Report: Daniel AWOL From T&T National Team
Keon Daniel has played mind games with the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago's National Team and it's putting his international future in jeopardy.
Keon Daniel has played mind games with the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago's National Team and it's putting his international future in jeopardy.
The Philadelphia Union announced that Keon Daniel, along with Danny Mwanga, has joined the team at its preseason training camp in Florida today. The Union also welcomed back Mwanga, while Tom Brandt and Brandon Zimmerman, both 2012 Supplemental Draft picks, were not invited to continue to train with the team.
Keon Daniel and Kyle Nakazawa not at camp today, but Chase Harrison is with the Philadelphia Union at the Youth Sports Complex in Wayne, PA.
The 27-year-old midfielder has been nicknamed the Trinidadian Ronaldinho by Soca Warriors supporters because of his skill on the ball, which can be seen in the video above. Currently at San Juan Jabloteh, a team that is in the top league of the Trinidad and Tobago soccer pyramid, the 6 foot, 3 inch Guerra has a unique set of abilities for a player of his size.
Though his form in the league is exceptional (eight goals in ten games), Proctor's scoring rate in Tobago's FA Cup is even more impressive. 14 goals over five games came from four hat tricks and a brace, a ridiculous statistical line for any striker throughout the world.
Keon Daniel's tale of unfortunate events continued last night, as the Philadelphia Union player was substituted off in the 46th minute of Trinidad and Tobago's 4-0 win over Barbados. Another disappointing performance for the Trinidad international.
CONCACAF nations play their fourth round games of the 2014 World Cup Qualifying season tonight, with one of the most important of those games being between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. The two island nations are competing for second place in CONCACAF Group B, as first place Guyana has all but wrapped up first place.
A 65 minute start possibly showed that the 25-year-old wasn't fully healthy after possibly contracting Dengue Fever in late September. Starting out of the middle of the midfield for the first time in 2011, Daniel showed he either wasn't match fit or out of form due to not playing a competive game since September 7.
Despite Keon Daniel reportedly contracting Dengue Fever, the midfielder has made the trip with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team to Bermuda. Trinidad flew to Bermuda on October 2, forgoing a practice that was originally planned on the same day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Instead the national team will stay in the island country until their October 7, 2014 World Cup Qualifier.
After talking to a Philadelphia resident who contracted Dengue Fever while in Mexico, initial thoughts on Keon Daniel's possible return are at least a month off.
Dengue Fever is the lesser of the two major Dengue Fevers and the non-lethal version. Most common in tropical urban centers, Dengue Fever is contracted by a bite from mosquito carrying the disease. The Fever generally displays the following symptoms for those infected, per the Center for Disease Control (CDC): "high fever, severe headache, severe pain behind the eyes, joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding."
Trinidad head coach Otto Pfister named Daniel as part of a preliminary group of sixteen players that will train in the country Monday and Tuesday of next week. The remaining part of the national team squad that will play in Trinidad's next two qualifiers will join the team on October 2 for a full team training session.