ROVING MIDFIELDER Curtis “Messi” Odle has been named in a new-look 35-member football squad, minus former national captains Norman Forde and John “Nobby” Parris invited to training for Barbados’ qualifying campaign of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Even though, Forde, 34, still regarded as the country’s best footballers, has been omitted, both chairman of selectors Sherlock Yarde and new coach Colin “Potato” Forde said Thursday he could still feature in the national senior set-up.
Apart from Forde and Parris, experienced defender Bryan Neblett, Adrian Chase, Andre Daniel, Romelle Burgess and Rudy Grosvenor, who all travelled with the team for the first round of the Digicel Caribbean Cup in St Vincent, were omitted as well as overseas-based goalkeeper Alvin Rouse.
Odle, a former national youth selectee is among five players from Pride of Gall Hill while Mackeson Brittons Hill and Paradise also five trialists each with the most selectees, six coming from perennial Premier league champs, Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame.
But surprisingly, with Forde, Burgess and Chase excluded, there is just a solitary player, Ramuel Miller from current Premiership leaders, Meridian Youth Milan. Former youth team stand-out midfielder Dwayne “Boot” Griffith and promising young defenders Shane Hinds and Kemar Chase, were overlooked.
Three members of the Barbados’ Under-17 team, which reached the CONCACAF finals in Jamaica, have been called up. They are strikers Diquan Adamson and Jabarry Chandler and defender Akeem Maloney.
After missing selection for the Digicel Cup last year, 18-year-old 2010 Player-of-the-Year, striker Kyle Gibson, who has joined the BDF Sports programme football, has been called up as well as his new teammate Stephen “Shakes Man” Griffith, who previously played for Gall Hill.
Notre Dame’s duo Renaldo Gilkes and Carl Joseph; Paradise’s defender Andre Bourne and Bagatelle’s Jomo Harewood, Kick Start’s midfielder and brothers Donovan and Maradon Lavine of the Dames, are also among the invitees.
Young strikers Kemar Headley (Wales), Chad Parris (Ellerton), Jamal Chandler (Gall Hill) and Kadeem Latham (Paradise) have all been selected but surprisingly Paradise’s 19-year-old Armando Lashley, the leading striker in the Premiership with seven goals, has been bypassed.
Yarde revealed that Barbados, now ranked 137 in the world will play the 109th-ranked Guyana in two friendly internationals on May 22 in Georgetown and May 29 at the National Stadium.
He also said that Bradley University, a NCAA Division 1 team from the United States will also be in Barbados from May 22 to 30 and have requested to play at least five matches against top local clubs and the senior team.
Two warm-up matches are also on the cards against Grenada, who are preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup while Yarde further said that “while such games augur well for the preparation of the team”, he was also exploring having “stronger opposition from the CONCACAF region.”
SQUAD: Kadeem Atkins, Kyle Gibson, Mario Harte, Stephen Griffith (BDF); Henderson Richards, Kerry Holder, Omar Archer, Rashida Jeffrey Williams, Riviere Williams (Brittons Hill); Jomo Brathwaite (Dayrells Road); Jason Carter, Terry Adamson (Deacons); Chad Parris (Ellerton); Curtis Odle, Jabarry Chandler, Jamal Chandler, Omari Eastmond, Renaldo Marques (Gall Hill); Raheim Sargeant (Kick Start); Jomo Harewood (Bagatelle); Carl Joseph, Diquan Adamson, Donovan Lavine, Kareem Farrell, Maradona Lavine, Renaldo Gilkes (Notre Dame); Andre Bourne, Barry Skeete, Jason Boxill, Jonathan Straker, Kadeem Latham (Paradise); Akeem Maloney (Pro Shottas); Bentley Springer, Kemar Headley (Wales), Ramuel Miller (Youth Milan).
