SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador

(CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors are gunning for a strong start to the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round when they face home team El Salvador today.

Eight Britain-based players, including star midfielder Dwight Yorke, have joined the squad and the experienced team captain believes it is vital that they get a strong start to the six-team play-off that will qualify three teams directly to the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

"We realise that a good result here away from home could be just the right start in this final round for us," Yorke said.

The Soca Warriors are coming off a relatively successful training stint in Argentina where they played five games and suffered just one defeat.

El Salvador stumbled through the Central American Nations Cup, opening with a 1-1 draw against Nicaragua, losing 1-0 to Costa Rica in a semi-final that was abandoned in the 60th minute and finishing with a 1-0 defeat to Honduras in the third-place game.

Managed to qualify

El Salvador still managed to qualify for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup, but now must quickly regain the form that earned them a second-place finish in their group during the semi-final round of World Cup qualifying, where they lost twice to Costa Rica but outgunned Caribbean teams Haiti and Suriname to advance.

T&T are undefeated against El Salvador in their last three meetings and targeting their second World Cup qualification after making the 2006 Finals in Germany.

In the last three head-to-head meetings between the two teams, T&T have won twice and drawn the other but Yorke is expecting them to be tough the home Cuscatlan Stadium.

Coach Francisco Maturana is ignoring the head-to-head record and preparing his side to bid for full points.

"Nothing from the past will matter so whether we have won games against them or not (in the past), everything depends on Wednesday's match," Maturana said. "We will continue to work towards ensuring Trinidad and Tobago get the start that we all want

Yorke and the other UK-based players arrived to bolster the squad Sunday night ‹ Sunderland's Carlos Edwards and star striker Kenwyne Jones, Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince, Crewe Alexandra's Dennis Lawrence, Brighton's Chris Birchall, Wrexham's Silvio Spann and Bristol City's Stern John.

El Salvador had a morale boosting 1-0 win over Peru in a friendly last Friday and their coach Carlos de los Cobos is eager to grab three points at home and will not be taking the Caribbean side lightly.

"It's good to start off at home. It does give you a little edge, but the fact that Trinidad have got this far shows they must be a good side," he said.

Other matches

In the other CONCACAF matches on Wednesday, the US will be at home to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, and Honduras are away to Costa Rica in San Jose.

After the home-and-away CONCACAF series concludes in October, the top three sides will automatically qualify for the 2010 Finals in South Africa.

The fourth-placed team will have a second chance to qualify, contesting a play-off with the fifth-place finisher in the South American qualifying in a home-and-away two-match series.