Mind games or not, we’ll be ready says Shaka.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
West Ham united goalkeeper Shaka Hislop says he has no problems with Bahrain scouting Trinidad and Tobago ahead of their 2006 World Cup half slot playoff on November 12 and 16.
And how come? Hislop says because it will make them fully aware that they will be coming up against a team full of sheer determination with players prepared for the “games of their lives”.
Hislop made these comments from his team’s hotel ahead of a Premiership outing away to Liverpool on Saturday.
The former T&T captain said he was surprised to learn of all the hype back home over the alleged involvement of David Nakhid with the Bahrain FA, adding that the focus should be entirely on getting T&T past the next two matches and into the World Cup Finals next year.
“I'll start by saying this- David Nakhid has been a school-mate, a team-mate but above all a friend for longer than either of us would care to admit. And I'm sure he'll remain to be. What has happened concerning him and his proposed appointment to the Bahrain youth team is entirely unsurprising, after all he is a very recognized coach in the middle east,” Hislop told TTFF Media.
“What is surprising though is the media coverage the whole thing has received. These meetings, appointments, and exchanging of ideas is very commonplace in football at the highest level. I see it week in week out here at club level. I'm sure every one of the players in the squad is quite used to all of this, it won't be new to any of us.”
Hislop pointed out that it should be noted that the opposition is well aware that they will be in for a tough battle in both matches.
“It shows that they have respect for us, as we do for them. That's all. Personally speaking, I'd be delighted if they saw the videos of the last few games, they'll find out first hand a number of things we've learnt about ourselves which is that we're not easy to beat, we won't lay down, we'll fight to the end, we're a team and we're determined! Come the 12th and the 16th we'll be playing in the biggest games of our lives, and we'll be ready. Mind games or no mind games, it doesn't make the slightest difference,” Hislop assured.
Meantime, the T&T management confirmed that the 21-man squad, inclusive of the overseas-based players will reassemble on November 7 (with the exception of Dwight Yorke who arrives from Sydney on November 8 and will commence training the following day at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Head Coach Leo Beenhakker will also arrive from Holland on November 4 and has indicated that he will comment on matters regarding the National Team and the upcoming matches at a media conference at the Piarco International Airport upon his arrival.
Ticket not yet on sale.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation and the Local Organising Committee Germany 2006 wishes to state that contrary to rumors being circulated, tickets for the November 12 2006 World Cup qualifying playoff with Bahrain have not been sold out nor have they gone on sale.
Several calls have been coming into the TTFF headquarters on Dundonald Street from anxious fans enquiring about ticket sales which will in fact go on sale on November 10 from opening business hours at the advertised KFC and Republic Bank branches.
Peter O’Connor, marketing manager for the TTFF, made it clear that the average fan will have the opportunity to purchase up to six tickets to view the game at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
“Tickets have not been sold out nor been sold. There are not no blocks of tickets on sale for corporate Trinidad and Tobago and tickets will go on sale at Nov 10,” O’Connor stated.
“We have also informed all KFC and Republic Banks branches to not sell more than six tickets to any one purchaser. This is to ensure that the individual supporter has every opportunity to purchase tickets and if any are left over on Friday night, they will be sold from 9am on match day at the match venue.”
O’Connor further added: “There has been a huge demand from corporate Trinidad for large blocks of tickets but these requests have been turned down and please do not contact the TTFF offices for ticket sales because tickets will only be available from the advertised outlets.”
The TTFF and LOC also wishes to advise Advertisers and other companies to avoid any attempts to exploit the National Team and the “Journey to Germany” campaign.
“We are appealing to advertisers and companies not to exploit the popularity of the team or the journey to Germany for their own gain. We are already aware of attempts being made to do this. Please be aware that any such party will be required to obtain permission to market any product or contest on the basis of the National Team and the qualification for Germany. And if they fail to respect our requests then the matter will be dealt with accordingly,” O’Connor added.
Sancho back in training.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Defender Brent Sancho was back on the field for light training this week following a lay off with a hamstring injury dating back to the build up to this country’s matches against Panama and Mexico. The reoccurrence of the problem ruled him out of the squad but he has earned a recall from head coach Leo Beenhakker for the upcoming matches against Bahrain.
Sancho said: “I’m feeling good and the treatment has really helped me out but it’s a matter of me getting match fit and I’m not sure whether I will get that chance this weekend. But by next week I’m almost sure to be back in the Gillingham shirt and ready for the Bahrain games as well.”
In the meantime, his club teammate Ian Cox has fully recovered from injury which also ruled him out of T&T’s last two games.
Collin Samuel turns on old club.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Striker Collin Samuel turned back the tables on his old side Falkirk as he scored Dundee United’s third and final goal in a 3-1 win in Scottish Premier League action on the weekend.
Samuel, a standby in the T&T squad for the upcoming games against Bahrain, came off the bench to score against Russell Latapy’s team which he campaigned with when now moving to Scotland from local club CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh.
He was jeered by fans as he warmed up to replace Spanish striker David Hernandez in the second half but then had the last laugh with the 80th minute goal via a flick on from Jim McIntryre’s cross.
“I’ve not had stick from the Falkirk fans before but I knew I’d get some boos today. They didn’t disappoint me and when I came off the bench to hear the noise, I smiled and knew I had to do something for them,” Samuel said.
“That’s why I was so happy with my goal. It was an important one for me but also means a lot to the team and to the manager.”
Latapy helped put Falkirk ahead when his well timed volley was parried by the goalkeeper for Darryl Duffy to slot home.
Guess what Jlloyd Samuel’s favourite meal is.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Possible national team addition Jlloyd Samuel says his long time idol is former England and Liverpool standout John Barnes. The 24-year-old Aston Villa star announced on the weekend that he has committed himself to this country’s national team and is hoping to be selected by Leo Beenhakker for the upcoming matches against Bahrain. Assistant coach Wim Rijsbergen was expected to be in the stands looking on at Aston Villa’s Carling Cup match with Burnley yesterday.
Samuel, after delaying his decision, having been eligible for England selection, said he was looking forward to the T&T experience. “It’s something I’m looking forward to with great interest because I think I can make a good contribution and hopefully I can get selected and play a part in the country’s bid to qualify for the next World Cup,” he said.
Samuel, whose family is from San Fernando, was on the bench on the England squad which included the likes of Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Phil Neville in a 1-0 win over Sweden in March 2004.
He also states in his personal Web site profile that he grew up playing in the famous Senrab boys team of East London alongside John Terry and Bobby Zamora, another player eligible and willing now to play for the “Warriors”. Samuel added that his favourite meal is curry-goat and rice, Caribbean style.
Kelvin Jack ready to go again.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Goalkeeper Kelvin Jack says he will do whatever it takes to be fit for the upcoming World Cup playoff matches against Bahrain. The goalie went off at half time in the 2-1 win over Mexico with a knee tendon injury and has been seeing a specialist back in Scotland since.
He is geared up to press for a starting role and wants club coach Alan Kernaghan to know this.
But it appears Kernaghan is not ready to give Jack the match practice.
“I started training again on Monday and having been seeing the specialist up here, I know I will be ready again in time for the matches against Bahrain. “It’s definitely a time in my career that I will not miss. Since June I have played 26 games for club and country and this break has done me a world of good” Jack said.
Ghetto Fabulous.
By: Lasana Liburd.[/size]
Otis Seaton was hired by Don Leo Beenhakker as the muscle. The Trinidad and Tobago national football team coach needed a player with the energy and courage to protect his back four and the street smarts to link up with his more valued front-runners like Stern John, Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy and Carlos Edwards.
Seaton took the assignment. But he always felt he could bring more to the red, white and black family.
He knew that if he proved himself trustworthy and if he combined dedication and patience to his own offensive talent; then his chance would come.
Anyone fortunate enough to have been at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, on October 12, 2005 or who witnessed it on live television will remember when Seaton became a "made man".
Mexico were leading 1-0 when Signor Latapy drifted inside from the left flank. Seaton was not slow to spot an opportunity and sprinted in the vacant area to receive the ball.
"I took a chance and made a run," Seaton told Express Sport. "And I told myself: 'you see me I going and do my thing'. Then I saw the opening and I just hit."
"Say hello to my lit-tle friend!"
Ever saw "Scarface"? It is Al Pacino's signature movie and depicts a penniless but ruthless Cuban refugee who rises from obscurity in the Miami slums to become a gangster kingpin. Seaton has his own copy of the flick.
It is not the drugs and violence that appeal to Seaton, although he saw enough of both evils while growing up in Malick. Rather, it is the tale of the underdog who beats an unsympathetic and uncaring establishment.
Mexico, ranked fifth in the world, do not expect to lose matches to Trinidad and Tobago. But they did not cater for Seaton's stinging 25-yard shot that ricocheted off the upright and dropped obligingly for John to complete the kill in the 43rd minute.
Eighteen minutes later, T&T completed the reversal against their clearly rattled guests with another John strike, again instigated by Seaton. Those two goals ensured that the tiny twin island republic remain in the hunt for a place in the 2006 World Cup tournament in Germany.
On November 12 and 16, Trinidad and Tobago must repeat the trick in a two-legged Play-Off against Asian outfit, Bahrain.
But first, let us make peace with the gangster flick aficionado who helped take us there.
Express Sport cornered Otis Seaton last Saturday. Or was it Aurtis Whitley?
Fittingly, our man of mystery has two names and even more stories about his rise from the streets of Malick to the sinking of Mexico.
Seaton joined his CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh teammates for Saturday's "Death March" through Port of Spain in protest of the growing crime and murder rate and was unwinding at Tony Roma's Restaurant in Newtown when I spoke to him.
His cap was pulled tightly over his short dreadlocks while he sported a gold chain and ID band. He wore short pants and button-up tee shirt.
Aesthetically, Seaton fits the stereotype of the streets that gave birth to him. His taste in music-he loves 50 Cent-and movies are the trimmings.
Only Seaton is not and never has been a thug. There is not so much as a traffic violation on his record and the only gang colour he wears is the national red, black and white strip.
Confused? Well, maybe your understanding of "ghetto culture" is not as sharp as you think.
But do not expect Seaton to change for your benefit. The 28-year-old is doing things his own way and the country may be better off if more youths followed his example. The key, according to Seaton, is dedication to craft, the capacity for hard work, respect for your counterparts and an eye for opportunity.
And, of course, finding the right trade.
Seaton can quote Pacino's Tony Montana character, but he prefers to meditate on the calm authority of French midfield star Zinedine Zidane. Zidane will retire a legend. Montana suffered a brutal death while still a young man.
The national star advised youngsters to choose life over death.
"It have certain bad boys who will encourage the boys (to do the wrong thing)," said Seaton, "and what the young boys fail to realise is you have a gun on you now but you won't have a gun on you all the time. So what happen when you meet someone you did something and you don't have it on you? And, even if you do, it is no life to live to be looking behind your back all the time.
"You don't have to join a gang or do the wrong thing to eat. You can be positive and eat too."
Seaton chose wisely.
Twenty years ago, his father, Clyde Seaton, migrated to the United States where he found work as a tiler.
The eight-year-old Aurtis Otis Whitley was the first of three children by Seaton and his common-law wife Cheryl Ann Whitley, while Aurtis also a younger sister from a different union.
The elder Seaton remains close with his family who often travel to visit him in New York while he telephoned daily and provided regular assistance. Years later, he offered to help his firstborn get US citizenship and they reasoned that it might be easier if they shared the same surname.
That was when Aurtis Whitley chose to become Otis Seaton. One snag though. The "footballer otherwise known as Aurtis Whitley" has to wait for his passport to expire before he can make the transformation complete.
"When that happens," he explains, "I can change my name to Aurtis Otis Seaton-Whitley if I still want to."
As a young boy in Malick, though, he was a "nobody" in a tough neighbourhood. His first lesson was to conquer fear.
"My father brought me up (teaching me) not to fear anybody," said Seaton. "I am not a rebel but I am not a stupidee either... In Malick, fellas would advantage and disrespect you if they can get away with it.
"The only way to get your respect is to stamp on that one time because if they disrespect you now and you allow it they will want to disrespect you all the time."
Seaton wore his fearlessness like a badge of honour. Apart from his fists, he discovered that he was handy with a football too.
He learned the rudiments of the game in his backyard from uncle, Russell Seaton, and always dreamed of playing for his country. But it was Malick Senior Comprehensive who gave him the chance to showcase his talent.
At 17, he lined up in a dominant Malick squad that included Arnold Dwarika, Gary Glasgow and Stokely Mason who were already national youth stars. If they felt Seaton would be happy to merely play alongside them, they were mistaken.
"I felt that I could do those same things (they were doing) and that I could match up to them," said Seaton. "So I wanted to reach to their level or further because I like to set myself goals."
It started a theme throughout Seaton's career. The higher the bar, the more determined he was to succeed. But he never compromised his principles.
There were two major disappointments.
In 1997, he signed for Portugal Division One club, Vitoria Setubal, after his first and only overseas trials. He stayed for six months but it was a bittersweet experience, which ended in his departure that winter.
"It was really tough because my agent (Toze Francisco) just dropped me at an apartment and disappeared," he said. "And there was no one around who spoke English. So I would just go to training and then head home. I never went out at all.
"At the end of it, there was a disagreement with the management... Each player had an apartment and my heat broke down but I couldn't speak the language so I told the club (through a translator) and asked them to send someone to fix it.
"Out there was very cold and two weeks passed and nobody still came to fix it. I said 'if is all this have to go on is better you all let me go back to where I come from'.
"I not leaving my homeland to go in a next country and be treated like that."
He was hurt too when ex-national coach Bertille St Clair dropped him during his first stint at the helm. St Clair recalled Seaton on several occasions, but the player refused the invitation.
"(St Clair) is only the coach who never gave me the inspiration to play football," said Seaton. "He never told me anything, he just didn't pick me. I got called many times after when he was the coach, but I never went."
Seaton's career flourished regardless from Malick to Nestle's, Superstar Rangers, Young Hearts and Jabloteh. He still hopes to play abroad, but he won't let his current status stop his growth.
As with Malick, Seaton does not bat an eyelid when he turns out for national training and finds himself competing with players like Yorke and Latapy.
It is friendly battle, of course. Seaton insisted he has never before felt the camaraderie that exists within the present squad.
But he will not sell himself short.
"I had to earn my respect on this team," he said. "These fellas are good players and the majority of them are overseas players and I am a local player. Even now, I think there will be even more pressure because they will be expecting me to have an even better game.
"They will be watching now and saying 'alright, they know I can do that and that' and they will expect to see it."
Seaton savours the challenge.
"I know what I am capable of doing and I work real hard in training," he said. "So I am not going to just lie down. I am ready for it." Beenhakker may have found a new hitman.