, especially if they are winning matches." "I believe we have a good crop of local players who are capable of doing well in these competitions, but obviously as the level of competition rises we will make adjustments." Also present at yesterday's session was former national goalkeeper and technical advisor to the T&T Football Federation Lincoln Phillips, who was appointed as technical assistant to the goalkeepers. The local players will have a closed door session today at the Mucurapo venue from 4.30 pm.