Aiming for their first win of the current CONCACAF World Cup qualifying final round series, Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors tackle in-form Costa Rica at Dwight Yorke Stadium today.

It is the first major assignment for new head coach Russell Latapy, who took over when Colombian Francisco Maturana was fired in April.

The fixture is crucial for the Soca Warriors, who are bottom of the table and without a win from three games so far in the six-team play-off that will advance the top three teams directly to the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa.

Under Maturana's watch, T&T drew with El Salvador (2-2) Honduras (1-1) and lost 0-3 to the USA.

Latapy is expecting today's encounter to be tough and has urged his players to pay particular attention to the calculated style of series leaders Costa Rica, who are coming off a fluent 3-1 win over the United States on Wednesday night in San Jose.

"We expect the game to be a very tactical one and we have the respect for Costa Rica because right now they are on top of the group," Latapy said.

"They (Costa Rica) have always been a difficult side to break down and the results show that because we have never beaten them in a World Cup qualifier before," Latapy told TTFF Media on Thursday.

underdogs

The 40-year-old Latapy, who had initially joined the campaign as player-coach, conceded that the Soca Warriors enter the game as underdogs and must play a solid tactical game to match the Ticos.

"Our approach will also have to be sound and good tactically because they will obviously consider themselves favourites in this one," Latapy added.

The fixture will be the first World Cup qualifier ever in Tobago and new stands have been erected at the small Dwight Yorke Stadium to boost the ground capacity from 7,500 to 9,000 fans.

T&T captain Dwight Yorke is one of three Tobagonians in the local squad. Midfielder Keon Daniel and defender Makan Hislop are also from Tobago.