T&T midfielder Khaleem Hyland has left a good impression on Cardiff City boss Russell Slade after spending one week on trial at the club with the view of a permanent deal.
Hyland is attached to Belgium giants Racing Genk but club manager Alex McLeish, a former boss of Russell Latapy at Hibernian, has indicated that Hyland is unlikely to be in his plans this season.
Hyland is now close to signing a deal with the club of Kenwyne Jones which campaigns in the English Championship Division.
"First impressions are good, he had a good first session with us, but it's early days yet," said Slade.
"He came recommended to us and Kenwyne has told us a lot about him so we thought we would invite him over.
"He's a big strong lad and very combative in the middle of the park. Saying that though technically he is very good as well. We will see how things go throughout the week now."
Pan Am lineups to
finalise next month
The final slate of teams to compete in the men and women's football competitions of the Pan American Games will be finalised next month.
All matches will be played at CIBC Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium (nee Tim Hortons Field) from July 11-26, with eight teams in both the men and women's pools, according to the Hamilton Spectator newspaper.
In the women's division, automatic berths went to Canada, as host country, and Mexico, as the other entry from the host region (North America). The US is not entering either competition in the Games.
In tournaments last spring and summer, Costa Rica won the right to represent Central America in Hamilton, and T&T captured the berth from the Caribbean.
The other competing teams include Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina.
Four more men's berths have yet to be determined, but Canada and Mexico have the byes in that bracket, too, while Panama won its way into Hamilton by capturing the Central American qualifier in El Salvador in July. T&T will represent the Caribbean after beating Haiti 3-0 in the regional Under-20 final in July in Port-of-Spain.
"People from T&To are very, very proud," says Dino Rossi, the Pan Am Games' Sport Organising Committee Chair for football.
"And they'll be out in force in Hamilton."
The four men's teams from South America have yet to be determined, but that drawn-out process begins next Thursday in Uruguay at the South American Youth (U-20) Championships, which last for three weeks.
There is no age limit for the women's division but, as in the Olympics, the Pan Am men's football tournament is for players who have not reached their 23rd birthdays.
U-20 captain reflects on Jamaica first match
National U-20 captain Shannon Gomez described the experience of dominating Jamaica for large periods in their opening Concacaf World Cup qualifying match last week as a thrilling experience.
Gomez, speaking ahead of yesterday's third encounter against Guatemala in Kingston, said it hurt him and the rest of the T&T team that T&T couldn't hold on to complete the victory in a match which T&T were in control of but settled for a 2-2 draw as Jamaica came from two goals down to equalise in added on time.
"It was a great and unforgettable experience. I've always been learning about the rivalry between the both countries as the two top teams in the Caribbean and it was a real honour to actually be part of it," Gomez said.
"Leading Jamaica and being in control was a privilege, especially in the spirit of the rivalry and for me and several of the players it was an honour to play against Jamaica for the first time I think there is a lot we can take from it," he added.
Gomez spoke about his mental conditions during this tournament as T&T attempts to finish among the top four countries in Concacaf and move on to the 2015 Fifa U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
"The experience in this tournament has been a fantastic one but also one of high anxiety and the feeling of us being this close to achieving something great. Just knowing we have a real chance in front of us of being the third national team to qualify for an Under 20 World Cup is something that has spurred us on from day one.
"We've come through a lot of challenges but the group is committed to doing the best for our country and while we are seeing some of our opponents basically having more resources and possibly better preparation, we know to our hearts that we are not far off and we'll try to make up for what we didn't have by going the extra mile a half on the pitch."
The day Mauge went from zero to hero
Ronnie Mauge was remembered last month for taking no prisoners as he defied the odds to turn in a match winning performance for Plymouth Argyle against Exeter City in a 1996 English League match on December 6.
Mauge had a decent but short career for T&T, making his debut in 2000 and playing in the 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup and the 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. The hard stone midfielder is currently enjoying a career as a players representative in the UK.
As stated by the Plymouth Herald, Mauge was the star of a FA Cup second round match back in 1996 and was highlighted by the newspaper last month for his heroics.
"On the day of the Devon derby, Mauge missed a light training session as he was in Exeter for a court appearance, two days after he was released from custody at Exeter prison facing charges of kidnapping, possession of an imitation firearm and threats to kill.
Much, then, for TV commentators Martin Tyler and Andy Gray to talk about as history was made before their very eyes.
City, a division below Argyle, went into the game with a five-match unbeaten run which had taken them away from the lower reaches of Division Three.
Neil Warnock–controversially–selected Mauge, and his decision paid off.
He scored Argyle's second goal after 32 minutes, and after the match described it as the most important goal of his career–despite his Wembley winner still fresh in the mind when he led the team to playoff promotion.
A detailed chat with Warnock hours before the kick-off persuaded the manager that Mauge was in the right frame of mind to play.
His midfield battle with an old friend from his east London days, Danny Bailey–who was in his second spell with City, was just one of the main features of the game.
Former England striker Mark Chamberlain played for City on that day while former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar was in gal for Plymouth.
�2 Shaun Fuentes is the director of communications for the TTFA. shaunfuentes@yahoo.com