Despite the lack of competitive football in T&T, coach Angus Eve’s men produced two disciplined performances that earned them a 1-0 triumph in the two-match series against Jamaica in two international friendly matches in Jamaica.
Eve credits the professional approach of his players, coupled with their will to fight for the results.
Before the encounters, Eve said the Jamaicans would have had the advantage, due to their vibrant football league, coupled with the fact that they were expected to field between seven to eight foreign-based players.
However, this was far from reality as the Soca Warriors edged their opponents 1-0 courtesy of a Reon Moore 67th-minute item in the first game on Saturday last. Then they produced a disciplined display on Tuesday to hold the Jamaicans 0-0, with most of the clear-cut chances falling in their garden.
Eve in the postmatch interview on Tuesday was high in praise for his lads.
“I thought we put in a good professional performance from a defensive standpoint until we made changes in the midfield.
"Some of the guys who played in the first game, we saw that composure come into the game, and then we start to pass the ball and start to create some chances. Other than that I felt we played a European-type team today.
"They were hitting a lot of long balls into the strikers and they were trying to play the balls from the flanks and we stood up well to that type of European tactic. All-in-all, I thought it was a good exercise for us, on aggregate, we won the series 1-0.”
Eve admitted, however, it was not an easy task against a strong Jamaican team which is coached by an international coach. “They (Jamaicans) were brilliant because we changed the whole squad from the first match, except for three guys.
"We didn’t have redundancies in the defensive positions so we played the same guys at the back, and they were excellent for two games and they kept a clean sheet on two occasions.
"And now, a counter-attacking game that we played, because we know our guys were not fully match-fit, so we had to be smart in the way we played the match today and we played how we wanted to play, we played on the counter-attack and you saw where we could have finished off the match in the end,” Eve explained.
The T&T team will next face the Bahamas away on March 24 before they clash with Nicaragua on March 27 to complete the CONCACAF Nations League. The Warriors need to win Group C to be promoted from the group, as well as qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The Nicaraguans lead the group with 10 points. T&T is on eight points.
T&T TEAM
Marvin Phillip (GK), 4. Josiah Trimmingham, 6. Kareem Riley, 7. Noah Powder, 10. Kadeem Corbin, 12. Jameel Neptune, 13. Reon Moore, 16. Alvin Jones, 17. Justin Garcia, 18. Matthew Woo Ling, 20. Jomal Williams.
Subs
Jelani Felix, 3. Joevin Jones, 5. Andre Raymond, 8. Michel Poon Angeron, 9. Nathaniel James, 11. Jamoul Francois, 14. John-Paul Rochford, 15. Kaile Auvray, 19. Quesi Weston, 21. Denzil Smith, 22. Adrian Foncette (GK), 23. Jesse Williams, 24. Justin Sadoo
JAMAICA TEAM
Ricardo Thomas, 7. Lamar Walker, 8. Demario Phillips, 12. Dujuan Richards, 13. Jahmali Waite (GK), 17. Jahsaun Anglin, 18. Omari Hutchinson, 19. Adrian Mariappa, 20. Dexter Lembikisa, 24. Jamoi Topey, 25. Collin Anderson
Subs
, 1. Kemar Foster (GK), 2. Alwayne Harvey, 3. Dwayne Atkinson, 4. Tyler Roberts, 6. Richard King, 9. Trivante Stewart, 10. Ravel Morrison, 11. Jourdain Fletcher, 14. Sue-Lae McCalla, 15. Oshane Staple, 21. Delano Splatt, 22. Fitzroy Cummings, 23. Hutchinson (GK).
