WHILE Trinidad and Tobago have historically struggled to escape the group stage of the Concacaf Gold Cup, head coach Dwight Yorke is determined to rewrite that narrative this summer.
The former Manchester United star and his Soca Warriors are embracing their underdog status as they target a breakthrough performance in the upcoming edition of the region’s premier football tournament scheduled for June 14 to July 6.

“We are delighted to be a part of this prestigious competition. I’m very excited, not just for myself but for the whole country and the team, and we are looking forward to it. We have played in this competition various numbers of times, and we haven’t really done great.

The last time we got out of the group stages was in 2000. So, that’s something we will try to improve on,” Yorke said during Concacaf’s virtual press conference on Tuesday.
Though Yorke’s ambition is clear, the road ahead is daunting. Trinidad and Tobago have been drawn in Group D alongside tournament hosts and seven-time champions USA, as well as Saudi Arabia and Haiti—two sides with a history of outplaying the Caribbean team in recent meetings.

The Soca Warriors begin their Gold Cup campaign on June 15 against the United States, a team that thrashed them 6-0 at the last Gold Cup and later knocked them out in the Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals. Still, Yorke believes those past lessons have shaped a team ready to fight.

“We know that we have our work cut out. We are clearly the underdogs, especially in a group with America and Saudi Arabia ahead of us. But we feel we have a really good chance in this competition. Ultimately it’s about results, and hopefully we can get the results that help us progress through to the next round,” Yorke said.
The tactician, who took over the national programme just five months ago, succeeding Angus Eve and interim coach Derek King, believes the rebuilding process is already showing signs of promise.

“We have built a team now where we can compete. We would like to play on the front foot, but we have to know our limitations. But we are trying to introduce a new era of Trinidad and Tobago football. We’ve done a lot, but there’s still plenty of work to do. It’s an exciting time for us,” Yorke noted.

The Gold Cup marks the tail end of a busy stretch for the Soca Warriors. They will first test their mettle in the Unity Cup in London, where they will face Jamaica and either Nigeria or Ghana on May 27 and 31, respectively. That will be followed by two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against St Kitts & Nevis and Costa Rica in early June before turning their attention fully to the Gold Cup.
“Ultimately the goal is to gain some experience. We have two important games coming up in the World Cup qualifiers, and we want to advance to the next round of the World Cup qualifiers, but our main aim for this Gold Cup is to advance from the group stage,” Yorke declared.

Despite losing 3-1 to Saudi Arabia in a friendly late last year in his first match in charge, Yorke is not backing down from the challenge of their West Asian opponents or Caribbean rivals Haiti, for that matter.

“The Americans have home advantage and are favourites, so we know what they can do. But if they take their eye off the ball, we are ready to pounce. Saudi Arabia is a phenomenal team. They’ve shown quality in recent World Cups, and we know they are a tough opponent. We haven’t played Haiti in some time, but we respect every opposition and will do our utmost to study them and match them in every aspect,” he ended. (Sportsmax)