TTFF Technical Department Announces -
U21 National Team Training Camp.19 US-based players to participate in first-ever winter break training camp.The TTFF Technical Department has announced plans to have a training camp for U21 players (born on or after January 1, 1985) from December 28-30.
According to TTFF Technical Director, Lincoln Phillips, “we have a number of good players attending colleges in the US who return home for the holiday break. Their return presents a wonderful opportunity to identify, evaluate, and track the progress of players based in T&T and abroad who can represent Trinidad and Tobago in the qualifying phases of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and eventually the Olympics themselves.”
Approximately 20 players based in Trinidad and Tobago will join the US-based players in the training camp. The three-day camp will open at the Joao Havelange Center of Excellence. Games and training sessions will take place at both the Center of Excellence and Ato Boldon Stadium.
The U21 training camp is part of the
GOAL 2014 Project, an initiative from TTFF Technical Director, Lincoln Phillips, which aims to have every Trinidad and Tobago national football team qualify for every FIFA tournament by the year 2014. Phillips also stated the important role of establishing a worldwide network that can assist the TTFF in identifying youth and senior players. “I received a substantial list of college players from the website, socawarriors.net and our ex-pat communities in the US and Europe are excellent resources that can help us achieve the mission stated in the GOAL 2014 Project.”
Contact information:TTFF Technical Department:
1-868-625-8607 or 1-868-789-9366.
All players must register at:www.trinsport.comTTFF U-21 TEAM COMBINE:[/u]
Event:Combine for U21 players.
Date:December 28-30.
Locations:A. Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence
B. Ato Boldon Stadium
Participants:US-based college players and local-based players born after January 1, 1985.
Purpose of Event:Identification, evaluation, and tracking of players for the purpose of supplementing and preparing U23 National team for the 2006 CAC games, 2007 Pan American Games, and 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Event Access:1) Players - Invitation only. Players will be contacted directly and through their college and club coaches.
2) Press- Open. Player programs and web-based material on the participating players will be provided.
3) Public- Open (Ato Boldon Stadium sessions only).
Program Patron:The TTFF Technical Department, as a component of the Technical Department Player Development Program.
Attending US- Based T&T Players.Defenders:Kegan Mills (Missouri Baptist University).
Wacey Benjamin (St Benedict's College/University of South Carolina Aiken).
Makan Hislop (Signal Hill Senior Comp/University of South Carolina Columbia).
Yohance Marshall (St Anthony's College/University of South Florida).
Midfields:Jack Weedon (St Mary's College/North Carolina State University).
Durell Johnson (St Benedict's College/University of South Carolina Aiken).
Kevon Neaves (St Anthony's College/University of South Florida).
Christian Cabral (St Anthony's College/University of West Florida).
Justin Hay (University of Toronto).
Kyle Hall (University of Ontario).
Kern Gardiner (Fatima College/University of Richmond).
Delano Pierre (Queen's Royal College/University of Richmond).
Nikhil Dolly (University of Bridgeport).
Stephen De Las (St Benedict's/Birmingham City Football Academy).
Forwards:Abiola Sandy (St Anthony's College/Bowling Green State University).
Simba Aberdeen (Queen's Royal College/Canisius College).
Kevin Crooks (Signal Hill Senior Comp/Clayton College & State University).
Keon Phillip (Woodbrook Government Secondary/Lafayette College).
Kedan Crosby (Fatima College/University of Rhode Island).
Soca Warriors Press News.
News from the 20th of December 2005.Beenhakker looks at Ricky Shakes.
The Swindon Advertiser.[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker ran the rule over Ricky Shakes at the County Ground on Saturday just seven days after the youngster had made the plea to be spied on by his country.
The Trinidad boss was among the spectators for the Seasiders clash and saw Shakes add a little extra spark to Town’s performance when it was badly needed.
Manager Iffy Onuora admitted that it had been a ‘close call’ as to whether Shakes started or not but that he felt made the most of his half-hour outing, the player replacing Neale McDermott.
He said: “Shakesy came on and did well.”
Deputy chairman Mark Devlin confirmed that Beenhakker had been at the ground, a fact he only confirmed after a friend pointed out that someone in the crowd ‘looked like’ the Trinidad coach.
He said: “I went downstairs to look at the list of those who had asked for tickets and there he was.
“Hopefully he was impressed with what he saw of Ricky.”
Beenhakker was one of 5,766 spectators for a match that saw Town reduce ticket prices on a Saturday that traditionally sees poor attendances up and down the country.
Although the gate fell just short of the six thousand Devlin had been hoping for, he said the directors still felt encouraged by the response/turnout.
He said: “I think we had anticipated something around 4,500 to 4,800 had we not had some kind of incentive so it was quite pleasing to almost hit the 6,000 mark.
“It gives us food for thought in terms repeating the exercise later in the season and I believe it is worth repeating.
“It’s something to sit down and talk about as a board of directors.”
Anton Corneal keyed up to link with Leo.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Recently appointed National Senior Team assistant coach Anton Corneal is already planning to soak up every drop of experience he’s set to gain from working as an understudy to head coach Leo Beenhakker over the next few months leading into the 2006 World Cup.
Corneal, a former National player and Youth Team coach, was picked by Beenhakker to join the current Senior Team staff and he will get down to work alongside assistant Wim Rijsbergen from early January when training sessions with T&T’s home-based pros commence.
Corneal, back home after completing the German A License Coaching Course in Leipzig in October, is quietly counting his blessings as he anticipates taking up his latest appointment to work with Beenhakker who observed him as head coach of the T&T Under 15 team during the 2005 Caribbean Football Union 1-15 Youth Cup.
“It’s a great opportunity for any Trinidad and Tobago coach to have this sort of experience which is two fold really,” Corneal told TTFF Media.
“From one side it’s fantastic to be able to work with someone like Leo Beenhakker as an understudy and secondly the experience of coaching at a World Cup is obviously something that you must be excited about. I hope that I will be able to use this experience of coaching at the World Cup to further help the country in the years to follow,” said Corneal who also worked alongside former national coaches Zoran Vranes and German Jochen Figge.
He added that on first hearing of his appointment earlier this month, instantly he felt like pulling his shirt off, but it didn’t take long for him to plant his feet on the surface again.
“I was excited but I then thought it was just a great opportunity for me to gain the experience. I have done lots of coaching courses but this is practical experience that you cannot get through courses and I said ‘Hey what a wonderful opportunity this is for me to gain the knowledge out of such an experience.’ No one has actually had this sort of opportunity before,” he added.
The former US-based coach continued: “Aside from no local person having this chance before, a bonus in itself is the fact that the man in charge is someone who has been there before on the world stage and this will in some way make it easier for me and will allow me in certain ways to gain more and also have an input into the entire exercise.”
In April 2005, Corneal also completed the Olympic Solidarity Course in Paraguay which incidentally was specifically geared towards training coaches to handle preparations of a team for build up to World tournaments such as the Olympics and World Cup. “And to think that this is exactly the kind of situation I will be involved in under coach Beenhakker over the next few months,” Corneal said.
Meantime, he is continuing his role as youth development officer for the T&T Football Federation and is overseeing ongoing preparations of the National Under 15 pools comprising of 40 players eligible of representing T&T at the 2007 World Under 17 Championship qualifiers. Starting in January will also be a similar program for Under 15 players eligible for the 2009 Championship.
News from the 19th of December 2005.Now German-based player eyes T&T pick.
By: Shaun Fuentes.This country’s National Senior Team coach Leo Beenhakker has had another European-based player to add to his list of newly eligible players for the “Soca Warriors” as the World Cup year quickly approaches.
This time, the man, Malcolm Granado, is a T&T-born who is now attached to former German Bundesliga First Division team 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 and has already sent his relevant details to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation of which Beenhakker has taken note of. He also trained with Bundesliga team Kaiserslautern and was also part of the US Under 23 Olympic Sydney 2000 Development Program. Granado is familiar with current T&T defender Brent Sancho as they were both at St John’s University during the same period.
Granado, born in Port of Spain, had a training stint with the National Senior team a couple seasons ago but was forced to take time off from team due to personal contract commitments in Germany.
He has also had training stints with the United States National Under 20 team, having migrated there at age 13 but he missed out on earning a pick for the World Under 20 Championship in Malaysia.
Granado is now hoping to impress Beenhakker and inch closer to realizing his ambitions of playing for T&T. And playing in a World Cup could now be a dream come true in a matter of months. As a matter of fact, Granado celebrated his 27th birthday on the day T&T defeated Bahrain 1-0 to book its spot in next year’s World Cup.
“I know the type of player he (Beenhakker) is looking to possibly add to the team. I am confident that in God's grace I am the type of player. I believe strongly in myself and I am a team player who contributes both on and off of the field,” Granado told TTFF Media.
“I would love the opportunity for him to see me play or practice because I am confident that I can contribute in a positive manner and be an additional strength on the team.”
Granado is one of several players recently entering the fray of those trying to catch Beenhakker’s attention and the Dutch-born coach is keeping his eyes opened but is ensuring that he has all the necessary proof that these are worthy of wearing the T&T strip. TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner meantime is leaving nothing untouched regarding possible new additions to the T&T team. Currently Attorney Om Lalla is looking into the matter regarding the eligibility of Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel and Bobby Zamora and hopes remain of a possible reopening of the window to allow players like the duo to play for another country, like T&T, despite already representing England at the Under 21 level.
News from the 17th of December 2005.T&T has to blank Saudi invitation.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
But Leo not worried about the build up.Trinidad and Tobago has been forced to withdraw from yet another pair of international warm up matches because of the reshuffled schedule of preparations leading up to the 2006 World Cup in June.
This time, head coach Leo Beenhakker, because of having already outlined his schedule of warm up matches, after having to shift to a match against Wales on March 1 after FIFA switched the international dates before the tournament, has had to turn down an offer to participate in the 2006 Cup in Saudi Arabia with the host team and Korea Republic.
The mini-tournament takes place in Riyad from January 21-25 but Beenhakker has regrettably had to overlook the offer from organizers Skycomm. The package is said to have included lucrative appearance and match winning fees.
Special Advisor to the TTFF, Jack Warner explained to TTFF Media, “We shall not have our full World Cup team of which 17 out of 21 players are playing in clubs in England and other parts of Europe. Were we to accept, we would have to participate with a sub-standard team and this will do nothing for the competition nor for our image.”
This follows other matches against Argentina and Ghana having to be overlooked for similar reasons. But Beenhakker, expected to be in England this weekend, is looking ahead to games against Wales on March 1, as well as Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
Beenhakker remains confident that despite not being able to take up the ongoing invitations for matches, that his team will not be least prepared for the big stage.
“We know the situation as it is and it’s not been any different before. The majority of our players are playing in England and Scotland and it’s difficult to just come together for a match. But at the same time, we have a period for our preparations before the tournament and we will make the best use of that time. Every player knows himself and what he has to do and I can tell you that we will not falter in this way,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media. Both Warner and Beenhakker continue to monitor the offers as they come and are keeping close heads as they go about in ensuring that the right decisions are taken and process carried out same time.
