Yorke and pros start arriving for first Beenhakker meeting.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago’s Australian-based professional Dwight Yorke is scheduled to arrive in the country on Friday evening to link up with new head coach Leo Beenhakker for the first time ahead of the June 4 World Cup qualifier against Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Yorke, recently signed by Sydney FC, has been in contact throughout this week with team manager Bruce Aanensen and has decided to return ahead of the weekend and will join the team in its next live- in training camp starting with a session at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Monday.
Beenhakker is set to have a fair amount of the overseas pros he invited for training for next week’s camp with Scottish-based midfielder Brent Rahim and American-based foursome Leslie Fitzpatrick, Avery John, Marlon Rojas and Cornell Glen coming in on Sunday. Wrexham’s Hector Sam, Carlos Edwards and Dennis Lawrence along with Kenwyne Jones will arrive on Monday. Scottish-based defenders Marvin Andrews and Brent Sancho as well as Kelvin Jack will not be here until May 23 due to club commitments while Stern John is yet to confirm his arrival date. Dundee United duo Collin Samuel and Jason Scotland are not available until May 29 because of their Scottish cup final date with Celtic. Already here is goalkeeper Clayton Ince while David Nakhid and English-born midfielder Chris Birchall also arrived earlier this week.
Japan-based midfielder Silvio Spann will not be coming for the training camp as Yokohoma FC officials have turned down a request for his release and Beenhakker will now decide as the matchday gets closer whether he in fact needs the player.
T&T is scheduled to play top Peru club Alianza Lima on May 18 and the El Salvador National Senior Team on May 25.
Meantime, Ince is looking ahead to the upcoming challenges with renewed optimism after his solid performance in the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica and another outstanding performance in a 2-1 win over Coventry City which kept them in the Championship League and led to him being offered a new contract by the club this week.
He arrived home on Tuesday and is likely to be the man between the uprights especially with Shaka Hislop ruled out due to personal reasons regarding his professional career.
“It’s good to come back a few days before and get in some much needed time ahead of the games,” Ince told TTFF Media. “For most of the previous qualifiers we’re accustomed coming in just five days before but with our seasons being over, despite the fact that it’s been long and tiresome, I think a couple days rest for us at home and then on to the training pitch with the new coach is something we are all looking forward to. It’s a bit disappointing that Shaka won’t be here but at the same time I am always ready for whatever challenge comes my way and I believe we will be ready for when the big games come around against Panama and Mexico.”
Birchall, who came in on the same flight as Ince and Nakhid, seemed thrilled on arriving here for the first time but added that while just coming off a season with Port Vale, his mind is still focused on the game.
“I must say I’m very glad to be here because it’s my first time on the island but I know it’s serious business. I’m really keen to get on with the training here but maybe a bit cautious too because it’s my first time with a national team. I’ve met up with a couple of the other guys in England and hopefully I can be part of something happen good here with the team once I’m selected,” said the 20-year-old.
News from the 11th of May 2005.Nationals go down 2-0.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Two well taken goals by Kendall Jagdeosingh in the 23rd minute and Kayode McKinnon in the 60th minute gave National Quarries North East Stars a 2-0 win over a squad of locally-based National players in a scrimmage at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Tuesday.
With the gates opened to the pubic, close to 2,000 fans came to see what the local “Warriors” were going to offer in what was the first showing since the appointment of Head Coach Leo Beenhakker. And if they came expecting a revamped brand of football, well then they were left disappointed as the local outfit was clearly still in the process of getting their game intact following seven sessions with the Dutchman.
North East Stars on the other hand, were gunning for “Glory” from Ted Gordon’s opening whistle. They were without knee-injured striker Jerren Nixon.
As early as the second minute, Vincentian Kendall Velox brought the best out of goalie Duarance Williams with his left footed shot from the inside left of the penalty box.
T&T had their first good move going forward in the 18th minute when Aurtis Whitley neatly picked out Michael Celestine but the Jabloteh midfielder refused to shoot and slipped too wide for Gary Glasgow who could only hit into the side netting from close up.
Five minutes later, Jagdeosingh, omitted from the original national squad, gave Beenhakker a reminder of his ability with a clinical finish. Collecting on the left, the national under 20 player cut inside a couple metres before unleashing past a hapless Williams. A purposeful looking Arnold Dwarika also squirmed an attempt from close up when he shot straight at ‘keeper Trevor Nottingham.
An Abassi McPherson effort which deflected before Williams pushed over bar was the only other goalmouth excitement before the break.
The second half got going with little creativity from either team but the local club looked more urgent in their approach and kept the “Warriors” running around with pace. Beenhakker’s side also moved around quickly while in possession but hardly created panic in the Stars defensive quarter. Glasgow wasn’t a threat and, Whitley, Angus Eve and Densill Theobald were finding it difficult in breaking the opposition defense.
McKinnon then delivered the shot of the evening when he rocketed a free kick from just atop the box into the top right corner, deservedly getting the loudest cheer of the match.
Anthony Wolfe came on for Densill Theobald and Nigel Pierre for Arnold Dwarika late in the match but an Atiba Charles header which flew over bar was the closest the trialists got to goal before the end.
T&T Line-Up:Duarance Williams, Derek King (Dwayne Jack 46th), Atiba Charles, Keyeno Thomas, Nigel Daniel, Arnold Dwarika (Nigel Pierre 75th), Densill Theobald (Anthony Wolfe 75th), Angus Eve (Trent Noel 46th), Aurtis Whitley (Kerry Baptiste 46th), Michael Celestine, Gary Glasgow.
North-East Stars Line-Up:Trevor Nottingham, Howard Lowe, Abassi Mc Pherson, Kayode Mc Kinnon (Simeon Augustus 71st), Kendall Velox (Ochieng Abosi 56th), Fabien Garcia (Lindsie Sherwood 63rd), Glenton Wolfe (Kern Thomas 55th), Keston Pierre, Keryn Navarro (Carey Harris 67th), Davidson Neptune, Kendall Jagdeosingh (Brent Antoine 67th).
North East Stars vs T&T, TV-6 Highlights.
Stars upset Warriors.
By: Ian Prescott.Dutchman Leo Beenhakker feels aggression brought about a 2-0 defeat of his Trinidad and Tobago national football "Warriors"in yesterday's practice match against T&T Pro League champions National Quarries North East Stars, but says the training exercise has served its purpose.
Beenhakker thinks he has now seen what the locals have to offer in a match situation and said after the same exercise with the overseas-based professionals in the coming weeks, Trinidad and Tobago can be assured they will be represented by the best available squad in next month's World Cup qualifiers against Panama and Mexico.
The new coach might have lost his first match with the national team, but already his presence has had an effect. The first notable one was the few hundred fans that turned up to see the game-a quite rare thing for a game of no great consequence.
On the field, the Warriors could be clearly seen attempting to defend as a block, and getting behind the ball. Beenhakker played a straight back four of Derek King (right), Keyeno Thomas (centre), Atiba Charles (centre) and Nigel Daniel (left).
Angus Eve, Arnold Dwarika, Densill Theobald and Michael Celestine manned the midfield, while Aurtis Whitley and Gary Glasgow were tried up front.
For the opening half, Beenhakker's boys tried to play structured football, while attempting successfully to move the ball around the field, but faltered in not creating much up front.
Stars, though, never made it easy and were always a step faster to the ball. Young Grande striker Kendall Jagdeosingh caught Trinidad and Tobago napping and produced an excellent low finish from the centre of the penalty area to give the champs a deserved a 23rd minute lead.
The national team's most threatening moment came when Dwarika brought off a point-black save from veteran keeper Trevor Nottingham late in the first half.
However, another lapse in concentration gave Stars their second goal in the 60th minute when the Warriors were caught admiring an elaborate free-kick, while Kayode Mckinnon set himself before planting his shot past keeper Duarance Williams and into the top of the net.
Beenhakker: It was a worthy exercise.
By: Shaun Fuentes.Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker didn’t get the result he may have hoped for but he certainly saw what he wanted to in terms of what the group of home-based players had to offer on the field of play in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to 2005 Pro League champions National Quarries North East Stars at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The result was an enjoyable one for the Sangre-Grande-based outfit but it didn’t leave the locals fans at all impressed with what they saw of the local “Warriors”.
But Beenhakker preferred not to dwell on what was officially his first match in charge of the former Caribbean champions.
“It was a difference for us as it was a training game but for our opponents, with all my respect, I think it was the final of the World Cup so they beat us with good aggression,” Beenhakker told reporters after the match.
But he added that the exercise served its purpose following seven training sessions with the team.
“It was very useful for me because you can have a lot of training sessions but the truth is on the pitch within a game. Before this game I had a lot of questions and the way we played and how several players were acting gave me a lot of answers,” Beenhakker noted.
“We are still in a try out period. We know very well all the possibilities of the local players now based on training sessions and this match and at least we have many answers.
“There were some moments where we played like we wanted to play good football and we had some chances, few though and these guys are working hard to play their best and in that way I was satisfied.“
Now the former Dutch National team coach is anticipating the arrival of some of the overseas-based pros from this week.
“Next week we start of course little by little with the players from abroad and that means we are on schedule and we will be ready when we start our official preparation for the important games.”
One reporter quizzed Beenhakker on whether he spotted any players in the Stars team and he used the chance to respond to reports questioning the decision to omit defender Anton Pierre from the squad.
“Yes but I won’t be saying any names right now. And listen I don’t understand all the emotion over the last few days over Anton Pierre. Anton is one of the few players we have seen in all the matches played until now for the qualifiers so we know him. I think when you start this job in the middle of such a tournament you have a right to give everyone a chance and they can all show if they are ready play in the team. I said after the first cut that I was not closing the door for anybody, not for Anton Pierre nor anyone so I don’t really understand all the emotion. We are doing try outs and we have a very good idea of the local players. We know what we want and next week we continue our preparations and I can assure you when we are going to play the next two matches against Panama and Mexico, the best possible team to represent T&T will play,” Beenhakker added.
English-born trialist Chris Birchall, Clayton Ince and David Nakhid arrived from London on Tuesday evening and made their way to the venue at half time. They will join the training from the next camp starting on Monday as T&T prepares for the May 18 encounter against Alianza Lima at the HC Stadium and the El Salvador National Senior Team at the same venue on May 25.
Fans Reaction, who saw the game.Up-Close With Andre Samuel.Up-Close With Touches.Up-Close With Triniwings.
