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  • 5 months ago
T&T will open their Gold Cup campaign on Sunday against the USA in a group that also features Haiti and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, T&T learned of their World Cup Final round group as Concacaf held its World Cup draw in Miami.
Transcript
00:00Well, football kicks us off as defense force defender Justin Garcia.
00:15Well, he's been drafted into the SoCo Warriors 26-man squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup,
00:20replacing injured center-back Josiah Trimingham.
00:23Trimingham picked up a knee injury during warm-ups ahead of TNT's World Cup qualifier
00:28against Costa Rica on Tuesday and has been ruled out of the tournament.
00:33Well, despite a 2-1 loss in San Jose, TNT advanced to the next round of qualifiers on goal difference.
00:39Well, what you're seeing on your screen at the moment is the Warriors,
00:41who have arrived in California recently,
00:44where Coach Dwight York put them through the pieces of a training session today.
00:48TNT will open their Gold Cup campaign on Sunday against the USA
00:52in a group that also features Haiti and Saudi Arabia.
00:56Well, just a short while ago, just a few minutes in fact,
00:59TNT learned of their World Cup final round group as CONCACAF held its World Cup draw in Miami.
01:05And, well, there on your screen you can see Jamaica, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermuda.
01:11It's going to be an all-Caribbean affair in Group B.
01:14And to help us discuss what could possibly be positive developments for Trinidad and Tobago
01:21is a former TNT World Cup player, Brent Sancho, who is all the way with us from New York.
01:26Good evening, Brent.
01:29Good evening, James.
01:30You really couldn't ask for a better draw for Trinidad and Tobago,
01:34so I'm a very happy man out of New York.
01:36Yeah, I know, you know, earlier when you messaged me and you said,
01:39God is a Trini, and, you know, I'm assuming it means that you're quite pleased by the draw.
01:44Look, I'm very pleased with the draw and all due respect to the teams that are in Group B
01:50compared to what could have possibly been for us when you look at, in particular, Group A
01:56and the type of teams that are there.
01:58I think that they are teams that are very manageable for us.
02:02I will also take this opportunity to make a public plea to corporate Trinidad
02:06to get behind the squad.
02:07I think everybody in our country is aware of what a World Cup does to our nation.
02:13So I'm begging them to get behind them, simply because I do feel that we have a genuine opportunity
02:19to qualify based on the draw we've had today.
02:23Yeah, and of course, TNT, having Dwight York as the coach, head coach,
02:31prior to his arrival, there was talk particularly from the TTFE president
02:36where he spoke about mission qualifying for the World Cup.
02:39Many folks sort of scoffed at such a request.
02:41Looking at the draw now, do you think he might have been vindicated somewhat
02:45in perhaps making an egregious claim such as that?
02:49I think vindication would come with qualification if it happens.
02:54I think right now it's still in the preliminary stages.
02:57As much as I am over the moon with the teams that we've drawn,
03:00it's not anywhere close to obviously suggesting that we are going to just walk into the World Cup.
03:06There are teams in there that we've had our struggles with,
03:10Kurosawa one in particular.
03:11And we will have to better our performances if we are to qualify.
03:17There's no doubt about that.
03:19The way that we have played in the initial group stages,
03:22it still leaves us a bit short, I believe.
03:26And there's going to have to be vast improvement if we are to qualify.
03:31Well, it's quite ironic that we're speaking to you as well, of course,
03:33are part of the last TNT team that qualified for a World Cup.
03:36When you look at this squad currently in 2025, what ingredients are you happy with?
03:42And as such, what ingredients do you think are still lacking?
03:46I think offensively we've come to life.
03:48I think when you look at young Dante Silly, you look at young Spicer, of course,
03:52Levi Garcia to the middle, and of course, Kevin Molina rolling back the clock,
03:56it brings back reminiscence of Leonson Lois and Clint Marcel and those sorts of names
04:02and excitement, Arnold Walker and, of course, Steven John.
04:05So there is some potency in our attack, and that's very evident in the way we've played
04:10and, of course, what we've done.
04:11But it's very difficult to look past our defensive frailties,
04:15and we saw it over the last three or four games, of course,
04:18a four-nil beating to Ghana, and, of course,
04:21conceding two goals against the kids and then going out to Costa Rica and conceding as well.
04:24So, you know, yes, offensively we look good,
04:27but we all know defenses get you into a World Cup, and we have to do better.
04:31We really do have to do better if we are to get there.
04:34We have to win all our home games.
04:36That's a must.
04:37But more importantly, on the road, we have to be resolute defensively,
04:40very stingy and hard to break down and beat.
04:42I think right there, James, is the ingredients to get you to a World Cup.
04:47Yeah, and that sounds good to me.
04:48All right, thank you so much, of course.
04:50Brent Sanchez speaking with us all the way from New York,
04:53as perhaps he's looking forward to the World Cup campaign that starts on Sunday.
04:57Thank you so much, Brent.
04:59Have a good one, guys.
05:00With the business end done and dusted, TNT striker Levi Garcia,
05:06who trained with the squad today,
05:07thinks it's possible for the Soka Warriors to advance to the World Cup.
05:11Well, the Spartak Moscow man believes the players have everything to play for
05:15to stamp their place on the world stage.
05:16Yeah, I believe we can, you know, because as much as I would like to say
05:22every camp we should improve, we need to start now,
05:26because there's no room for improving too late.
05:30So we need to get the job done.
05:32We have six games, six important games.
05:35We know what is at stake.
05:37It's my dream, it's everybody's dream to be in a World Cup.
05:41And I'm really looking forward to it.
05:43Once everyone is healthy, I believe we have a great chance of qualifying.
05:47Well, Garcia added that he's looking forward to the World Cup,
05:50which starts on Sunday,
05:51and he insists that he's getting to know his teammates a lot better.
05:55Yeah, of course, the team bonding is really important
05:58because I myself still getting to know some of the new guys,
06:02and it's really important for us to be as a unit, you know,
06:06going into September, knowing who playing where,
06:08what this one and that one capable of doing.
06:11And I'm really looking forward to the World Cup.
06:13Hope we can get the best possible start
06:15and see how far we can go from there
06:17and build on the momentum in the future.
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