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Jamaica, T&T clash anything but ‘friendly’ for MBU teammates
February 04, 2025
Even while they are teammates at Jamaica Premier League (JPL) team Montego Bay United FC (MBU), their clash will be all but friendly when Jamaica's Reggae Boyz tackle Caribbean archrivals Trinidad and Tobago's (T&T) Soca Warriors.
Five MBU players will line up on either side of the pitch when the countries face off over the course of two international friendly football matches this week, on Thursday, February 6 at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, St James, and on Sunday, February 9, at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex in Arnett Gardens, Kingston.
The T&T team, which is coached by Dwight Yorke, will feature MBU's defender Josiah Trimmingham, midfielder Darnell Hospedales and goalkeeper Aaron Enill, while the Jamaican team, coached by Stephen McClaren, will feature MBU's top striker Shaniel Thomas and midfielder Demario Phillips.
Enill, who has been called up six times for the T&T national squad, told STAR Sports that it will be "war".
"It will be a friendly rivalry, but once you are wearing different uniforms it is always war. It is a must-win game. Shaniel has work to do and I have work to do, because he has 10 goals, and I have 11 or 12 clean sheets," the T&T goalkeeper stated.
"It will be a tough matchup that I am looking forward to. However, at the same time those are my brothers, so there is still love," Enill said.
The goalkeeper has played for T&T in two friendlies against Guyana, and four World Cup qualifiers.
The 24-year-old Thomas is in the race for the JPL League Golden Boot this season, notching 10 goals to be in a three-way tie for second with Arnett Garden's Warner Brown and MBU teammate Brian Brown. The three are a goal behind leading striker Jalmaro Calvin of Cavalier, who has been included in the 28-man Reggae Boyz squad.
MBU sit second in the standings with 44 points, after scoring a 3-1 victory over Waterhouse FC on Wednesday and suffering a 2-0 defeat against Dunbeholden FC on Sunday.
Discussing among themselves about the highly anticipated match, Phillips, who has 11 caps for Jamaica, said it will be a fun encounter against his MBU clubmates.
"I will dismantle them and run past them. It is a friendly rivalry because I am playing against my brothers. It will be fun to play against them, knowing their strengths and weaknesses, so I will take advantage of that," he said.
"With Jamaica versus Trinidad, there has been a rivalry from the '90s taking place, so we have to take it seriously. My first debut was against T&T in 2023," Phillips said, stating that Jamaica has won more times in rivalries against T&T.
According the website www.11v11.com, when both Caribbean teams meet in international friendlies, since 1935 Jamaica have won 17 games, lost 13 and drawn nine.
"I am very happy for my clubmates because it shows that the club is doing very well. They are great players and it will be tough going against them. It is a happy feeling to face off, because afterwards we can go back to the club and laugh about it," Phillips added.
Recently, MBU head coach Rodolfo Zapata said he is very happy with the MBU players' national attention.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Hospedales said the matchup against his MBU teammates is a motivation.
"To be honest, it is a good thing for me and a motivator to know that I have two teammates from MBU playing for the Jamaica squad. I would want to beat them," Hospedales said.
"I will have to just follow my coach's' instructions and play to the best of my ability and do what I can do in the matches."
The midfielder was first selected in 2023 when the Soca Warriors faced Saint Martin in Trinidad.
"I want to impress my coach and to cement myself among the national players in my country," he said.
"I would say it is a friendly rivalry because (for) Trinidad and Jamaica, these are regular games that happen throughout the course of the year, and it has always been like a friendly rivalry," Hospedales said of his second call-up to the national squad.
