Trinidad and Tobago's young Soca Warriors were among those that opened their Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship qualifying campaign on a winning note, as they downed St Vincent and the Grenadines 3-2 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, on Friday.

With the twin island republic playing host to Group D, the anticipation was high that the Brian Haynes-coached young Soca Warriors would put on a show for spectators, but they didn't have things entirely their way, and had to come from two goals down to edge St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Goals from Cody Cooper (36th), Larry Noel (64th) and a last-gasp goal from Michael Chaves (90+5), was enough to give the host victory, after Kirtney Franklyn (3rd) and Steven Pierre (28th) gave Vincy Heat a 2-0 lead.

The other Group D contest was a stroll for group favourites Canada, who hammered Dominica 8-0.

A hat-trick from Myles Morgan (8th, 36th, 47th), as well as braces from Santiago Lopez (26th, 65th) and Sergei Kozlovskiy (86th, 90+4) and one from Kevaughn Tavernier (27th), gave the North Americans the expected start, which propelled them to the top of the standings on goal difference ahead of Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile in other group games:

Group A

Cuba started off Group A with a 13-0 beating of Anguilla at the Estadio Nacional in Managua, Nicaragua,

Marcos Campos (3rd, 25th, 30th) and David Perez (40th, 47th, 71st) each had hat tricks, Maikol Vega (77th, 90+6) bagged a brace, while Leandro Mena (13th), Michael Camejo (15th), Karel Perez (27th), Cristian Mendoza (41st) and Samuel Rodriguez (62nd) also had goals.

Host Nicaragua also thrilled home fans with an 8-0 victory against British Virgin Islands.

Joab Gutierrez (6th), Francis Castillo (12th, 39th), Kenler Cayasso (25th), Andres Martinez (47th, 61st), Fredy Ortiz (56th) and Izamuel Martinez (81st), got the job done.

Group B

El Salvador got things going in Group B with a 7-0 win over Turks and Caicos Islands at the ABFA Technical Centre in Piggots, Antigua and Barbuda.

Christopher Argueta (26th), Daniel Espana (37th), Walter Menjivar (41st), Wilber Diaz (67th, 80th), Darwin Lopez (90+1) and Nelson Diaz (90+3), got the job done for El Salvador.

Meanwhile, hosts Antigua and Barbuda blanked Guyana 4-0 in the feature contest.

The goals came from Javauhn Parker (2nd), Aiden Jarvis (16th), Christopher Douglas (18th) and Javaughn Jarvis (84th).

Group C

An all-important strike from Daminthly Bernardina (90+3), gifted Curacao a 1-0 win over St Martin at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala.

Guatemala also started positively with a 3-1 win over Barbados in the nightcap.

Hector Prillwitz (17th), Olger Escobar (32nd) and Justin Racancoj (80th) scored for the Chapines, while Rovaldo Massiah (28th), pulled one back for Barbados.

Group E

In Group E, Haiti secured a 4-1 win over Cayman Islands at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.

A hat trick from Bryan Destin (56th, 80th, 90+5) and a goal from Schneilorens Lebrun (12th) was enough for Haiti to see off Cayman Islands, who got their goal from Joshwa Campbell (61st).

The action in the group wrapped up with Puerto Rico blanking St Kitts and Nevis 5-0.

Adrian Biaggi (5th), Sebastian Otero (24th), Daniel Cruz (85th), Luis Medina (88th) and a 47th-minute own goal, saw Puerto Rico to victory.

Group F

Action in Group F gets under way on Saturday, with Bermuda facing Grenada in just their second ever meeting in this tournament, while Jamaica, who were quarterfinalists in Honduras two years ago, will square off against Martinique, both at the SKNFA Technical Center in Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis.

Trinidad and Tobago Head coach Brian Haynes is exuding confidence that his young Soca Warriors should open their Concacaf under-20 Championship qualifiers account with victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo on Friday.

Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Brian Haynes has named the trio of Rio Cardines, Derrel Garcia and Larry Noel among seven overseas players in his young Soca Warriors squad for their upcoming Concacaf Men's Under-20 Championship assignment.

The twin island republic will host Group D, which includes Canada, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. They will open against St Vincent and the Grenadines next Friday, before tackling Dominica on February 25, and Canada on February 27.

Haynes's side is now in the final phase of their preparations following two warm-up fixtures against Jamaica, and one against their senior Soca Warriors counterparts. They first defeated Jamaica 3-2, but lost the second contest 1-3, and that was followed by a 1-2 defeat to Angus Eve's senior outfit.

Despite those results, Haynes in a recent interview, expressed pleasure with his team's display for the most part.

“We need to have some consistency. We have to work on being much more effective on offence. I think we do a good job getting the ball from the back to the midfield and to the top of the 18-yard (box), but the final product has to become better,” Haynes reasoned.

“All we have to do is keep working hard no matter what happens. We concentrated for the most part...I am thankful it is happening now and not in the tournament. While we didn’t win the game, the experience they got here is something you cannot get in practice,” he added.

The inclusion of the seven overseas-based players meant the tactician was impressed by their rendition, as he initially declared that their selection would be dependent on the quality they could add to his team.

“This (local) group here has made me proud, and I am saying I love it. We have good players coming from overseas, but we have good soccer players here in Trinidad, and if the guys that are coming in are not challenging these guys, this is what I am going with,” Haynes said prior to finalizing his squad.

Only the group winners will progress to the next phase of the Concacaf Under-20 tournament to join the top teams –United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

There was nothing at stake for either Trinidad and Tobago or Jamaica in their recent warm-up fixtures, but good results were still crucial to set a solid foundation on which they can build heading into their respective Concacaf Under-20 Men’s Championship assignments.

While there was no clear winner at the end of the two-match tie, as Trinidad and Tobago won the first 3-2 and Jamaica won the second 3-1, John Wall and Brian Haynes took heart from their team’s display across both games, though both highlighted the need for more improvements to achieve consistency.

Wall, Head coach of the young Reggae Boyz, heavily rotated players during the camp, as he also had the distinction of securing a goalless stalemate with one of Trinidad and Tobago’s senior club outfit.

“Three games, three different outcomes, but mainly it (the camp) was just to build a solid foundation in our style of play, how the environment is, what we value and what it takes to play in the national setting. So, it gave me a lot of answers as to where the players are at present, and what needs to be assessed as we move forward towards St Kitts, so hopefully the process can continue ahead of the tournament,” Wall said.

The Swedish tactician is expected to name a final squad this weekend, for their upcoming Concacaf Championship Group F assignment, which his young Reggae Boyz will open against Martinique next Saturday, followed by a clash with Grenada on February 26, before closing against Bermuda two days later, in St Kitts and Nevis.

“Martinique had four of their U-20 players in a game against Lille which they lost 12-0; Grenada has five English-based players that is going to be a part of their squad and we basically have them covered, and Bermuda are more of a dark horse. But for me it’s about controlling the controllable at this point in terms of what we can do,” Wall declared.

“My hope and aspiration (for the tournament) lie in the work that we put down and not the talent that we assess, so we have to do the work consistently because ultimately what I care about is making sure that Jamaica prevails,” he added.

Meanwhile, Haynes and his young Soca Warriors, also had a third warm-up contest which they lost 1-2 to Angus Eve’s senior team.  Though pleased with the cohesiveness within the camp, he underscored the importance of consistency heading into the tournament.

“We need to have some consistency. We have to work on being much more effective on offence. I think we do a good job getting the ball from the back to the midfield and to the top of the 18-yard (box), but the final product has to become better,” Haynes reasoned.

“All we have to do is keep working hard no matter what happens. We concentrated for the most part...I am thankful it is happening now and not in the tournament. While we didn’t win the game, the experience they got here is something you cannot get in practice,” he added.

Trinidad and Tobago will host Group D where they will open against St Vincent and the Grenadines next Friday, before tackling Dominica on February 25, and Canada on February 27.

With a number of overseas-based players are expected to try out for Haynes’ squad, he declared that they would only be considered, if they make the team better.

“This group here has made me proud, and I am saying I love it. We have good players coming from overseas, but we have good soccer players here in Trinidad, and if the guys that are coming in are not challenging these guys, this is what I am going with,” Haynes declared.

Only the group winners will progress to the next phase of the Concacaf Under-20 tournament to join the top teams –United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

Having watched his team rise against the odds to secure famous victory over United States in last year’s Nations League quarterfinals, Trinidad and Tobago senior men’s Head coach Angus Eve believes there is no task too difficult for the Soca Warriors to handle.

So, while he gears up for another challenging and demanding campaign, Eve is confident in the depth of his player pool, which he expects to showcase their competitiveness and possibly rewrite the history books.

Much like it was against United States, when the Soca Warriors came away 2-1 winners, Eve knows their CONMEBOL Copa America playoff contest against Canada will be tough, but he remains optimistic about his team's ability to overcome the stiff competition on March 23, and qualify for the prestigious Copa America tournament.

“Like the US team, the Canada team is built up the same, (with) a lot of European-based players. Some of the players (are) playing in the MLS (Major League Soccer), some playing back home, but most of the players are playing in Europe and they are playing with good teams,” Eve assessed.

“But we think we can go in there; we think we can compete with anyone right now and we want to show that. We want to show that confidence that we could go out on the park and compete with anyone,” he added.

Eve incorporated new players into his training squad for a recently-concluded four-day camp, which could be a move to bring a fresh dynamic to their gameplay. Still, he believes that with the right application, the team will compete strongly against Canada and, by extension, in the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, which promises to be both demanding and exciting.

“We just have to be tactically aware. A coach can only give instructions. When the players go out there, they have to have the mindset to play the position, to play the role that the coaches give them to the best of their ability because, a coach could never tell a player what to do for every second of every minute of a game,” he reasoned.

The Soca Warriors will have two practice games against Jamaica early next month, ahead of the Copa America qualifier against Canada. The Reggae Boyz trip to Trinidad follows the Soca Warriors tour of Jamaica last year for two friendly matches.

“They promised to return that favour to us, so these two games are supposed to be in early March. We will use those games as the final two warm-up games going into the CONMEBOL playoff match and when that happens, then we will pick that final squad,” Eve declared.

He also welcomed the fact that two players –Reon Moore of Defence Force and Real Gill of Club Sando –have been signed to play overseas in the Canadian Premier League and United Soccer League, respectively.

This, the tactician believes is another step in the right direction to not only assist in the players preparations for the challenges ahead, but more importantly, for football in the twin island republic.

“It shows that the work that we are doing (is good) and people are identifying players again, because we (once) had the same set of players getting contracts all the time. This is a new batch of players who are getting contracts, and I could tell you, when people see them playing with the national team, that is how they get that sort of exposure,” Eve shared.

“It shows that people are watching us again and watching our players and that augurs well for the country and for the team on a whole,” he ended.

Five representatives from the English-speaking Caribbean will be among 45 match officials that will oversee the inaugural edition of the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup scheduled for February 17 to March 10 in the United States.

The five, comprises three Jamaicans – referees Odette Hamilton, Daneon Parchment and assistant referee Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing –and two Trinidadians in assistant referee Carissa Douglas-Jacob and referee Crystal Sobers.

All five are experienced in their own right, having officiated at one or more major tournament at some point in their respective careers. However, Head of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Referees department, Cardella Samuels, believes that with this being the first ever Women’s Gold Cup tournament, the appoint of the Jamaicans, in particular, speaks to some significance where their consistency and hard work are concerned.

“First, I must take the time to congratulate our Jamaican officials on their appointment. It is always a great feeling having our Match Officials being selected to officiate in these major tournaments. This is where we can say their hard work has paid off,” Samuels told SportsMax.TV.

“I must also laud the effort of the JFF and its referees programme, which ensures its match officials are consistently participating in Concacaf events, and credit also goes to the instructors who have been ensuring they (officials) are prepared,” she added.

The Gold Cup, being hailed as the new flagship competition for women's national teams will be played across four venues in three United States metropolitan areas.

Caribbean teams Guyana, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Haiti, are among six teams set to contest the preliminary round at Dignity Health Sports Park Track and Field Stadium on February 17.  Guatemala and El Salvador are the others.

The winning teams will advance to the group stage to join United States, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Canada.

That 12-team group stage will be played between February 20 and 28, at Dignity Health Sports Park (Group A), Snapdragon Stadium (Group B), and Shell Energy Stadium (Group C). After round-robin play, the group winners, runners-up, and two best third-place finishers, will advance to the quarter-final round, scheduled for March 2 and 3, at BMO Stadium.

This will be followed by the semi-final round and final at Snapdragon Stadium on March 6 and 10, respectively.

English-speaking Caribbean officials: Odette Hamilton (referee), Daneon Parchment (video match official), Stephanie-Dale Yee Sing (assistant referee), Carissa Douglas-Jacob (assistant referee), Crystal Sobers (support referee).

Having watched the Soca Warriors parade their skills at the 2006 FIFA World Cup with tremendous amount of pride, Trinidad and Tobago’s Denmark-born Marc Gangia was inspired to push to one day boast a successful career in which he achieved a similar World Cup feat.

Fast forward 18 years later, Gangia has now found himself in the right place to possibly bring that dream to fruition, as he was invited to the Soca Warriors setup by Head coach Angus Eve.

However, Gangia, 26, who earns his Trinidad and Tobago stripes through his father, knows all too well that breaking into Eve’s final squad for the upcoming Copa America qualifying playoff against Canada on March 24 and, by extension for the World Cup qualifiers later this year, will take some doing, but he intends to make the most of the opportunity.

"It is nice to be here. It is a big opportunity hopefully to be a part of (the squad). I remember the 06 World Cup and also following the (English) Premier League (with T&T footballers) Dwight Yorke and Kenwyne Jones and players like that," Gangia said, during a meet the press hosted by TTFA on Tuesday.

"It is a big step for the country if we could qualify for the (2026) World Cup and also (for the Copa America tournament) in the summer. It is a big match ahead in Canada, so we will see if we could get through,” he added.

Though it was his first time being called to a training camp with the Soca Warriors, Gangia, who is a striker for Danish fifth-tier side Dalum IF, pointed out that he is no stranger to the twin island republic.

"This is probably my fifth time now. My dad has a lot of family here, so we have been here a couple of times,” Gangia shared.

He also revealed that his call up was only a matter of timing, as things have been in process for almost a decade.

"Approximately ten years ago it started, but it has been a long process with the passports and all those kinds of things,” he said.

With his appetite for international action now open through the just-concluded four-day camp at Larry Gomes Stadium, which launched the Soca Warriors preparation for the campaign ahead, Gangia is now ready to raise his game even further to become a staple in Eve’s side.

“The weather is hot compared to Denmark so there is a transition I have to get used to, but I think the boys have been nice and taking good care of me, so it has been good so far,” he noted.

With their Copa America playoff fixture against Canada fast approaching, Trinidad and Tobago’s senior men’s Head coach Angus Eve recently called a 35-man training squad of mostly local-based players which is aimed at ensuring he fields the best possible squad for that crucial encounter next month.

The four-day camp, which ends on Thursday, not only provides the opportunity for players to impress the coach and secure a spot in the team, but also serves as preparation for the playoff contest scheduled for March 24. The winner of the playoff will qualify for the prestigious CONMENOL Copa America in June.

Along with players who were a part of the Soca Warriors unit that had a successful run to the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals, Eve extended a first-time invitation to German-born Keenon Erfuth, whose mother is Trinidadian, and Denmark-based Marc Gangia, who is eligible to represent the twin island republic through his father.

Gangia, 26, is a forward with Danish fifth-tier team Dalum IF, while 21-year-old Erfuth, also a forward, is currently with German association football club VfR Neumünster.

Having enjoyed good form last year when they also registered an historic 2-1 win over United States, Eve is keen to build on that foundation.

“It’s a great chance for us to get some of the guys together as a group again because as you would have seen, the majority of them would have returned to their clubs and have been very active in the local league since November,” Eve told TTFA Media.

“There are few regulars in this squad, but we also took the opportunity to invite some players, who we believe have been showing up and performing for their clubs in the local premier league,” he added.

Following the Copa America qualifiers, Eve’s next focus will be the 2026 Concacaf World Cup qualifiers, which is scheduled for June. The Soca Warriors will contest Group B alongside Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Bahamas.

“There is a lot of international football coming up with the Copa America qualifier being the most urgent assignment, but of course, there are the World Cup qualifiers following soon after in June. These sort of windows where we can have some time with the players available are extremely important for us,” Eve noted.

Trinidad and Tobago Training Squad: Kaihim Thomas, Reon Moore, Jamali Garcia, Christopher Biggette, Jabari St Hillaire, Kevon Goddard, Justin Garcia, Brent Sam, Nathaniel Garcia, Justin Sadoo (all Defence Force), Duane Muckette, Michel Poon-Angeron, Liam Burns, John-Paul Rochford, Isaiah Leacock (all AC Port of Spain), Real Gill, Shervohnez Hamilton, Kai Moos, Jamal Jack (all Club Sando), Luke Phillips, Denzil Smith, Justin Cornwall, Mark Ramdeen (all Point Fortin Civic), Alvin Jones, Robert Primus, Adrian Foncette (all Police FC), David Daniel, Ross Russell Jr, Isaiah Lee (all La Horquetta Rangers), Mickaeel Jem Gordon (1976 FC Phoenix), Rhondel Gibson (Eagles FC), Keenon Erfuth (VFR Neumunster—Germany), Marc Gangia (Dalum IF—Denmark), Jonathan Assue (unattached).

Former Trinidad and Tobago winger Kevin Molino is set to make another important transition in his career, as he has parted ways with Major League Soccer (MLS) team Columbus Crew by mutual agreement.

Molino's departure from the club after three seasons, follows his retirement international duty in September last year.

Columbus Crew President and General Manager Tim Bezbatchenko, said after discussions with the 33-year-old Molino, both parties mutually agreed to terminate the midfielder’s contract.

Caribbean representatives Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica had to settle for eighth and 16th positions respectively after both produced credible efforts at the FIH Hockey 5s World Cup in Muscat, Oman, on Wednesday.

Trinidad and Tobago suffered a narrow 5-7 loss to Kenya in the seventh and eighth-place playoff, while Jamaica, making an historic appearance at the tournament, also went down by two goals in their 2-4 loss to Fiji in the 15th-16th-place encounter.

Netherlands were crowned champions following their 5-2 beating of Malaysia in the final.

Earlier in the tournament, Trinidad and Tobago registered a 5-5 stalemate with Australia, defeated Kenya 7-2 and then thumped New Zealand 11-4.

However, the twin island republic lost their quarter-final tie 4-5 against Malaysia, and then lost 5-8 to Egypt in the fifth to eighth-place playoff.

Meanwhile, the Jamaicans lost all six games played, but would have benefitted immensely from their debut outing on the world stage.

The Duvaughn Henlon-coached team first suffered a 2-10 loss to Egypt, but produced a more respectable showing in their 4-6 loss to Switzerland in their second encounter. They were also beaten 13-0 and 15-2 and 8-1 by India, Pakistan and United States respectively.

Fabian Stewart, Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF) president, took heart from the team’s performance and, by extension, top 16 ranking, which he believes is a solid platform to build on going forward.

“The positive of participating in this tournament is that Jamaica is in the top 16 of countries that are playing hockey5s. We earned our spot to come to this tournament and it is clear that we are in the top 16. So we are in the top tier, globally,” said Stewart.

“The players have learnt a lot. The game is played in a particular manner and all the players can actually see the sort of speed they play with.

“We played against top-tier countries that we never got an opportunity to see or play against, but we understand that how we played in parts, we can actually handle them, but we have to be more consistent. But our coaches and staff have seen what is required to operate at this level,” he added.

While pleased with aspects of their team’s display in the first warm-up contest, Trinidad and Tobago’s Under-20 Men’s Head coach Brian Haynes and his Jamaican counterpart John Wall are optimistic of a more efficient display from their respective units when the two teams meet again on Thursday.

The young Soca Warriors edged the young Reggae Boyz 3-2 in the first contest at the University of TT, O'Meara Campus recently, with Lindell Sween, Levi Jones and Michael Chaves on target for the hosts, while Jahmani Bell and Demarion Harris, pulled things back for Jamaica.

That contest, both coaches believe, not only provided the impetus needed to finalize selection of their respective squads for next month’s Caribbean phase of the Concacaf Under-20 Men’s Championships, as they only had a few training sessions prior, which doesn’t necessarily assist in highlighting the true competitive nature and, by extension, cohesiveness of the teams.

Haynes expressed satisfaction with the progress of his players, especially as he explored different combinations.

"As far as I am concerned the exercise was good. Nobody's hurt, thank God. The guys worked hard and the main group, the group that started, they did what we wanted them to do, and I thought the guys that came in did a good job as well,” Haynes said.

"I commend the Jamaica team for coming down and giving us a good game, because this is what we need and this is what they need and hopefully this propels us to keep playing at the level I know we can,” he added.

Still, no performance is ever perfect, and as such, Haynes said the objective remains to strengthen their flaws in all areas to ensure that the young Soca Warriors not only prove more formidable in the next game, but also against their more illustrious opponents in future fixtures.

Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica will lock horns in the second warm-up encounter on Thursday at Larry Gomes Stadium at 4:00 pm.

For the upcoming tournament, Haynes’s side will host Group D which includes Canada, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines with only the group winner set to progress.

"There are things we have to work on, but right now I am really happy with the result for the boys,” Haynes noted.

Wall echoed similar sentiments, even as the young Reggae Boyz held Police FC’s youth team to a goalless stalemate in another encounter.

"The whole idea of these games is to create relationships and a common understanding on our game model. So, there are instances where we are kind of pleased with what we saw and for me it’s the bigger picture of getting ourselves ready and competitive for the tournament,” Wall shared.

"One of the core non-negotiables that we have is that no matter what, we don’t give up because we are playing for our nation which is a big responsibility.  So, there are areas we need to improve on with regards to our pressing, counter-pressing and some other technical things in that region,” he reasoned.

Wall’s side will contest Group F with Bermuda, Grenada and Martinique in St Kitts and Nevis in the upcoming tournament.

After round-robin play in the Concacaf qualifying opening round between February 23 and March 2, the group winners will progress to the Championship round to join the six pre-seeded nations – United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

With Trinidad and Tobago’s Copa America playoff against Canada fast approaching and their opponents for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign revealed, Head coach Angus Eve is cautiously optimistic about the way forward.

This, as he believes his senior Soca Warriors are in a much better place ahead of this year’s campaign compared to last year when they had a fairly successful run, which included an historic victory over United States in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.

Should they secure an upset victory over Canada in the upcoming March 23 fixture, Trinidad and Tobago would qualify for the prestigious Copa America tournament to contest Group A alongside Argentina, Peru and Chile.

The Soca Warriors are also set to contest Group B in the second round of the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers alongside Costa Rica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Bahamas.

Eve, who views the ongoing T&T Premier Football League, as well as pre-season football for his foreign-based charges in North America as an additional boost, pointed out that they have already started plotting the way forward.

“We had a strategy meeting where we planned our way forward. We have been speaking individually with everybody in their individual roles. This is what the collective meeting (was about), to bring back in all the data and plan the way going forward,” Eve told TTFA in a recent interview.

The tactician credited T&T Premier Football League’s tier one and tier two competitions for improving his talent pool to some extent.

“It has been tremendous and refreshing for us because every (national training) camp that we would have gone in previously the locally based players weren’t playing (regularly), and we had to do a lot of work to bring (them) up to match fitness,” Eve reasoned.

“Now they are playing, the league is going well. I think it’s very competitive so we can see that the players are playing much sharper. I thought that this (second) season the boys would be playing a lot faster, and they are. So, it’s good for us and we want to bring them in,” he added.

That said, Eve welcomed the fact that surging young talents Tyrese Spicer of Toronto FC and Colorado Rapids’ Wayne Frederick II, are now among the potentials for a national call-up.

“We have some new boys who will get the opportunity to come in the camp and work with us in that environment. We have seen a lot of nice young players coming through the league.

"The players in Canada, the players in the US are already in pre-season with their clubs so they will get a lot of pre-season matches under their belt. It’s a lot more game time and also that we have the few players in Europe, they are still in action and playing,” Eve noted.

“(So) I think we’re in a better place going into this round of matches because soon after, we’ll have the World Cup campaign to start,” he ended.

Much like his Jamaican counterpart John Wall, Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Brian Haynes is in the process of trying to find the best possible squad to parade at the upcoming Concacaf Under-20 Men’s Championships.

As such, the three-warm up matches between the two is a welcome addition to up the tempo of their preparations, as it not only promises good competition, but more importantly, will give both coaches a better indicator of the quality of respective players ahead of the tournament, which serves as a qualifier to next year’s FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup in Chile.

The young Soca Warriors will face their young Reggae Boyz counterparts at 6:00pm on Thursday at St James Police Barracks, and again at 4:00pm on Sunday and February 1 at the Larry Gomes Stadium. Haynes is expecting players to put their best foot forward, especially with spots up for grabs.

“It’s going to be games against a team from the Caribbean first of all with the kind of play that we’re accustomed to. But at the same time, it’s quality games and we are going to have to come with our best effort to show these guys that we can play, not only play but to win because as far as I’m concerned that’s what is going to bring the crowds to the stadium,” Haynes told TTFA Media

“We are going to work hard and try to win games. I expect these matches to be well contested so that it serves its purpose in this phase of our preparations,” he added.

For the upcoming tournament, Trinidad and Tobago will host Group D which includes Canada, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines. If what Haynes has seen in preparation so far is anything to go by, then he is expecting a good showing in the tournament.

“I’m at a point where I can start to see what the team is going to look like. Everybody is not here as yet but all the players who are here at the moment in T&T are doing what they are supposed to do,” Haynes shared.

“I’ve seen improvements in the defending, into the midfield and when we go forward and as far as I’m concerned, all those are things that we still need to sharpen up. We haven’t been good on finishing. One goal in a game of 90 minutes is good so far but we need to improve in getting more goals,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Jamaicans for their part, will contest Group F with Bermuda, Grenada and Martinique in St Kitts and Nevis, and Wall is pleased with how things have progressed so far, as he looks ahead to the warm-up fixtures.

“Trinidad has been treating us good, we have had two trainings so far, we like to create an environment as similar as possible to tournament conditions. We have a lot of things to cover in terms of our attacking and defending but the main reference is the first game (against Trinidad) and from there we can map our way forward,” Wall said.

“I know Brian Haynes is pretty seasoned and experienced and I think we should respect them but at the point where we have to play our own game and start building the foundation for what we want to do in the tournament from this point on. So, for me, it makes a whole lot of sense that the JFF allowed us to come here as part of the process of getting prepared for St Kitts and Nevis,” he added.

After round-robin play in the Concacaf qualifying opening round between February 23 and March 2, the group winners will progress to the Championship round to join the six pre-seeded nations – United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

Anton Corneal, Technical director of Trinidad and Tobago Football Association believes the country’s governing football body will have to do some restructuring to meet the demands of the calendar, particularly from a youth perspective, as FIFA recently announced that as of 2025, youth tournaments will take place every year, instead of biennially.

“Now we've got to redesign what we are doing when it comes to a high-performance programme. Instead of catering for players every two years, now we will be catering for players every year,” Corneal said in a recent interview with TTFA media.

On that note, Corneal pointed to the need for more human and financial resources to achieve their objectives and, by extension, endure Trinidad and Tobago is consistently represented at tournaments.

"It is going to be difficult to manage because you are asking for a second staff to be hired. If it does not come with additional funding then it is going to become difficult and we will have to make sure we prioritise in a way that it is beneficial to all,” he reasoned.

Interestingly, Trinidad and Tobago’s first football assignment for the year will be the Caribbean leg of the Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championships next month.

The twin island republic will host Group D of the qualifiers, with Canada, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica standing in their way, as only the group winner will advance to the next round to join the top teams –United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

"We've got a few things (this year). First, we have youth tournaments. The Under-20 boys will be the immediate youth tournament where the preliminary group will be played in T&T in February. We have been in training (locally) for the last two and a half months. I have to say it is a real competitive group of players. They would merge with players out of the US and a few out of the UK,” Corneal shared.

“It is not going to be a given (the challenge to top the group), but we have had relatively decent results against Canada over the last ten years where it has fluctuated. They have won some and we have won some,” he ended.