Trinidad and Tobago national football team

Trinidad and Tobage

Nickname(s)	The Soca Warriors
Association	Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Head coach	Russell Latapy
Asst coach	Zoran Vraneš Dwight Yorke
Captain	Dennis Lawrence
Most caps	Angus Eve (117)
Top scorer	Stern John (69)
Home stadium	Hasely Crawford Stadium
FIFA code	TRI
FIFA ranking	76
Highest FIFA ranking	25 (June 2001)
Lowest FIFA ranking	102 (July 2008)
Elo ranking	81
Highest Elo ranking	35 (January 1929)
Lowest Elo ranking	116 (September 1987)
Home colours Away colours
First international
Trinidad and Tobago 3–3 Dutch Guiana (Trinidad and Tobago; August 6, 1934)
Biggest win
Trinidad and Tobago 11–0 Aruba (Grenada; June 4, 1989)
Biggest defeat
Mexico 7–0 Trinidad and Tobago (Mexico City; October 8, 2000)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (First in 2006)
Best result	Round 1, 2006
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Appearances	7 (First in 1991)
Best result	Semifinals, 2000

The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is controlled by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals. The country currently holds the record of being the smallest nation (both in size and population) to ever qualify for a World Cup Final.

The separate Trinidad and Tobago football teams are not related to the national team and are not directly affiliated with the game's governing bodies of FIFA or CONCACAF but are affiliated with the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.

History

1974 World Cup qualification: Controversy

At the 1973 CONCACAF Championship, Trinidad and Tobago fell two points short of qualifying for the 1974 World Cup Finals in controversial fashion. Trinidad and Tobago lost a crucial game on December 4, 1973 against hosts Haiti 2–1 having five of Nikolai G's goals disallowed. The referee, Kevon Chandler of El Salvador and a Canadian linesman James Higuet were subsequently banned for life by FIFA for the dubious events of the match.^[1][2][3]

1990 World Cup qualification: Within grasp

Trinidad and Tobago came within one game of qualifying for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Dubbed the Strike Squad during the qualifying campaign, Trinidad and Tobago needed only a draw to qualify in their final game played at home against the United States on November 19, 1989. In front of an over-capacity crowd of over 30,000 at the National Stadium on Red Day,^[4] Paul Caligiuri of the United States scored the only goal of the game in the 38th minute dashing Trinidad and Tobago's qualification hopes.^[5] For the good behaviour of the crowd at the stadium, despite the devastating loss and overcrowded stands, the spectators of Trinidad and Tobago were awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1989.^[6]

2006 World Cup: Country's first World Cup

Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals in Germany, its first-ever qualification for the tournament. During their qualifying campaign, they sat at the bottom of the table in the final round of qualifying with one point from three games. However, after the arrival of Leo Beenhakker as team coach and the recalling of veteran players Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, Trinidad and Tobago reversed its fortunes and placed fourth in the group. They qualified via a playoff against Bahrain, recovering from a 1–1 draw at home to win 1–0 in Manama, Bahrain to book a place in the finals. As a result, Trinidad and Tobago became the smallest country to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

In Germany, Trinidad and Tobago were grouped with England, Sweden and Paraguay in Group B. They drew their first game 0–0 against Sweden despite going down to ten men early in the second half. They lost both their remaining games against England and Paraguay by a 2–0 margin.

2010 World Cup qualification: Disappointment

Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  United States 10 6 2 2 19 13 +6 20  Mexico 10 6 1 3 18 12 +6 19  Honduras 10 5 1 4 17 11 +6 16  Costa Rica 10 5 1 4 15 15 0 16  El Salvador 10 2 2 6 9 15 −6 8  Trinidad and Tobago 10 1 3 6 10 22 −12 6

Costa Rica  – 1–0 2–0 0–3 4–0 3–1 El Salvador  1–0 – 0–1 2–1 2–2 2–2 Honduras  4–0 1–0 – 3–1 4–1 2–3 Mexico  2 –0 4–1 1–0 – 2–1 2–1 Trinidad and Tobago  2–3 1–0 1–1 2–2 – 0–1 United States  2–2 2–1 2–1 2–0 3–0 –

• The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
• Costa Rica advanced to the CONMEBOL/CONCACAF play-off.

Trinidad and Tobago began their campaign in the Second Round with a home and away series against Bermuda. Trinidad and Tobago lost the first match at home 1–2, but bounced back to win the away leg in Bermuda 2–0 to progress to the third round 3–2 on aggregate.

The Soca Warriors advanced to Group 1 of the Third Round alongside the United States, Guatemala, and Cuba. Trinidad and Tobago progressed to the Fourth Round by placing second in the group with eleven points from six games. This qualified Trinidad and Tobago for the Fourth Round, or Hexagonal, against Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.

The Fourth Round was also played in a home and away format among the six teams involved. Qualification quickly turned disastrous for Trinidad and Tobago as they tied 2–2 with El Salvador after leading 2–0. They would then tie 1–1 with Honduras following a late-strike. However, three consecutive losses to the United States, Costa Rica, and Mexico found the Soca Warriors bottom of the Hexagonal with two points from their first five matches. In their sixth match, they recorded their first win of the round by defeating El Salvador 1–0. However, the victory was short lived as they suffered losses to Honduras and the United States the following month; ending their hopes to qualify for the World Cup. In their final two matches, Trinidad and Tobago lost 4-0 to Costa Rica and drew 2-2 with Mexico. Trinidad and Tobago finished last in the Hexagonal with just six points from ten matches.

Schedule and recent results

Matches from the past six months, as well as any future scheduled matches.

Date	Venue	Opponent	Competition	Result	T&T Scorers
May 5, 2010	Estadio Tierra de Campeones	Chile	F	2–0 L
July 21, 2010	Marvin Lee Stadium	Antigua and Barbuda	F	4–1 W	Carter  10'  30' Baptiste  18' Jorsling  67'
August 11, 2010	Marvin Lee Stadium	Jamaica	F	3–1 L	Jorsling  28'
August 28, 2010	Providence National Stadium	Guyana	F
September 8, 2010	MCC Grounds	Belize	F
September 19, 2010	Antigua Recreation Ground	Antigua and Barbuda	F
October 10, 2010	Independence Park	Jamaica	F
October 24, 2010	Grenada National Stadium	Grenada	GC Q

Current squad

The following 20-man matchday squad was named for the friendly match against Antigua and Barbuda at Marvin Lee Stadium on July 21, 2010.^[7]

0#0 Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club 21 GK Jan-Michael Williams October 26, 1984 (1984-10-26) (age 26) 27 0 W Connection GK Marvin Phillip August 1, 1984 (1984-08-01) (age 26) 24 0 W Connection 3 DF Aklie Edwards June 17, 1985 (1985-06-17) (age 25) 24 1 Defence Force 5 DF Makan Hislop September 3, 1985 (1985-09-03) (age 25) 32 0 Joe Public 6 DF Keston Williams March 25, 1981 (1981-03-25) (age 29) 6 0 Defence Force 7 DF Kern Cupid April 11, 1984 (1984-04-11) (age 26) 13 0 W Connection DF Robert Primus November 10, 1990 (1990-11-10) (age 20) 3 0 San Juan Jabloteh 2 MF Ataullah Guerra November 14, 1987 (1987-11-14) (age 23) 5 1 San Juan Jabloteh 8 MF Trent Noel January 14, 1976 (1976-01-14) (age 35) 27 0 Joe Public 11 MF Kevon Carter November 14, 1983 (1983-11-14) (age 27) 8 3 Defence Force 18 MF Densill Theobald June 27, 1982 (1982-06-27) (age 28) 67 2 Caledonia AIA MF Keron Cummings May 28, 1988 (1988-05-28) (age 22) 2 0 W Connection MF Hughton Hector October 16, 1984 (1984-10-16) (age 26) 4 0 W Connection MF Devon Jamerson August 27, 1988 (1988-08-27) (age 22) 1 0 Ma Pau MF Hayden Tinto August 31, 1985 (1985-08-31) (age 25) 12 2 Joe Public MF Shahdon Winchester January 8, 1992 (1992-01-08) (age 19) 1 0 W Connection 4 FW Kerry Baptiste December 1, 1981 (1981-12-01) (age 29) 44 8 Joe Public 9 FW Devon Jorsling December 27, 1983 (1983-12-27) (age 27) 11 4 Defence Force FW Matthew Bartholomew October 20, 1988 (1988-10-20) (age 22) 1 0 W Connection FW Jason Marcano December 30, 1983 (1983-12-30) (age 27) 3 0 San Juan Jabloteh

Recent call-ups

The following players were named to a matchday squad in the last six months, but were not named to the 20-man squad for the friendly match against Antigua and Barbuda at Marvin Lee Stadium on July 21, 2010.

Caps and goals are current as of the completion of the friendly match against Antigua and Barbuda at Marvin Lee Stadium on July 21, 2010.

Pos. Player Date of Birth (Age) Caps Goals Club Latest Callup GK Andre Marchan August 11, 1990 (1990-08-11) (age 20) 0 0 Joe Public v.  Chile; May 5, 2010 DF Daneil Cyrus December 15, 1990 (1990-12-15) (age 20) 1 0 Caledonia AIA v.  Chile; May 5, 2010 DF Joevin Jones August 3, 1991 (1991-08-03) (age 19) 0 0 W Connection v.  Chile; May 5, 2010 MF Clyde Leon December 8, 1983 (1983-12-08) (age 27) 29 1 W Connection v.  Chile; May 5, 2010 MF Jesse Stewart 0 0 University of Trinidad and Tobago v.  Chile; May 5, 2010 MF Keon Daniel January 16, 1987 (1987-01-16) (age 24) 38 8 Puerto Rico Islanders v.  Chile; May 5, 2010

Competitive record

Trinidad and Tobago have competed the FIFA World Cup, as well as CFU and CONCACAF regional tournaments.

The team qualified for its first World Cup in 2006, with the team finishing 0–1–2 in its three First Round matches. Even though the team did not advance further in the competition, Trinidad and Tobago recorded its first point from the World Cup in its first appearance.

In regional competitions, Trinidad and Tobago best finish in the CONCACAF Championship and later the Gold Cup came in 1973 when the team came in 2nd. Since then they have only advanced beyond the First Round once, which came in 2000 where the Soca Warriors lost to the eventual winners Canada in the Semifinals.

All CFU members have competed in the Caribbean Cup as a qualification tournament for the Gold Cup since 1989. Trinidad and Tobago has won eight out of thirteen Caribbean Cups since its inception.

Player records

Manager history

Name	From	To
Russell Latapy	April 8, 2009[8]	Present
Francisco Maturana	January 4, 2008	April 8, 2009
Wim Rijsbergen	July 11, 2006	December 4, 2007
Leo Beenhakker	March 31, 2005	June 20, 2006
Bertille St. Clair	January 16, 2004	March 31, 2005
Stuart Charles Fevrier	May 15, 2003	January 16, 2004
Zoran Vraneš	April 2, 2003	May 14, 2003
Hannibal Najjar	October 23, 2002	April 1, 2003
René Simões	June 2001	May 2002
Ian Porterfield	March 1, 2000	June 25, 2001
Bertille St. Clair	May 1997	February 2000

Other former managers include the following:

• Anton Corneal
• Everald Cummings
• Ronald La Forest
• Edgar Vidale (1976)
• Roderick Warner
• Jan Zwartkruis
• Kevin Verity (1973–1974)
• Americo Brunner
• Jimmy Hill
• Frank Brennan
• Michael Laing
• Casa Grande
• Jochen Figge

Supporters' Groups

The major supporters' group for the Trinidad and Tobago national team is the Soca Warriors Supporters Club. Also known as The Warrior Nation, the group is a non-profit organization that formed shortly after Trinidad and Tobago secured qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

See also

• Football in Trinidad and Tobago
• Trinidad and Tobago women's national football team
• Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation
• TT Pro League

References

External links

• Official Website
• Soca Warriors Online, National Team
• Soca Warriors, Official Website
• Soca Warrior SSC
• Trinidad & Tobago Football History
• RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
• Trinidad and Tobago at FIFA website

Trinidad and Tobago national football team squad and manager navigational boxes Trinidad and Tobago squad – 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Maurice • 2 Elliot-Allen • 3 Solomon • 5 Morris • 6 Faustin • 7 Simmons • 8 Charles • 10 Latapy • 11 Lewis • 14 P. Jones • 15 Thomas • 17 Jamerson • 18 K. Jones • 19 Lee • 21 Clarke • Coach: Vidale Trinidad and Tobago squad – 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Hislop • 2 Charles • 3 A. John • 4 Andrews • 5 Sancho • 6 Lawrence • 7 Birchall • 8 Eve • 9 Whitley • 10 Scotland • 11 Edwards • 12 Rahim • 13 Glen • 14 S. John • 15 Jones • 16 Pierre • 18 Theobald • 19 Spann • 20 Samuel • 21 Jack • 22 Williams • 23 Wolffe • 24 Gray • Coach: Beenhakker Trinidad and Tobago squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Hislop • 2 Cox • 3 A. John • 4 Andrews • 5 Sancho • 6 Lawrence • 7 Birchall • 8 Gray • 9 Whitley • 10 Latapy • 11 Edwards • 12 Samuel • 13 Glen • 14 S. John • 15 Jones • 16 Wise • 17 Charles • 18 Theobald • 19 Yorke (c) • 20 Scotland • 21 Jack • 22 Ince • 23 Wolfe • Coach: Beenhakker Trinidad and Tobago squad – 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 D. Williams • 2 Aguillera • 3 Wolffe • 4 Jack • 5 Thomas • 6 Nickcolson • 7 Noel • 8 K. Baptiste • 9 McFarlane • 10 No entry • 11 Toussaint • 12 Glasgow • 13 C. Baptiste • 14 Roberts • 15 Pacheco • 16 Spann • 17 Power • 18 Theobald • 19 Daniel • 20 Noreiga • 21 J. Williams • 22 Phillip • 23 Jagdeosingh • Coach: Rijsbergen Trinidad and Tobago national football team – Managers Verity (1972–73) · Gutendorf (1976) · Zwartkruis (xxxx–xx) · Cummings (xxxx–xx) · Figge (1995) · St. Clair (1997–00) · Porterfield (2000–01) · Simões (2001–02) · Najjar (2002–03) · Vraneš (2003) · Fevrier (2003–04) · St. Clair (2004–05) · Beenhakker (2005–06) · Rijsbergen (2006–07) · Maturana (2008–09) · Latapy (2009–)

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