http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1720597,00.htmlYorke's double sets T&T on winning road to Germany Trinidad & Tobago 2 - 0 Iceland
Yorke 10, 52pen
International friendly: The Soca Warriors showed enough to worry Sven as Dwight Yorke's double saw off Iceland.
Simon Burnton at Loftus Road
Wednesday March 1, 2006www.guardian.co.ukCarnival was celebrated in Trinidad & Tobago yesterday and last night their fans and footballers succeeded in bringing something of the same to west London, where two goals from Dwight Yorke saw them dance to victory over Iceland.
The T&T coach Leo Beenhakker seemed to be the only one unmoved by the performance, however. "I'm very happy with the result," he said later, "but I think I can ask much more of the players."
For all the Dutchman's coolness his team were impressive and even if Sven-Goran Eriksson is unlikely to be losing much sleep as he prepares England for their meeting on June 15, the World Cup's great outsiders showed enough talent and tactical discipline to suggest that they will be an asset to the event.
So too will their supporters, who arrived as if determined to pretend that they were in sunny Port of Spain rather than icy Shepherds Bush, the streets around the ground humming to a party fuelled by beating drums and barbecuing meat. "I think we will bring a lot of colour, on and off the pitch," the goalkeeper Shaka Hislop said later. "Everyone's very excited about our prospects."
The carnival atmosphere continued inside too where, to a constant musical accompaniment, T&T warmed to their unfamiliar role of match favourites by throwing themselves forward from the first whistle. With a population of only 1.1m they may be one of the smallest countries ever to have qualified for the World Cup, but last night they were much the mightier of the two sides.
Iceland's manager Eyjolfur Sverrisson can choose from only 296,737 people and his team is ranked 45 places behind T&T in 96th. They justified such a ranking during a World Cup qualification campaign that was as miserable as Trinidad's was memorable. Their confidence may have been low last night but it seemed their motivation was too as they played as if afraid of pooping a party.
Dundee United's winger Collin Samuel had already caught the eye before he skipped down the left wing and sent in a 10th-minute cross which was headed out as far as Yorke, who had time to control before shooting into the top corner from 15 yards. Before the first half ended Stern John missed a wonderful opportunity to double the lead. Hermann Hreidarsson totally misjudged Avery John's left-wing free-kick but after controlling well, the Coventry City striker shot over.
With T&T deservedly ahead the party continued at half-time with the appearance of a group of female dancers whose attire was not altogether appropriate for February in England. Their team, however, were not distracted and Avery John, impressive at left-back, soon overlapped well and Stern John was bundled over by Ivar Ingimarsson as he fought to reach the cross. Little about Yorke appears to have changed since he left for Australia, and his cheeky chipped penalty was familiar to everyone except the flummoxed substitute goalkeeper Dadi Larusson.
"He's still a great player," said Beenhakker, who will watch Sweden in Ireland tonight and dispatch an assistant to check out England. "Nobody has to tell me that we still have a lot to do. The players can still improve. If it's good enough to surprise some of our opponents at the World Cup I don't know, but they still have a lot of room to grow."
Though they rarely threatened to extend their lead T&T remained in control, with the Dennis Lawrence dominant in defence. He and the team are likely to face several sterner tests this summer.