Foreigners want to join Young Warriors.
By: Ian Prescott (Express).
Foreign-based players are trying to join the national Under-17 football team and head coach Anton Corneal also hopes to play two games in Holland before the Young Warriors contest the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in South Korea from August 18 - September 9.
Similar to what happened when the Soca Warriors qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, T&T U-17 coach Corneal has been receiving calls from overseas players eager to join his team since they qualified for the World Championship.
A month ago, Trinidad and Tobago beat Jamaica 1 - 0 in their final game at the CONCACAF qualifiers in Kingston to emerge one of five CONCACAF qualifiers for the tournament. The Young Warriors open their campaign on August 20 against Ghana, then face Colombia on August 23 and end the preliminary round on August 26 versus Germany.
"They have started to call," Corneal admitted. "A guy called from Canada, but we saw the player. We're going to invite this boy Cameron back from the USA... he's one of them. We also hope to speak to this guy at Arsenal, Garvin Hoyte, and at least give him an opportunity to say yes or no. His parents are Trinidadians, his brother plays for Arsenal, Justin Hoyte.
"Of course, he is hoping to play for England, but he did not make their Under-17 team and it does not affect him in the sense that if he plays for us it does not affect him making a senior (England) team.
But, whoever comes into the team will have to come in with the right attitude first before we can include players, because it's going to come down to who really wants it."
Corneal said he will also be looking to give local players another chance to make his squad so that the best possible team can represent Trinidad and Tobago. At present, the team is going through strength training exercises and technical work until CXC exams are finished.
They will then have several local camps before beginning training matches in preparation for the tournament.
"We will also play some local games. We want to play a professional league Under-17, the best under-17 team, because we want to look at players. We are also going to ask Tobago to produce their best
under-20 team, but include their five best under-17 players, so that we can see them. We're also hoping to get a tournament here," Corneal added.
"We're hoping to get an under-20 team, Caracas United, I think they are the ones who beat the team from Argentina, to get their under-20s here for two games. And on the way to Korea, hopefully, we will be trying to go through Holland. And, if that is arranged, we will play two games in Holland and then split the trip (to South Korea) in two, it's such a long trip."
Since coaching the first national team to qualify for an Under-17 FIFA World Championship, Corneal said he has gotten a lot of congratulations from members of the football fraternity and the public, but prefers to see his achievement as a triumph for Trinidad and Tobago.
"It's not about me, it's really not about me. It's an accomplishment any coach will want. You think you work hard over the years and sometimes people don't understand what you are doing. I thought it was a challenge when I returned home (from the USA)... this is actually the end of my contract. My contract came to an end at the end of May... this is like a reward for work.
"At times, you work hard hoping that you get a result. You put things in place, you stick behind it and a result came at the end when we qualified. But, it is a result for the country," he stated.
T&T U-17s get international warm ups.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 17 team will have its first set of international warm up matches since qualifying for the FIFA Under 17 World Championship last month when they face Peru’s National Under 17 team in Port of Spain on June 14 and 16.
The team, which is grouped with Colombia, Ghana and Germany for August’s FIFA Championship in Korea, had its final preparation programme outlined earlier this week as head coach Anton Corneal met with the TTFF to draw up the plans.
TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner has been instrumental in arranging the games which is also expected to include a four-nation invitational tournament in Trinidad from July 7-12 including the national under 17 teams of Brazil, United States and Haiti. Prior to that the team is also carded to depart for Caracas to face Venezuela on June 22.
Corneal, who has had the players undergoing strength training since the resumption of sessions at the Ato Boldon Stadium added that the preparation programme was planned to match with the style of the teams T&T would be facing in Korea.
“Special emphasis was placed on the programme for the team between now and the start of the tournament. Our first aim is to get out of the first round. We will work towards that and it will not be a situation where we will feel our chances are less than others because of the fact that our group consists of teams that are rater higher than us,” Corneal told TTFF Media.
“Right now the boys are undergoing their preparations with a clear frame of mind and every player is also well aware too that none of them have places guaranteed on the final squad. We have said that the options will be there to look at a few more players who could add depth to the team and rightly so because we want to ensure that the best team goes out on the pitch in Korea.”
Corneal added that there has been interest from players residing outside of T&T and further efforts will be made to get the services of young Arsenal player Garvin Hoyte, whose older brother Justin is a member of the Arsenal Premiership team.
Games are also being planned against the best Under 17s of the T&T Pro League which Corneal will also use to have a further look at players based locally.
One of the pluses since the qualifying round has been the recovery of speedy striker Daniel Joseph who missed out on the final round at the last minute because of a hamstring injury. The current team will go into a live in training camp this weekend in Tobago.