T&T football coach Stephen Hart believes his troops still has work to do if they are qualify for the Hexagonal phase of the CONCACAF Final Round of the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifiers.
Even as the draw for the Final Round was made on Friday, the Canadian coach remained focused, refusing to put much or any thought to the schedule, but rather remained fixed on the feelings he expressed shortly after the Soca Warriors' emphatic 6-0 victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in March, that his team had a major hurdle to climb over.
"We haven't achieved anything yet. We are still in the same position as we were in March. We are not yet in the Hex. We hasaid soon after the draw.
He noted "Once you're into the Hex, you have the best teams in the region and you have to face everyone at some point. There is where the real toss up begins because you are looking at playing home and away with everything at stake over a rigorous schedule. Thinking about what our possible games could look like when it starts in November and ends next year is not a focus at the moment. We have to take care of business in our next two games first and foremost."
The senior team is expected to regroup in late August for a training camp ahead of the all-important World Cup qualifier against Guatemala at the Stadium, September 2 and later against the mights of the United States four days later (September 6) in Jacksonville, Florida.
T&T currently leads its semi-final group with ten points, three more than second placed USA, followed by Guatemala (six points) and St Vincent/Grenadines in the bottom spot without a point.
A draw against Guatemala will do it for T&T but Guatemala needs to win to stay alive before their final game at home to St Vincent, and if they do, T&T will find themselves in a position of needing to defeat the US in order to advance to the "Hex".
T&T also have Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup qualifying matches on October 3- 9 against Martinique and Dominican Republic before the start of the CONCACAF Final phase November 7th-15th.
To date only Mexico is assured of first place in Group A from the fourth round, but no other hex position has been solidified with two games left to play in September.
The upcoming Hexagonal will run, for the first time in its history, outside of one calendar year. The competition, which boasts CONCACAF's top teams and stars, kicks off in November 2016 and concludes in October 2017, sending three sides directly to Russia 2018 with the fourth entering a playoff with an Asian team.