Coaches of teams competing in Saint Lucia
The action serves off at the Indoor Multi-purpose facility at Beausejour after the hosts warmly welcomed El Salvador, Haiti and St Kitts and Nevis, as they all go in search of the top place, which gains an automatic berth to the third round.
The second placed team has an opportunity to be among the best four runners-up, based on the rankings in the six tournaments of the year, who also qualify for the next phase.
And, the teams here are in a mood of buoyancy going into this round of competition.
Expressing optimism that his charges have what it takes to go it all the way is coach of the El Salvador outfit- Gabriel Linares.
A confident Linares said: “We are well prepared for this tournament and I can’t see why we will not qualify for the next round and even win this group”.
Linares, a former setter with the El Salvador national team identified St Lucia as his outfit’s biggest threat, but said he expects a fight from the others in the group.
Meanwhile Haitian coach – Joseph Yves Larrieux expects his offensive system would be able to carry them through. He noted that his team has all round ability, but reckons he has to be mindful of the other competitors.
Larrieux singled out El Salvador as the Haitians strongest opponent of the lot.
For Coach of the St Kitts and Nevis team – Glenn Quinlan stated that despite half of his starting six of the team is residing in St Thomas, which affected the preparations, the players should give a good account of themselves.
An optimistic Quinlan revealed that his team is aiming for the first place and is counting on their all-round abilities to see them through.
Quinlan in assessing his team’s opponents said: “We have seen St Lucia before, so we know what they have… We expect them to be a little stronger, but Haiti and El Salvador are unknown to us”.
And, St Lucia’s coach Kendall Charlery anticipates a tough tournament, bearing in mind it is the second round.
“It is the second round, there are more skilled teams and we expect tough opposition, but we are motivated and ready to take the first place,” Charlery stated.
Having been in training for the last four months and with the inclusion of US based players, Amobi Armstrong, an outside hitter, Charlery thinks his team has enough in its armory to get the job done.
St Lucia finished top in the first round of Group B, while El Salvador had to settle for the third spot in Group G, behind Honduras and Panama, when that phase of the qualification took place last year.
St Kitts and Nevis enter the second round after placing second to Dominica in the first round salvo in Group F; likewise Haiti was the runner-up to the Dominican Republic in Group C.
The compelling evidence of their preparedness will begin to unfold from 9 am on Saturday, when St Lucia entertains Haiti, followed by El Salvador versus St Kitts and Nevis.
Matches continue that same evening when St Kitts and Nevis face off with Haiti and then St Lucia takes on El Salvador.
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