Desperate to end a two-match losing streak, the Bajan Tridents have drafted in a familiar face for the continuation of the 2014 World Cup CONCACAF Group B qualifying campaign.
Former captain John “Nobby” Parris, a 37-year-old veteran with over 100 national caps, has been summoned to national training to shore up the team’s defence, which has conceded four goals in 2-0 losses to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.
Parris, who is capable of playing in the centre of the defence or a defensive midfield role, was joined by his cousin Tristan “Fish” Parris, a key striker for Dayrells Road, at national training last Tuesday night at the National Stadium.
John Parris last represented in the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Cup in St Vincent when Barbados, despite playing unbeaten, failed to advance to the second stage. They had two draws – with St Kitts and St Vincent and the Grenadines – and defeated lowly Montserrat 5-0.
Tristan is a former Barbados Under-23 representative and a draft pick on St John-based Scotty’s Combined Stars in the inaugural LIME Pelican Challenge.
Also at training on Tuesday was 20-year-old striker Tyrone Downes, a pre-medical student at York University in Toronto.
The Canadian Downes has a Barbadian father, Tim Downes, who hailed from Cleaver’s Hill in St Joseph before he migrated to Canada just over two decades ago.
The younger Downes, who was named after Barbados’ most accomplished boxer Tyrone Downes, a product of Joe’s River, another district in St Joseph, is hoping to become eligible to represent his father’s homeland.
Watching him try out with the Barbados senior team were his mother Ann, brother Terrence and sister Terri-Ann.
The family has been holidaying in Barbados for the past week.
“There is a strong possibility he will be able to play for Barbados as he is very eager but we have to sort out his passport,” said Tim, whose father Kenneth Downes was also a boxer.
Barbados will next oppose Guyana in a return CONCACAF?Group B qualifying match on October 7 at Kensington Oval.
