SHAQUILLE HOLDER, scorer of 28 goals in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) for Carapichaima East Secondary this season, has forced his way into the Trinidad & Tobago national under-20 football team currently preparing for the eight-team final round of Caribbean qualifying for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.
Holder is one of three changes from the team that successful team that competed in the semi-final qualifying round in St Vincent & the Grenadines in August. Former under-17 goalkeeper Tevin Dodds replaces USA-based John Thomas, and former St Anthony's College midfielder Garvin Samaroo is back in the squad..
Yesterday, the T&T under-20 squad entered camp at the Cascadia Hotel. T&T's under-20 "Soca Warriors" will leave on Saturday for Jamaica where they battle for one of five Caribbean qualifying spots for the CONCACAF Championship in Pueba, Mexico from February 18-March 2, 2013. T&T join hosts Jamaica, first-round group winners Curacao, Cuba, Haiti and Suriname, along with fellow second-place finishers Antigua & Barbuda and Puerto Rico in the eight-team Caribbean finals. The young Soca Warriors open the series against Puerto Rico on November 5, play Haiti two days later, and then end preliminary round qualifying on September 9 against Curacao.
T&T finished second to Suriname on goal-difference from the Group D qualifier in August. The young Soca Warriors edged Guyana 2-1 in the opener and were shocked 3-0 by Suriname, before bouncing back with a 3-0 win over hosts St Vincent and the Grenadines. Both Suriname and T&T ended with six points.
Defence Force's Ross Russell is T&T's head-coach, while former national player Reynold Carrington is his assistant. In the next week, the team will train morning and evening at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, before playing a final warm-up match on Thursday against Southern Football Association Premier Division leaders Point Fortin Civic Centre.
Russell will have to do without United States-based goalie John Thomas, who has been replaced by Tevin Dodds. Team manager William Wallace reported that there was difficulty getting Thomas released from his school for the tournament.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO:
Tevin Dodds, Quesi Weston, Adan Noel, Dwight Quintero, Alvin Jones, Anthony Charles, Damani Richards, Shannon Gomez, Shaquille Nesbitt, Duane Muckette (captain), Xavier Rajpaul, Kerron Bethelmy, Jomal Williams, Marcus Gomez, Akeem Garcia (midfielders); Shackiel Henry, Keane McIvor, Glen Sutton, Shaquille Holder, Garvin Samaroo.
CARIBBEAN UNDER-20 FINAL ROUND
Group A: Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Curacao, Puerto Rico
Group B: Jamaica, Suriname, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda
CARIBBEAN UNDER-20
FINAL ROUND FIXTURES
Monday, November 5
Trinidad & Tobago vs Puerto Rico; Haiti vs Curacao
Tuesday, November 6
Cuba vs Suriname; Jamaica vs Antigua & Barbuda
Wednesday, November 7
Puerto Rico vs Curacao; Haiti vs Trinidad & Tobago
Thursday, November 8
Antigua & Barbuda vs Cuba; Jamaica vs Suriname
Friday, November 9
Curacao vs Trinidad & Tobago; Puerto Rico vs Haiti
Saturday, November 10
Suriname vs Antigua & Barbuda; Jamaica vs Cuba
-Ian Prescott
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com