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• King, David optimistic Soca Warriors will be at their best against Cuba in must-win Nations League fixtures

  With momentum by no means in their favour, Trinidad and Tobago’s interim Head coach Derek King and captain Aubrey David are optimistic that the Soca Warriors might have saved their best for last as they face a must-win situation against Cuba in their upcoming Concacaf Nations League encounters.

  Rooted at the foot of Group B in League A with a point, the Soca Warriors will have to take Cuba’s scalp in hostile territory on Thursday and again in the Twin Island Republic on Monday to not only improve their chances of progressing to the quarterfinals, but more importantly, avoid relegation to League B.

  Jamaica and Nicaragua are set for a top-of-the-table clash as both head the standings on four points each, with Honduras (three points) and Cuba (two points) in close proximity. French Guiana, also on a point, round out the group.

  After suffering a 0-4 loss away to Honduras in their opening fixture, Trinidad and Tobago were expected to rebound at home against French Guiana. Instead, they were held to a goalless stalemate, and that has left them in their current predicament.

  

  Still, King is hopeful that the addition of experienced midfielders Joevin Jones, Kevin Molino, and others will turn their fortunes and prove rewarding where securing six crucial points is concerned. 

  “The guys are fully aware of the task at hand; we had discussions, and we all know that we need six points. But let us focus on this very important game first. We have to go out there and give it our best shot and get three points to go back home with,” King said in an interview with TTFA Media from the team’s base in Cuba.

  “We had a locally-based team training for two and a half weeks, so we decided that we would go with some of the locally-based players and add some foreign-based players who were not with the team before. I think the guys we added would bring some kind of experience to the unit we have at this point. 

  “They are senior men to the team. They have played overseas as well, professional players. So, I think it's good to add their knowledge with this bunch. They will add some quality to the team as well, so we must go out there and give it our best,” he added.

  Meanwhile, David, who is charged with marshalling the Soca Warriors defensive line, is mindful that Cuba will also fancy their chances of progressing and, as such, are not going to be a walkover.

  “Cuba has a lot of foreign players; they have players who play in Costa Rica, in Guatemala, and the USA as well. Basically, they have a young team, but they’re willing to fight. They’re hungry and want to prove themselves because they’re at home,” David assessed.

  “So it’s just for us to be together and execute our game plan so that we can leave here with three points.

  “We have a lot of young players as well, and some with quality. I think they stepped up in the last Nations League; we saw a lot of them jumping onto the international scene and making a big impact, so it’s just for them to continue on that momentum,” he noted.

• Former USMNT boss Berhalter announced as new Chicago Fire head coach

  Former United States boss Gregg Berhalter has been named as the new director of football and head coach of MLS side Chicago Fire. 

  Berhalter was sacked as the USMNT head coach nine days after a dismal group-stage exit at the Copa America earlier this year.

  The 51-year-old's arrival means Frank Klopas, who is the Fire's current head coach, will step down and transition into a new role as the club's vice president of football.

  Berhalter does have previous experience in the MLS, spending five years in charge of the Columbus Crew between 2013 and 2018.

  Across his 192 games in charge of the Crew, Berhalter won 76 matches (D46 L70), with his team scoring 287 goals and averaging a win percentage of 38.34%. 

  Berhalter then began his first stint as the USMNT head coach in 2018, starting strongly with victories over rivals Mexico in the first-ever Nations League final as well as in the showpiece match of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

  He then guided the USMNT to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup before they were beaten 3-1 by the Netherlands. 

  Berhalter's contract expired in December 2022, but was then brought back six months later with a view to guiding the team through to the 2026 World Cup, which the United States would co-host with Canada and Mexico.

  However, Berhalter lasted just 14 games, winning seven of those (D1 L6) and has since been replaced by former Chelsea head coach, Mauricio Pochettino. 

  The 51-year-old arrives at an underperforming Chicago side, who currently occupy last place in the Eastern Conference with one game of the regular season remaining. 

  The Fire have reached the MLS Cup playoffs just twice in the last 15 years, with this campaign the seventh consecutive season they have failed to feature in the post-season. 

  “I’m honoured to be named Director of Football and Head Coach of the Chicago Fire, and I would like to thank Joe Mansueto for his trust," said Berhalter.

  “Chicago is an incredible city, built on communities of hard-working and passionate people who truly love soccer.

  "I look forward to working alongside our staff and players to transform the Fire into a world-class organisation that all our fans and the city can be proud of and will support.”

  Berhalter will officially start his duties for the 2025 MLS season. 

• Trossard to bring 'best form ever' to Belgium's Nations League matches

  Leandro Trossard will be trying to bring his Arsenal form into the international break after coming back into the Belgium squad this month.

  The 29-year-old has scored two goals in seven Premier League appearances for the Gunners and is enjoying a positive start to the season.

  He has the joint second-best conversion rate (20%) of any Arsenal player to have featured in every league game, with his goals having come from 10 shots.

  He also ranks third in the squad for expected goals (xG) generated (1.46) and has averaged 0.15 xG per shot.

  When asked about how he has performed so far for his club, Trossard was pleased with how things were going.

  "I feel good, yes," he said. "Is this my best form ever? I dare not say, but I think I'm performing quite consistently at Arsenal."

  Trossard has played a variety of positions for the club this season, following an injury to captain Martin Odegaard. While his preferred position is on the left, he has also worked well with Kai Havertz as a second attacker.

  With Jeremy Doku likely to take the left-hand side for his national team, Trossard could be used centrally to cover for the absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne.

  "That hasn't been discussed with the coach yet, but that will become clear today or tomorrow," Trossard said.

  "I don't know yet what position I will play, but it's always nice to be played in your best position. At the European Championship, for example, I had to fill many roles."

  Trossard's inclusion in the Belgium squad came after manager Domenico Tedesco surprisingly left him out in September.

  They face Italy and France in the Nations League Group A2 over the course of the international break, while the Arsenal man explained he was relaxed about not featuring last month.

  "[Tedesco] said he knew my qualities, wanted to try out new guys and give them some experience,” he said.

  “The Nations League offers the opportunity for that. I agreed to that. It was a good agreement."