Sidebar

29
Fri, Mar
29 New Articles

Typography
AS Trinidad and Tobago go into their final two World Cup qualifiers away to Panama on Saturday and at home against Mexico next Wednesday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, many are pondering a difficult question.


Can Trinidad and Tobago clinch the fourth CONCACAF qualifying spot and earn a playoff berth into the 2006 World Cup which is to be held in Germany?

The experts are saying yes.

Even now that he is no longer manager of the T&T national team, Richard Brathwaite continues to maintain his long-running stance that Trinidad and Tobago will get to next year's world Cup.

He thinks they have what it takes to beat Panama.

"I think our chances are very good. I think the team will win in Panama. We beat Panama in the last game (2-0 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium last June) and I think we have the psychological edge. I still think that we have a very good chance of reaching Germany. I said it from the start and I still feel that way," Brathwaite told Express Sports.

Also confident is Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's technical director.

Phillips believes the T&T Warriors have to go into the next two games looking to win them, then let the chips fall where they may.

"I think our chances are good. We beat Panama in the last game. They got better in the Gold Cup when we drew with them, but then again we did not have our strongest team," said Phillips, referring to the absence of T&T captain Dwight Yorke, Carlos Edwards and a couple other players.

"I think we want this game more than they do. We can qualify, they can't. If we were playing Brazil or Italy, I would have my doubts."

Phillips, the former T&T national goalkeeper, said when Trinidad and Tobago play their best game they are quite capable of beating Panama away and even Mexico in Port of Spain.

But he maintains the team cannot constantly lose possession and give up soft goals like they sometimes do.

St Lucian Stuart Charles Fevrier, technical director at FCB Cup champions and runaway T&T Pro League leaders Vibe CT105 W Connection, had a stint in charge of the Trinidad and Tobago national team a few years ago.

He, too, feels that T&T can beat Panama and possibly reach as far as the World Cup itself.

"I think the chances of beating Panama are good. At the same time, we must be mindful that they are in a home game and also have a chance of winning it.

"They have improved by leaps and bounds on the international level. However, Trinidad have everything to play for and the good thing is that the coach (Leo Beenhakker) has put everything in place to have a good preparation.

"Once they get the good result they are looking for in Panama, I would favour Trinidad and Tobago reaching the World Cup," Fevrier said.

Muhammad Isa, another former Trinidad and Tobago national coach, is confident as well.

"I think once we play the right way, we will beat Panama. We have beaten both Panama and Mexico before. It's not like facing the United States or Costa Rica who we have never really beaten," stated Isa.

"I think we just need to play with a little more urgency, because we are in an away game, and tighten up defensively."

Isa added that the team must keep possession and stop giving away unnecessary fouls such as the one which led to Costa Rica's second goal in the last qualifier in San Jose which T&T lost 2-0.

Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala are contesting fourth-place in the CONCACAF Zone (behind Mexico, the USA and Costa Rica), with that team moving on to play either Uzbekistan or Bahrain of the Asian Zone in a home and away playoff next month, with the winners going on to Germany 2006.