King hints at Molino, Jones return
Senior Multimedia Reporter
nigel.simon@guardian.co.tt
Just over one year since their last appearance for T&T senior men’s football team, Kevin Molino and Joevin Jones, both former captains of the Soca Warriors, are set to return for this country’s final two matches in Group B of the CONCACAF Nations League against Cuba.
The recall of the duo for the October 10 and 14 matches was hinted at by T&T interim coach Derek King when speaking to reporters during a training session with a local group of players at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Training Field, Mucurapo yesterday.
King is set to name his 23-man squad today ahead of their departure for Cuba via Miami on Sunday, and during his interview he noted that the experience of the two players could help with the improvement of the team.
The Soca Warriors currently have one point after two matches in the six-team round-robin group after a 4-0 loss away to Honduras and a 0-0 home draw with French Guiana. They will meet Cuba in Havana on Thursday, October 10, before hosting the same opponents at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, on Monday, October 14.
Going into their final two matches, T&T, who reached the semifinals last time out before falling to the USA on a home-and-away aggregate 5-3, sits at the at the bottom of the standings with the same point tally as French Guiana, while Jamaica and Nicaragua share the lead with four points each, with Honduras next with three and Cuba fourth with two points.
After group stage, the first and second-place teams of each group will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will join the four top-ranked League A teams (Mexico, USA, Panama, and Canada).
With his team facing must-win encounters in their final two matches, King had nothing but positive words to say about Molino and Jones.
Molino, 34, had announced his international retirement on September 1, 2023, after 59 appearances and 29 goals for the Soca Warriors, citing differences with former coach Angus Eve, with his last outing coming against Jamaica in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage.
He was then released by US Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew on February 4, 2024, and has been without a club since, while 33-year-old Jones, who has featured 87 times for the national senior team with 12 goals to his name, also had his last run out for T&T at the 2023 Gold Cup but has been involved in the T&T Premier Football League action for Miscellaneous Police FC in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.
Commenting on the possible return of the duo, King said, “At the end of the day, everybody is entitled to stand a chance to make the team. I had a conversation with Molino (Kevin), and we have him here training, and hopefully we will see how the final squad goes.”
A former national defender, King, added, “One thing with him (Molino) is that he does work hard, and here is here working hard, and we are playing 90-minute games, and so far he is looking good.”
Concerning the decision by Molino to make himself available or come out of retirement, King, in his reply, did not confirm nor deny the Carenage-born former Orlando City midfielder’s official return to international football.
The interim coach said, “We didn’t discuss that either. I picked a local team to train, and he is in Trinidad and Tobago, and with his experience as a guy who has played over 50 games for the country and also in the MLS and stuff. So, you know sometimes you need experience around the team, and he is here training with us.”
With regards to Jones, he stated, “Joevin (Jones) is one of the active locally-based players, and he recently played with Police in the CONCACAF Club Championship.
“He was not 100 percent, but I think he did well as well, and I spoke with him, and he knows he has to work on his fitness, and I think he can bring a level of experience with the younger guys that we have as well.”
Quizzed about Levi Garcia of AEK Athens who missed the first two Nations League matches, King said, Levi (Garcia) has an injury at this point and his club is supposed to clear him to play this weekend, and we are still in talks with him to see if he will be available to travel with the team to Cuba.
Among the players in the provisional mix are regulars Duane Muckette, Ross Russell Jr., Alvin Jones, Kevon Woodley, Denzil Smith, Christopher Biggette, Michel Poon-Angeron, and Justin Garcia.
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