WITH no additional international friendlies carded for Trinidad and Tobago's men's football team ahead of the Concacaf Nations League in June, head coach Angus Eve will use the next two months to carefully observe and assess both local and foreign-based players before his final team selection.
Eve used the recently concluded Courts Caribbean Classic tri-nation tourney, which was held during FIFA's international window, to bring in some of TT's foreign-based talents so he could get a final, first-hand look at their progress before they returned to their respective clubs.
From now until the Nations League kicks off, Eve will have to monitor these overseas players virtually and through video footage from games, to see who will make the final 23-man team. In this regard, communication, he said, is essential.
Thankfully, however, TT's roll-back on its covid19 restrictions has allowed for domestic leagues to resume which, according to Eve, will aid in expanding the selection pool.
On Monday, TT were drawn into Group C in League B of the Concacaf Nations League qualifiers alongside Nicaragua, Bahamas and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Also in League B are Cuba, Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados (Group A); Saint Lucia, Dominica, Anguilla (Group B) and Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands (Group D).
League B group winners (four teams) will guarantee slots in the 17th edition of the Gold Cup in 2023.
With no official friendlies on the team's short-term itinerary, Eve said he will have to use players' performances during club competition over the next eight weeks as his measuring stick for TT's Nations League team selection.
At Monday's press briefing on the draw, Eve said, 'We would just be observing the players (ahead of the tournament). The players are all in-season. Up to yesterday (Monday) I had conversations with Daniel Phillip (England-based), Sheldon Bateau (Turkey-based) and a number of guys who didn't come to the camp.
'The main thing we can do is communicate with the players and watch their progress, see the games they are playing and making sure they are fit with the clubs. The good thing is all the players are now playing and we have to monitor them.
'The possibility of us trying to get a locally-based team to play one match is real. But other than that, there is no FIFA international window from now until the competition.'
Eve added that the resumption of local leagues such as the Ascension Tournament and the Tiger Tanks U20 Invitational also serves as a good test to evaluate players. He has already attended a couple of games and follows the progress of other players via television or online.
He expressed pleasure this time around, owing to a resumption of local leagues, that TT's local footballers would have a better chance to be match-fit and ready for national team selection.
'The locally-based players are playing in a league and we can watch them. This time there is local football going on so they can get match-fit also. There is also the U20 (tournament)
