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Football / NOTHING BUT A VICTORY SAY'S ST.CLAIR
« on: March 30, 2005, 02:43:07 AM »
BY NIGEL SIMON
The T&T Warriors host Costa Rica in a crucial day three CONCACAF final round 2006 World Cup qualifier today, in full knowledge that only a win will keep its chances alive for a place in Germany when both teams take the field is at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, from 4.30pm.
Also today, Panama faces Mexico in Panama City from 10.30pm (TT time) and USA hosts Guatemala from 9pm (TT time) in Birmingham, Alabama in the two other CONCACAF matches.
After two rounds, Mexico winners of two matches by 2-1 margins, heads the six-team table with six points, followed by Guatemala, 5-1 victors over T&T on four points. USA and Costa Rica both have three points.
Panama, the Warriors’ next opponent in June, is fifth with one point from a draw against Guatemala, while T&T lies bottom of the table, pointless.
It is a desperate situation, one that calls for a herculean effort today against one of the group’s strongest teams. The fans are getting impatient and look forward to a major effort.
Being at home might just be the atmosphere the Warriors needs to play the kind of football coach Bertille St Clair says his team is capable of.
A third defeat, would put the Warriors almost out in the cold and may well signal the end of coach St Clair time in charge.
On the Brian Lara Promenade yesterday during an autograph session hosted by team’s sponsor, TSTT, St Clair admitted that his team was under pressure to get points on the board.
“There’s no question about it right now. We need a win and that is final.” St Clair said.
“In the matches before we have always gone for a win, but we have nothing to show up to now and there reaches a point when only a win will be accepted.
“We have already dropped six points in two matches, so it’s very crucial that we put on a good performance and get something out of the match with Costa Rica.”
Though the expectation of local supporters is at an all-time low following a disappointing Caribbean Football Union Digicel campaign and the two qualifying defeats, St Clair still feels that it’s not time to press the panic button.
“We recognise we have put ourselves in a difficult situation, but we know what lies ahead and the guys still feel that they can qualify.
“It’s important that the country gets behind the team and show the kind of the support that we are getting here today on the Promenade at the match tomorrow.”
The task of the Warriors is not an easy one against a Costa Rica team T&T has failed to beat in 10 previous World Cup qualifiers.
In four visits to T&T for World Cup matches, Costa Rica has beaten T&T three times, 2-0 in 2001, 1-0 in 1996 and 1-0 in 1965, while T&T earned a 1-1 draw on home soil in 1989.
T&T’s two wins against Costa Rica in 16 meetings have both come in CONCACAF Gold Cup matches by 2-1 margins, and today St Clair hopes he can build on those wins.
A major concern for him will be his defence, which has conceded seven goals in two matches and, once again, will be without Marvin Andrews, who also missed the Guatemala outing, through injury to the cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Like Guatemala, the Costa Ricans are also expected to play a quick short passing game which may cause St Clair to make a few changes in his leaking defence, while up front, Dallas Burn striker Cornell Glenn, who has recovered from the ankle injury which forced him to miss the last match, is back to bolster the attack.
Among at least four changes in the Costa Rican squad which defeated Panama 2-1 are Jose Luis Lopez, who was red-carded in the last match and forward Froylan Ledezma, who walked out of the team on Sunday. Paula Wanchope of Spanish League side Malaga will lead the attack.
Prior to his team’s training session yesterday Costa Rica’s technical director Jorge Luis Pinto said: “We have come out of a very important win where we played before no fans and the three points was vital for us.
“But we know that T&T will be very hard to play against now, because they want to prove that they can come back from that loss in Guatemala. It’s not easy to lose so heavily and I expect them to be very tough”
Teams to be selected from:
Costa Rica: Christian Badilla, Carlos Castro, Walter Centeno, Pablo Chinchilla, Leonardo Gonzalez, Carlos Hernandez, Andy Herron, Luis Marin, Gilberto Martiniez, Alvaro Mesen, Roy Myrie Jose Porras, Oscar Rojas, Geiner Segura, Douglas Sequeira, Alonso Solis, Michael Umana, Harold Wallace, Paulo Wanchope, Whayne Wilson
T&T team: Shaka Hislop, Clayton Ince, Dennis Lawrence, Kenwyne Jones, Atiba Charles, Keyeno Thomas, Anton Pierre, Marlon Rojas, Brent Sancho, Silvio Spann, Nigel Henry, Leslie Fitzpatrick, Angus Eve, Carlos Edwards, Dwight Yorke, Nigel Pierre, Hector Sam, Cornell Glenn, Stern John
Current Concacaf Standings
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Mexico 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
Guatemala 2 1 1 0 5 1 4
USA 2 1 0 1 3 3 3
Panama 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
Costa Rica 2 1 0 1 3 3 3
T&T 2 0 0 2 2 7 0
The T&T Warriors host Costa Rica in a crucial day three CONCACAF final round 2006 World Cup qualifier today, in full knowledge that only a win will keep its chances alive for a place in Germany when both teams take the field is at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, from 4.30pm.
Also today, Panama faces Mexico in Panama City from 10.30pm (TT time) and USA hosts Guatemala from 9pm (TT time) in Birmingham, Alabama in the two other CONCACAF matches.
After two rounds, Mexico winners of two matches by 2-1 margins, heads the six-team table with six points, followed by Guatemala, 5-1 victors over T&T on four points. USA and Costa Rica both have three points.
Panama, the Warriors’ next opponent in June, is fifth with one point from a draw against Guatemala, while T&T lies bottom of the table, pointless.
It is a desperate situation, one that calls for a herculean effort today against one of the group’s strongest teams. The fans are getting impatient and look forward to a major effort.
Being at home might just be the atmosphere the Warriors needs to play the kind of football coach Bertille St Clair says his team is capable of.
A third defeat, would put the Warriors almost out in the cold and may well signal the end of coach St Clair time in charge.
On the Brian Lara Promenade yesterday during an autograph session hosted by team’s sponsor, TSTT, St Clair admitted that his team was under pressure to get points on the board.
“There’s no question about it right now. We need a win and that is final.” St Clair said.
“In the matches before we have always gone for a win, but we have nothing to show up to now and there reaches a point when only a win will be accepted.
“We have already dropped six points in two matches, so it’s very crucial that we put on a good performance and get something out of the match with Costa Rica.”
Though the expectation of local supporters is at an all-time low following a disappointing Caribbean Football Union Digicel campaign and the two qualifying defeats, St Clair still feels that it’s not time to press the panic button.
“We recognise we have put ourselves in a difficult situation, but we know what lies ahead and the guys still feel that they can qualify.
“It’s important that the country gets behind the team and show the kind of the support that we are getting here today on the Promenade at the match tomorrow.”
The task of the Warriors is not an easy one against a Costa Rica team T&T has failed to beat in 10 previous World Cup qualifiers.
In four visits to T&T for World Cup matches, Costa Rica has beaten T&T three times, 2-0 in 2001, 1-0 in 1996 and 1-0 in 1965, while T&T earned a 1-1 draw on home soil in 1989.
T&T’s two wins against Costa Rica in 16 meetings have both come in CONCACAF Gold Cup matches by 2-1 margins, and today St Clair hopes he can build on those wins.
A major concern for him will be his defence, which has conceded seven goals in two matches and, once again, will be without Marvin Andrews, who also missed the Guatemala outing, through injury to the cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Like Guatemala, the Costa Ricans are also expected to play a quick short passing game which may cause St Clair to make a few changes in his leaking defence, while up front, Dallas Burn striker Cornell Glenn, who has recovered from the ankle injury which forced him to miss the last match, is back to bolster the attack.
Among at least four changes in the Costa Rican squad which defeated Panama 2-1 are Jose Luis Lopez, who was red-carded in the last match and forward Froylan Ledezma, who walked out of the team on Sunday. Paula Wanchope of Spanish League side Malaga will lead the attack.
Prior to his team’s training session yesterday Costa Rica’s technical director Jorge Luis Pinto said: “We have come out of a very important win where we played before no fans and the three points was vital for us.
“But we know that T&T will be very hard to play against now, because they want to prove that they can come back from that loss in Guatemala. It’s not easy to lose so heavily and I expect them to be very tough”
Teams to be selected from:
Costa Rica: Christian Badilla, Carlos Castro, Walter Centeno, Pablo Chinchilla, Leonardo Gonzalez, Carlos Hernandez, Andy Herron, Luis Marin, Gilberto Martiniez, Alvaro Mesen, Roy Myrie Jose Porras, Oscar Rojas, Geiner Segura, Douglas Sequeira, Alonso Solis, Michael Umana, Harold Wallace, Paulo Wanchope, Whayne Wilson
T&T team: Shaka Hislop, Clayton Ince, Dennis Lawrence, Kenwyne Jones, Atiba Charles, Keyeno Thomas, Anton Pierre, Marlon Rojas, Brent Sancho, Silvio Spann, Nigel Henry, Leslie Fitzpatrick, Angus Eve, Carlos Edwards, Dwight Yorke, Nigel Pierre, Hector Sam, Cornell Glenn, Stern John
Current Concacaf Standings
Teams P W D L F A Pts
Mexico 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
Guatemala 2 1 1 0 5 1 4
USA 2 1 0 1 3 3 3
Panama 2 0 1 1 1 2 1
Costa Rica 2 1 0 1 3 3 3
T&T 2 0 0 2 2 7 0
