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TT men’s football team coach Angus Eve included brothers Levi and Judah Garcia in his 23-man squad for the Soca Warriors’ Copa America play-in match versus Canada in Frisco, Texas on March 23.
Eve made the squad announcement in a press briefing at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on Thursday, and he says the TT team have a great opportunity to create history and qualify for the prestigious Conmebol Copa America tournament for the first time.
He said winning the one-off match against Canada could be as significant as TT’s appearance at the Fifa World Cup in Germany in 2006.
A victory for the 96th-ranked TT against the 50th-ranked Canadian team will see the Soca Warriors joining South American teams Chile, Peru and reigning World Cup champions Argentina in group A of the Copa America tournament.
While Eve acknowledges Canada will be a difficult opposition to dislodge, he said the opportunities for his players are endless as he and his charges try to get TT football back to its rightful place.
“This will be one of the most prestigious tournaments for us to represent our country – if we actually get the victory. This will be a different level of competition,” Eve told the media.
“This will open up a lot of doors for our players and our football and take us one step further to where we want TT football to be again.”
The 23-man Canadian squad was named on Tuesday, and has 12 European-based players.
The team includes Bayern Munich star flanker Alphonso Davies, attackers Jonathan David and Cyle Larin, and FC Porto midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, who featured sparingly in his club’s Uefa Champions League last 16 tie against Arsenal this week.
“It’s a kinda David against Goliath (situation) when you look at the kind of players they have,” Eve said. “They have top players and we have to be astute defensively and express ourselves in order to come out with a victory.”
Eve said he focused on picking a “flexible” squad that can be maneuvered to suit when the situation arises in the must-win affair.
Aside from the Greek-based Garcia brothers, there have been recalls in the Warriors squad for Atlanta United midfielder Ajani Fortune and the Miscellaneous Police FC pair of goalkeeper Adrian Foncette and defender Robert Primus.
Eve said Fortune makes a return to the squad after battling with niggling injuries, while both Foncette, 35, and Primus, 33, were among the players who impressed the national coach in a pair of friendlies against Jamaica earlier this month.
He said Foncette and Primus add a wealth of experience to his squad, while he also noted Primus’ ability to provide an option to TT as a left-footed centre back.
Eve wants to give the players who brought TT through the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League A campaign an “opportunity to finish the job” they started.
The 23-man squad also includes regulars such as captain Aubrey David, defender Alvin Jones, goalkeeper Denzil Smith and the combative midfield pair of Neveal Hackshaw and Daniel Phillips. Further afield, Mount Pleasant Academy attackers Kaile Auvray and Nathaniel James, along with Real Gill and Reon Moore – both of whom recently sealed overseas contracts – are expected to give TT impetus in the attacking third alongside Levi.
Though he has dealt with a series of injuries in the ongoing season, Levi has been near unplayable for AEK Athens in the Greece Super League and has scored 14 goals in 20 matches in all competitions this season. On March 10, he came off the bench to score two super goals for AEK in a 4-0 win over PAS Lamia in the Greek Super League playoffs.
Eve is eager to see the “in-form” Levi produce the goods for the Soca Warriors, and he anticipates Judah will provide a goal threat from his midfield position as well.
Canadian-based attacker Ryan Telfer, who played an integral part in TT’s Concacaf Nations League A campaign, has been sidelined by a hernia injury, with defender Kareem Moses also ruled through injury. Canadian-born striker Malcolm Shaw, who made his TT debut during last year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, is presently without a club and missed out on selection due to his lack of match-readiness.
With the options at his disposal, the TT coach thinks his team can upset the apple carts and secure a spot against South America’s best when the Copa America kicks off in June.
“I remember the last time we played Argentina a player bowed down to Lionel Messi – I don’t want to say his name. “This will be massive for our country. From playing in the World Cup which is a big deal. I think this will be up there with that if we win this match and get into the tournament. It will do so much for football in TT.”
TT 23-man squad for Copa America play-in:
Goalkeepers: Christopher Biggette, Adrian Foncette, Denzil Smith.
Defenders: Aubrey David, Justin Garcia, Shannon Gomez, Alvin Jones, Robert Primus, Andre Raymond, Ross Russell Jr, Jesse Williams.
Midfielders: Kaile Auvray, Ajani Fortune, Judah Garcia, Real Gill, Kevon Goddard, Neveal Hackshaw, Daniel Phillips, Noah Powder, Andre Rampersad.
Forwards: Levi Garcia, Nathaniel James, Reon Moore.
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