Gary Griffith III picked for 24 man TT squad to face US in Int’l Friendly

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Gary Griffith III picked for 24 man TT squad to face US in Int’l Friendly

Trinidad and Tobago Senior Men’s Team head coach Terry Fenwick has selected a 24-man Squad to face the United States in an international friendly at Exploria Stadium in Orlando on Sunday January 31st.

Fenwick has included seven home-based players and 17 overseas-based players for T&T’s first International match of 2021.
Goalkeeper Marvin Phillip and Alvin Jones are the two most capped players in the squad with 78 and 27 appearances respectively.

Among the players earning first time call ups is 22-year-old US-born defender Michael Deshields. He was selected by D.C. United with the fifth overall pick in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft last Thursday He was United’s second pick in the first round.

Also earning a first call is Canadian-based midfielder/full-back Federico Pena of Canadian Premier League club Valour FC. Pena appeared in six of Valour’s seven games at The Island Games in 2020, filling in at various different roles due to a number of injuries to his teammates.

Pena was born in Port of Spain and moved with his family in 2009 to Winnipeg, where he played much of his youth football. He made a brief trip overseas in 2017 to pursue a career in Europe, spending a year each in the academies of Belgian clubs KAA Gent and Standard Liège, before signing for Valour in April 2019.

Fenwick has also invited US-born player Jonathan Jimenez. The 23-year-old is currently with USL club Rio Grande Valley FC Toros which Jimenez appeared for USL League sides Lakeland Tropics in 2017 and Portland Timbers Under 23s during their 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Former National Under 17 and Under 20 defender Noah Powder who is attached to MLS club Real Salt Lake as well as former National Under 17 player Ajani Fortune of Atlanta United’s Academy have also been called up by Fenwick. All the overseas-based players will join the T&T squad in Orlando.

Northern Ireland-based duo Jessie Williams (18) and Gary Griffith III (18), Fortune (18) and Michel Poon Angeron, age 19, are among the teenagers in the squad.
Some members of the previous 2019 Gold Cup and Nations League squad that are in the current roster for the match include Phillip, goalkeeper Adrian Foncette, Alvin Jones, Duane Muckette, Neveal Hackshaw, Ryan Telfer and Andre Fortune.

“It’s a great opportunity and experience for so many young players in Trinidad and Tobago who have not played competitive football for over a year. It’s a chance for them to make a name for themselves in a shop window. It’s a great opportunity for everybody involved,” Fenwick told TTFA Media on Wednesday

“We have a few players from North America who we know are of a good quality playing in quality leagues but there is nothing like seeing them live and getting the chance to work them a bit on the training pitch. This will be the first time I am meeting them so I am looking forward to this. We have a new guy from Canada and it’s a great opportunity for him and us. We need players of this calibre on our side. We also recognise that we have some wonderful players in the UK that can’t travel because of the cover but one step at a time we’ll try to fuse them with the quality that we have got on the ground here in Trinidad and Tobago.”

“Going into Orlando we’ll obviously try to prepare as best as possible under the circumstances while we are there a couple days before the match. We’ve had a some sessions here on the ground and it’s a case of putting everything together for a good showing. I have to mention the efforts of the Ministry of National Security, Health, the TTFA and everyone who’s put in the efforts to ensure we can get into our first international match of the year,” Fenwick added.

The team was due to depart this morning and will be based in a bubble at the Omni Championsgate hotel. Following the match on January 31st, the team will stay a further two days at Omni before returning home on February 3rd and entering quarantine at the Home of Football in Couva.
Trinidad and Tobago Roster
GK
1.ADRIAN FONCETTE(POLICE FC), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 32
2.MARVIN PHILLIP(NEROCA), INDIA, 36
DEF
3.NEVEAL HACKSHAW (INDY ELEVEN), USA,
4.NOAH POWDER (REAL SALT LAKE), USA, 22
5.MICHAEL DESHIELDS (DC UNITED), USA, 22
6.LELAND ARCHER (CHARLESTON BATTERY), USA, 25
7.JOSIAH TRIMMINGHAM (FORWARD MADISON FC), USA, 24
8.ALVIN JONES (UNATTACHED), USA, 26
9.FEDERICO PENA (VALOUR FC), CANADA, 21
10.JUSTIN GARCIA (DEFENCE FORCE), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 25
11.JESSE WILLIAMS (COLERAINE FC), NORTHERN IRELAND, 18
12. JAMAL JACK (SACACHISPAS), GUATEMALA, 33
MID
13.ANDRE FORTUNE (NORTH CAROLINA FC), USA, 24
14.DUANE MUCKETTE (MEMPHIS 901)^, USA, 25
15.JONATHAN JIMENEZ (RGV TOROS)^, USA, 23
16.MATTHEW WOO LING (AC PORT OF SPAIN), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 24
17.MICHEL POON ANGERON (BANFIELD), ARGENTINA, 19
18.AJANI FORTUNE (ATLANTA UNITED II), USA, 18
19. HASHIM ARCIA (DEFENCE FORCE), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 32
ATT
20.JABARI MITCHELL (POLICE FC), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,
21.GARY GRIFFITH III (COLERAINE FC0,NORTHERN IRELAND,18
22 . RYAN TELFER(YORK UNITED FC), CANADA, 26
23.BRENT SAM (DEFENCE FORCE), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 24
24. SEAN BONVAL(CENTRAL FC), TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, 24

Staff
Terry Fenwick – Head Coach
Derek King – Assistant Coach
Adrian Romain – Manager
Basil Thompson – Logistics/Safety and Compliance Manager
Dr Mario John – Team Chief Medical Officer
Dr Akash Dhanai – Team Doctor
Cassius Humphrey – Fitness Coach
Sion Cane – Massage Therapist/Physiotherapist
Michael Williams – Kit Manager
Shaun Fuentes – Head of Media/Communications

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