GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago meet Ecuador for the first time here today, in a friendly international that forms part of their ongoing preparation for their flailing 2018 World Cup campaign which resumes in September.
Dennis Lawrence’s squad arrived here Monday night and were expected to training on Tuesday night, ahead of the contest at the Estadio Pacifico Banco.
“We will go into this game with a positive mindset and obviously looking to execute our game plan,” head coach Lawrence said.
Trinidad and Tobago head coach, Dennis Lawrence.
“It’s a good test for us and again in international football there are no easy games. But this is all part of our preparations for the two World Cup qualifiers in September.”
Understandably, T&T will be missing several of their overseas-based stars like Kenwyne Jones and Kevin Molino but includes key players like goalkeeper Marvin Phillip Hashim Arcia and Hughtun Hector.
Nicholas Benjamin Jr and Keron Clarke, new faces in the squad, will be looking to get enough minutes to impress Lawrence.
Phillip said he expected the 20-man squad to provide all the elements Lawrence needed for the match against the South Americans.
“We have some new faces in the squad but all very capable of showing up with solid performances,” Phillips noted.
“The coach has selected a team based on what he is looking for, to add to the squad for the qualifiers in September.
“The preparations have gone well over the past week and I expect we will see a good brand of football and tidy performance from the team against what I expect to be a proper opponent on the night.”
Keron Clarke, initially ruled out of the trip after failing to secure a new passport, was a late minute addition to the squad after being issued with the document on Monday.
T&T have struggled in the CONCACAF final round World Cup qualifying campaign, and currently languish bottom of the six-nation standings on three points from six games with five defeats.
The Caribbean side host Honduras on September 1 in their next qualifying contest before taking on Panama four days later in Panama City.
