Long-serving Soca Warriors goalkeeper Marvin Phillip says T&T can still reach the quarterfinals of the tournament as they go into their final Group A round-robin match against defending champion and host USA at Bank of America, Charlotte on Sunday, from 7 pm.
After two matchdays, USA, who trashed St Kitts and Nevis 6-0 on Wednesday, lead the four-team group on goal difference from Jamaica who whipped T&T 4-1 also on that day, after opening its tournament last Saturday with a 1-1 draw with the Americans.
T&T, meanwhile, blanked St Kitts and Nevis 3-0 in its opening encounter on Sunday but against Jamaica, T&T got off to a dreadful start and trailed 3-0 inside the first 30 minutes, before a better second-half showing by coach Angus Eve’s men give the T&T squad some hope ahead of their clash with the Americans tomorrow, with a win guaranteeing a quarterfinal spot for only the fourth time in 11 appearances.
T&T has a best-ever finish of third at the 2000 event, while they reached the quarterfinals in 2013, and 2015, however, to get to another quarterfinal they will need to pull off a shock win, like they did in the 2018 Concacaf World Cup qualifier at Balmain, Couva to end the visitors World Cup hopes, while also earning a first win in competitive play over the USA on their home turf
Overall, T&T has four wins and four draws in 29 matches against the USA.
However, despite the dismal record for his team against the USA, the 38-year-old Phillip, the most capped player in the T&T with 91 appearances, the last of which came in a 1-0 friendly win over Guatemala at Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania said the match comes at a very key time.
Phillip said, “It’s definitely a critical period for us. All the players understand and know what is at stake.
"Fortunately for us, we got off to a good start in the tournament with the three points (a 3-0 win over St Kitts and Nevis) and all is not lost.
"We are still very much in the competition, but we just definitely need to go out there and perform to the best of our ability to try to get the victory against the USA Sunday to move onto the next stage," he stressed.
Looking back on the defeat against Jamaica in Missouri on Wednesday night, the team’s first defeat in eight matches for 2023 under Eve, Phillip, who made his debut for the senior team back on January 31, 2007 at age 22, against a 2-1 loss to Panama in Panama City, said: "The first half was a bit frustrating to watch, but in these tournaments, you have one-off games and hopefully that was our one-off game and we just need to rebound and pick up ourselves."
He admitted after the defeat the players are feeling down about themselves, but they need to refocus to get the win against the USA on Sunday.
The former India-based goalkeeper who has played for 12 clubs locally, including his current employer AC Port-of-Spain said, “The mood in the camp is definitely not good at the moment because of the loss, but we need to dust off ourselves as quickly as possible to go into this game with a positive mindset to get this victory to move on.”
Being the oldest and most capped player in the team but having to play second fiddle to Norwegian-based goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup so far at the Gold Cup, Phillip said his role in the team is to help bring along the younger players in tough times.
“I’ve been in the team a long while and we have been in situations like this before, so it’s just for me to lend my expertise to the younger guys and hope to get them in the right frame of mind to go out there and do what we have to do, and once I’m called upon, I’m ready for the opportunity and the challenge to lead the country and put my best foot forward.
Phillip noted, “This is the second most prestigious tournament for us in our region (Concacaf), as the first will always be the World Cup, and it's unfortunate that since 2006 (Germany World Cup) we’ve never gotten the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup.
“So, being on this stage is great as the players can express themselves and market themselves as well and go out and perform to see if they get a better life with international contracts.
He added, “For me, personally, us goalkeepers tend to go longer than normal players in their careers, the way we keep our bodies, and I keep my body well, as I’m fit and always raring to go, and I’m just waiting on the opportunity to show what I’m worth and to lead the country to a victory possibly if I’m called upon.
Phillip also credited the support of his wife, sons, and daughter whom he said always give him that extra motivation to carry on.
Needing to win against the USA to have any chance of a quarterfinal spot, Phillip sounded optimistic about his team’s chances.
He said, “I will just like us to be focused, all is not lost, and we are still very much in the competition. It’s just going to be difficult, but once we play to our true potential, we will get the victory on Sunday."
