Slovakia-based winger Lester Peltier says he's readying himself for what he sees as a critical year ahead for the national team.
Peltier, speaking from Slovakia last week, disclosed that he was currently focusing on his club career with Slovan Bratislava but was only a phone call away regarding international duty and intends to earn his starting role in Stephen Hart's team for the Concacaf Gold Cup which takes place in the United States in July.
"I've never played in a Gold Cup before so this is huge for me. I really want to be part of the squad and hopefully once I'm injury free I'll be part of the team for the Gold Cup in July. I think we have a decent side at the moment and if we can prepare well and play some good football, then we can go there and do well against the other teams," Peltier said on 101.7's Sportsdrive talkshow.
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, he said, "The Panama game is a very good one for us as part of the preparations because we need as many games as we can get and Panama are one of the top sides now. The World Cup qualifiers in November are right around the corner and we have to ensure we are in top shape for that.
Peltier's Slovan is in sixth position in the Slovak League table at the moment. It crushed Nitra 5-2 in a Cup match on Tuesday and Peltier seems to be enjoying the season.
"Personally I'm in good shape. I've been working hard and putting in my extras here at Slovan. We're still looking to push forward a bit and climb the table. We have some crucial games coming up so we're going to give it everything to get as much points as we can," he said.
Figo's proposed 48-team World Cup could favour T&T
Fifa presidency candidate and former Real Madrid standout Luis Figo has suggested expanding the Fifa World Cup to 48 teams.
Experts recently looked at what Figo's vision would look like and there was good news for T&T as Figo said he wanted to focus on more teams outside of Europe getting to the World Cup.
Figo's vision involves two simultaneous groups stages of 24 teams, each held on a different continent, with the qualifiers coming together for the knockout stages in a third location. He's said that the extra teams will come from outside Europe, though we have our doubts as to whether Uefa are going to happily allow such an expansion to pass by without them nabbing at least a couple of spots.
The top teams chosen according to Fifa's current rankings saw T&T end up in the top Concacaf six alongside Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, United States and Honduras
"I believe we should consider proposals to expand the competition to a 40 or even 48 team World Cup," Figo said at Wembley. "Both these options are feasible with an extra three to four days of tournament play. If this expansion were to take place I believe that additional teams should come from non-European nations."
Andrews shares in touching experience of deceased fan
Former T&T defender Marvin Andrews took time out last month to take part in a memorial game held in honour of schoolboy fan Jak Trueman who passed away after being diagnosed with a very rare form of blood cancer–known as Gammadelta T-cell lymphoma.
The match was played at Livingston's Almondvale stadium with the teenager's old Under-16s team Mid Calder Colts playing against teachers at West Calder High, where Trueman had been a pupil.
Andrews and some of his former Glasgow Rangers teammates Nacho Novo, Charlie Miller and Celtic legend Frank McAvennie all took part in the affair.
What was most touching about Trueman's story was the revelation that he arranged for flowers to be sent to his family and girlfriend the day after he died. His mother Alison Barr insisted his memory would live on through a charity set up in his name.
The 44-year-old said flowers arrived addressed to herself, his girlfriend and his grandmother–with a poignant handwritten note telling them he loved them.
"When I got the flowers from my beautiful son the other day I just fell apart. He had arranged flowers to be delivered to me, my mum and his girlfriend–and he had given Amy, his sister, flowers before he passed away.
"They came the day after he passed away, with a handwritten card by himself. It just said on it, 'To mum, I love you and I will look after you. All my love, Jak.' It was just beautiful."
Andrews said he had been touched by the whole experience.
"When I came into the car park this afternoon and saw all the cars, it looked like a First Division game. I couldn't get parking anywhere. I was really touched by it. I'm really happy to be part of it."
Young Nixon
progressing at Union
Forward Jerren Nixon, the 16-year-old son of former T&T striker Jerren Nixon is reportedly making rapid progress at the academy of American Major League Soccer club Philladelphia Union.
Nixon, currently with the national U-17 team at the Concacaf qualifiers in Honduras, has been a regular in the Union start team.
He recently scored the match-winner in the U-16 team's win over DC United in the second leg of the Generation Adidas Cup East regionals. The Union advanced to the finals of that tournament in Dallas in April.
Young Nixon has made six appearances (four starts) and scored three goals in his first season with the Union Academy. He played in Lilburn, Georgia with Gwinnett Soccer Association before joining the Academy and was born in Zurich, Switzerland, when his father was playing for FC Z�rich.
Nixon accompanied his father at the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup and had the opportunity to witness the T&T training sessions and interact with the current senior players.
The older Nixon's career included playing time at FC St Gallen and FC Zurich in Switzerland and also at Scotland's Dundee United where he is still remembered for his blistering pace at the club between 1993-1995 during which time he won a Scottish Cup medal. Nixon also represented T&T at every level including the U-17s.
Another US-based player Noah Powder, who plays for the New York Red Bulls U-16s, is also with the T&T U-17 team at this time.
Shaun Fuentes is the director of
communications for the TTFA–shaunfuentes@yahoo.com