T&T’s defensive midfielder and defender Neveal Hackshaw and Kareem Moses will be hoping to transfer their winning momentum from Thursday’s match against Curacao into Sunday’s clash with El Salvador in the CONCACAF Nations League ‘A’ clash, their second match to date.
The Soca Warriors left it late before defeating Curacao 1-0 in their opening match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Port-of-Spain, three days ago, courtesy of an 82nd-minute goal from new boy Nathaniel James.
Tonight, however, they are expecting an even tougher contest against the El Salvadorians at the Nacional Jorge Magico Gonzalez from 10.10 pm. The El Salvadorians lost their opening match against Guatemala 2-0 and will be anxious to make amends against the Soca Warriors.
National coach Angus Eve took his players through a final session yesterday at the match venue at 3 pm. He will be without lanky Defence Force striker Brent Sam who could not travel with the team in time, being a last-minute replacement for Kaihim Thomas who was injured in a vehicle accident last week. Information coming from the T&T Football Association (TTFA) Media is they could not transfer Thomas’ travelling document to Sam in time for the match.
Sam, a solid post-up player for the army coast-guard combination team, was expected to start for the Warriors against Curacao but was not called upon by Eve, who eventually got the victory with the late introduction of James who sought to build the team’s confidence tonight.
According to Moses: “I feel confident. We all knew that the first game was a really important one and the start that we got was exactly what we were hoping for. We just want to bring that momentum we had into the second game and get a positive result away from home.
“I think it’s a real unity among the boys, it’s a real love in the camp like it’s the best I’ve ever been around in a long time. I think we will continue going from strength to strength. I think when you sit and everybody having lunch and everybody around the table is cracking jokes and just having that harmony amongst each other, shows on the field. And that’s the most important thing, the togetherness.”
Hackshaw echoed similar sentiments, saying: “It feels good coming away from getting three points. I think this game is very important for us being away from home, and knowing that El Salvador lost their first game, we need to be serious and get the right rest and prepare for that game because it is going to be hard.
“We need to start the game the way we finished the last game and if we do that and keep up the momentum, it would be better for us.”