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Squad details correct up to and including Trinidad's match against Barbados on 11 May 2008. Diary Thursday, 15 May 2008 - National head coach and two-time Colombia World Cup coach Francisco Maturana selected 16 home-based players, 14 from the local Pro League, in a 26-man squad for the June 1 centennial match against England and, almost certainly, the country's opening 2010 qualifier against Bermuda on June 15. Eighteen of these players will make up the final squad that goes into camp on May 27 to prepare for the friendly against the European nation. Trinidad and Tobago's more famous exports like Southampton's Stern John, Swansea's Dennis Lawrence and the Sunderland pair of Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edwards were included among the 10 overseas-based players. But they will rub shoulders with a fresh crop of local stars that could include two schoolboys, Presentation College left back Akeem Adams and El Dorado Secondary Comprehensive striker Jamal Gay. There is still doubt about whether former national captains and icons Dwight Yorke (36) and Russell Latapy (39) will play any part in the much vaunted fixture against England, though. Yorke, who played 21 times for England Premiership club Sunderland this season, accepted an invitation from FIFA vice-president and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) special advisor Jack Warner to participate as a "guest player" against England. It is uncertain whether Latapy, who appeared 34 times for Falkirk this term, is also interested. Assistant coach Anton Corneal told the Trinidad Express that the technical staff knew little about either player's involvement apart from what they read in the press. He said there were "many little issues" regarding their role against England but said the team's direction was up to the head coach. "The same way you have heard about it, we have heard about it," said Corneal. "There is no confirmed word yet that we know of (Everything) was done from the Federation level. Coach Maturana will have to make a decision," he said. The exclusion of Swansea striker Jason Scotland, England League One's top scorer and an all star player and MVP for Swansea, was more straightforward. "(Scotland) is in a more competitive position than all the other players," said Corneal. "It is not about ability." Corneal pointed out that there was dissent during former coach Leo Beenhakker's reign because of his repeated exclusion of local-based talent. There were just four Pro League players in the Dutchman's 2006 World Cup squad. "People have argued that the local players are not getting a chance," said Corneal. "Now we (have) put in some and we hear that the foreign players are not getting a chance. Maturana is getting results and we are being fairly consistent. You do not throw the towel in on young blood." Thursday, 22 May 2008 - England's friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June could be cancelled in a domestic row over rental terms for the stadium. The country's Ministry of Sports owns the Hasely Crawford Stadium. But the Caribbean nation's football federation (TTFF) are in dispute with them over advertising and rental fees. Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, a TTFF special advisor, said unless the terms of the agreement were changed the England match would be cancelled. "If the sports minister does not answer and withdraw this agreement, we have authorised our attorney to file an injunction to restrain the minister for imposing these conditions. If the injunction fails, the match fails, I refund people their money and apologise to the world. If the injunction wins, then the game is on. If the minister chooses to withdraw this today, then there is no injunction, the game is on." A letter from the TTFF's attorney, published in the local media on Wednesday, said the conditions demanded by the ministry "will result in a breach of contract with the English FA and may result in a cancellation of the match". The dispute is the latest in a series of rows involving the TTFF and comes after it was ordered by an arbitration panel in London this week to pay its 2006 World Cup squad extensive bonuses. Saturday, 24 May 2008 - England's friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago will definitely go ahead after a row over rental terms for the stadium. TTFF spokesman Shaun Fuentes said: "We thought that all along the ministry of sport would in the long run realise that it had a case out of its favour. "When you have an entire nation looking forward to an event - a special day in its history, particularly sporting wise - it was always going to be difficult to deny the masses such an experience and as such the ministry had to give in." Thursday, 29 May 2008 - On the same day that England arrived in the country, Francisco Maturana announced his final eighteen-man squad for Sunday's friendly international. Maturana conducted a training session at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Thursday morning and then announced the squad which includes the likes of Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones, Carlos Edwards, Dennis Lawrence, Stern John, Clayton Ince, Osei Telesford and Darryl Roberts. Some of the younger faces getting into Maturana's 18 include defenders Makan Hislop and Kern Cupid, Ancil Farrier, Khaleem Hyland, Kareem Smith and midfielder Atulla Guerra.
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864
Smith, Kareem