Levi wants to show that Soca Warriors World Cup campaign starts against Grenada

Sport

5 minutes ago

Greece-based striker Levi Garcia says he and the Soca Warriors are ready to put on a show for the crowd in the opening match of their FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Grenada at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 7:30pm on 5 June.

Coach Angus Eve’s men’s football team from Trinidad and Tobago is in Group B for the first round of Concacaf qualifying alongside the Bahamas, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and six-time World Cup participant Costa Rica. After facing 174th-ranked Grenada, the attackers will face 200th-ranked Bahamas this Saturday.

On June 3, both Eve and Soca Warriors captain Aubrey David spoke about the importance of the team’s first two matches in their quest for the country’s second ever World Cup appearance. Speaking to the TT Football Association (TTFA) media on June 4, Garcia also emphasized the value of a good start. “As you know, we have our opening match against Grenada in a World Cup qualifier. I encourage you to come out and support us and become the twelfth man,” Garcia said.

The 26-year-old AEK Athens striker has been in good form over the past two seasons. In the season just concluded, the vibrant striker shook off injury concerns to score 14 goals in all competitions. AEK finished second in the league, narrowly missing out on defending the title. In the 2022/23 season, Garcia scored 18 goals in all competitions and helped AEK to a domestic double.

For TT, however, Garcia’s nagging injuries kept him out for the majority of the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League A campaign. Garcia missed the entire group stage as the Soca Warriors advanced to the Nations League A knockout stages for the first time.

Garcia then dropped out in the first leg of a 3–0 quarter-final defeat to eventual champions USA, but was ruled out for the second leg after aggravating an injury. The Soca Warriors won the second leg 2-1 thanks to goals from Alvin Jones and Reon Moore, but lost 4-2 on aggregate.

Garcia played in the Soca Warriors’ Copa America play-in against Canada in March and he took most of the blame for a pair of missed chances in the team’s 2-0 defeat. Garcia is faced with a new task and is ready to make amends. “It really feels great to be back home. It’s been a while since I haven’t played in front of my home fans. I’m kind of excited to see you on Wednesday, so hopefully we can give you a good show.”

With TT’s first World Cup appearance taking place in Germany in 2006, both David and Eve believe the team has a chance to unite the country. Concacaf powerhouses Canada, Mexico and the US will jointly host the 2026 World Cup, which has been expanded to 48 teams.

Apart from the host nations, Concacaf has been allocated three automatic qualifying spots for the tournament, in addition to two intercontinental play-off spots.

David, 33, who currently plies his trade with CS Cartagines in the Costa Rican top flight, spoke of the significant improvement that participation in the World Cup has brought for the Central American nation, and he wants TT to take a similar step. “My dream is to qualify for a World Cup… that’s a dream that will never die unless I achieve it, and I think that’s the same for a lot of players,” David said on Monday.

“We all know that qualifying for a World Cup can help the sport and the country. We already know the violent situation and we already know the negative energy that we have throughout the country. I think qualifying for a World Cup can give us a boost as a nation. We could bring love to many communities.”

Eve reflected on the “euphoria” and “camaraderie” generated by the Strike Squad’s 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign and the successful 2006 qualifying campaign. Eve, who took over the Soca Warriors job in June 2021, said the upcoming campaign most important period of his term of office.

“We have laid the foundation and created the platform to launch this phase of our campaign. Everything we did was in the run-up to World Cup qualifying,” said Eve. “Everything we did in the past continues to build up to this day. It takes four years to develop a team that can compete in World Cup qualifying.”

Eve has retained the majority of players from the Nations League A campaign, and its 25-man squad includes 17 players from abroad. PSV youth player Dantaye Gilbert has been included in the squad, along with 37-year-old TT Premier Football League top scorer Kevon Woodley and Canadian-born midfielder Steffen Yeates, former Defense Force striker Reon Moore’s teammate at the Canadian club. Pacific FC.

Eve said Yeates, 24, has obtained his TT passport and is available for selection, while Atlanta United midfielder Ajani Fortune is expected to join the squad on Tuesday evening. Eve has been criticized during his tenure for an overly defensive approach, and he pointed to the attacking weapons in his squad and the importance of a positive start against Grenada.

Eve said the Grenada team “is no slouch,” and his team will have to be at its best from a tactical and commitment aspect.

“Every game we play there is pressure. This is a different team and we approach things differently.

“The dream for me as a coach or player is to be at a World Cup. As soon as we get the chance, we will do our best.”