NATIONAL UNDER-23 football team coach Angus Eve has praised the mental strength of his squad after they advanced to the CONCACAF Under-23 Final Round Qualifiers in the United States, from March 22-April 2.

The Trinidad and Tobago team trounced Suriname 9-1 on Monday night, at Warner Park, St Kitts, to take second spot in the four-team Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-23 Second Round Qualifiers.

Upon the TT team’s return home on Wednesday night, Eve said, “this team likes to operate on the edge.

“The last tournament we did the same thing and on the final day we had to win by a couple of goals and this tournament was no different.

“It’s the first time we’ve lost a game, and we lost badly actually,” he continued. “But we bounced back from that and we showed our determination, we showed the team spirit that we have and the ultimately the professionalism.

“I thought, leading up to the final game, the guys were really focussed because Suriname already had three points and we were actually last.

“We showed a lot of mental strength also. The guys could have bounced back from the loss as we did and win the game in the manner which we did.”

Questioned if he expected such a heavy defeat to St Kitts/Nevis, Eve responded, “no, definitely not. I think it was a bit of over-confidence by our guys. We took them for granted.

“We got some misinformation about the team also, going into the tournament,” he added. “They were basically a local team and when we got there, they had like seven professional players from England. They were much better.

“I think a bit of complacency stepped in. We looked at Cuba as the hardest team and then we went into the other game and the guys didn’t keep up the intensity that we normally play with. And we paid for it.”

Concerning the Suriname match, Eve noted, “I think we probably had 95 percent of possession of the ball. The only time they got the ball (was) when they had to pick it out of the net.

He continued, “we moved the ball around. What I did (was) change the whole starting 11. I played all the guys who didn’t play (before) in that final game, and they came through.

“Everybody needs to perform when they get the opportunity. Those guys (who) were sitting on the bench and watching from the stands, they came in and did a tremendous job.”

But Eve made a call for the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) to offer contracts, instead of stipends, to members of the technical staff.

“The guys have been working for a year now and we’ve not been given a real salary,” said Eve. “The staff needs to get their contracts sorted out so we can then go the other phase, going forward properly.”

Trinidad and Tobago will now turn their attention on the eight-team CONCACAF stage, where they will join hosts US, Mexico, Canada, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama.

The CONCACAF leg will feature two groups of four teams, with the finalists progressing to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

“We will need tours to North America so we can acclimatise to those types of places. Also I think Venezuela is a good spot so we can acclimatise playing to the teams from Central America.

“We’re going to (meet) contrasting styles in that tournament and we need to prepare well. We need probably a week in North America and a week in South America to prepare for this tournament,” Eve ended.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt