Judge fairly TnT.[/size]
Dear Editor.Football and the selection process in Trinidad and Tobago has been a pressing issue that many players had to deal with for quite a while now. It has brought tears of disgust and caused players to show hatred towards the coaching staff, and unfortunately even towards Trinidad and Tobago. It has also caused many quality players to “hang up their boots,” disgusted and frustrated with the selection process of the Trinidad and Tobago coaching staff. The TTFF have been sometimes unknowingly leaving the coaching jobs in the hands of the deceitful. We the young footballers of Trinidad and Tobago is therefore calling for a stop to the unjust selection process for the national teams.
Over the Christmas break the TTFF called numerous players to attend screening sessions geared towards project 2014. At the Center for Excellent, there were over 100 players present. Ran by the likes of Anton Corneal and Brain Williams, players were obviously selected even before the screening session took place. Within a 3 day period, they some how came up with a 25 man squad to carry to the Ato Boldon Stadium to play against a college base team. In other word, this screening session was a cover up; just for formality to show the country that they were taking the proper procedures for getting things done. It is quiet evident that players were not given a fair chance to be assessed. After all, they selected 25 players from a group of over 100 within THREE days.
Many players were heart broken as they innocently experienced not being selected in front of players that they performed better than. After all, they were told that they would have been selected based on their performance. Well, it surely was not the case. Unfortunately unfair selection is inevitable when you have coaches like Brian Williams and Anton Corneal spearheading operations. These coaches are not true to the colors of RED, WHITE AND BLACK. They continuously seek self-gratification and restrict the positive youths of the nation. It was quite obvious that some players were selected based on their “name.” As far I can recall, both Anton and Brian are failures at coaching. They carried our youth under 20 national team to the pre-World Cup qualifications in the United States of America and guided us to a series of defeat. BUT YET, they hold high positions of coaching our national teams. I must admit, most coaches are unsuccessful at pre-World Cup qualifications with youth teams. However, they were immediately forced to resign after the competition or they were fired by the TTFF. Not in this case! Anton Corneal and Brian Williams kept their jobs; in fact, Anton was promoted to a higher coaching position. Are you kidding me? Is this for real? What about the likes of Jan Steadman, Hayden Martin, Dick Furlong and Dion La Foucade, Ivan Sampson? These are more experienced and respected coaches in Trinidad and Tobago or at least, more respect than Brian Williams and Anton Corneal. Maybe they do not have a “CERTIFICATION” to show that they are qualified to do a job, but their reputation speaks for itself.
Trinidad and Tobago, we are one culture, one people and one Nation. We are not a power house football nation and we do not have much players to choose from un-like countries such as Mexico, USA, England and Brazil; just to name a few. We need to give as much players as possible national exposure and in return hope that they bring something positive to our teams. We qualified for the World Cup for the first time in our history and thank God for Coach Leo Beenhakker.
Leo built a team and selected “team players.” He picked players that he thought would run until they drop for Trinidad and Tobago, players who possessed the heart and desire to play the game of football. If you noticed, with the exception of Dwight Yorke, Russell Latapy, Silvio Spann and Carlos Edwards, our team comprises mainly of hard working and not so skilled players (laborers if so to speak). Look at Kenwyne Jones, Marvin Andrews, Cyd Gray, Stern John and Chris Birchall for example. They are all hard working players. Players that is true to the colors of RED, WHITE AND BLACK. If solely left up to coach Leo, I believe that football in our country would be headed in the right direction. Coach Rene Simone shared similar sentiments as Leo and also selected players based on performance.
With all due respect to Scott Sealy, I remember clearly when Scott had entered the MLS combine. He (Scott) spoke to who he had to speak too and got himself the break to represent Trinidad and Tobago during the early pre-World Cup qualifying games. In turn, this would have given him national senior caps and thus more recognition to get drafted. “Abra Cadabra”…..he was drafted by the Kansas City Wizards. This was a positive thing that the TTFF did because as I mentioned earlier, we need as many players to get exposure and thus earn caps to acquire their work permits and professional contracts.
My question is why could they (TTFF) did not do the same for other players that excel in the US colleges league? Players such as Marco Elcock, Travis Sobers, Joel Bailey and Leon Brown who were all standouts in the US college league and surely could have been drafted if they were given the opportunity to represent Trinidad and Tobago. Whatever happened to these players? Well, fortunately they are not totally down the drain like many other quality players from Trinidad. Joel Bailey is playing with
Montreal Impact in the A league 1st division and Travis Sobers is playing with the
Cincinnati Kings in the A league 2nd division.
Why are these players not at least training with the national team? Lincoln Phillips, we need an answer because we do not want to end up in a similar situation. The TTFF got the likes of Brent Rahim who is presently unattached to a club, and for quite a while actually, practicing and traveling with the National team (all due respect to Brent as well). Now the media is pushing Brent, stating that he is soon to join Dallas FC of the MLS. But what they did not mention is that he is going on an open camp trial with the club.
Nevertheless, this brings me to my next question. Why were the likes of Andre Toussaint not added to join the team in the camp? After all, he had a potent season in our local professional league. In addition, the TTFF seems to be talking a lot about Anthony Noreiga (another quality player) and stating that he had been drafted by the Kansas City Wizards. However, they are not mentioning that he was drafted in the MLS supplemental draft (which is more or less another way to give a player a chance to show his worth in an open camp). It is not the same as the MLS super draft where players that are drafted there go directed to the camps of the teams and are more of less apart of the team already. In short, Anthony Noreiga is not a part of the Wizard squad quiet yet. Let’s wish him best of luck though!! But hold on, by the TTFF giving the media this wrongful piece of information about the player an attempt to give the public the impression or reason to have him on the national team? Ummmmmmm, I wonder?
The TTFF also took a look at many college based players and selected a couple of players to join the camp in Florida. Once again, the “great” services of Brian Williams and Anton Corneal selected players that did not perform in the screening sessions. They positioned themselves for the job and appeared to be the best duo to get a good job done. Well, it was not the case.
With all due respect to Kevon Neaves and Osei Telesford, who was probably two of few outstanding players on the day and deserved their selection, Mr. Corneal selected the likes on Anthony Noreiga, Julius James a Darryl Roberts to join the National senior team camp. Although these three players are good players, they did not show their degree of worth during the screening sessions and therefore if it was in a different setting, such as the USA or Mexico, those players would NOT have been selected. But why were they selected? Anton and Brian, do you have an answer for us? After all, you did tell us that we would have been selected based on our performance. Why were the likes of Teba McKnight, Jason Roberts, Fabien Lewis, Kyle Cupid, Mbwana Johnson, and Keeron Benito neglected for that camp? Those were the outstanding players and you did not recognize that? Damn, my country did it AGAIN!!! You selected players that you so desire, you broke the hearts of another young star and possibly brought them closer to “hanging up their boots.” Not that every player should get pick, but for the least given a fair chance.
These are some of the issues that Trinidad and Tobago players encounter. For years we have been praying to make the World Cup and thank God that he granted us that opportunity. Who knows when we would see another World Cup after Germany 2006? I pray that we would be part of South Africa 2010. However, with some of the heads who are spearheading operations of football in our country, it does not seem likely that it would happen. Trinidad and Tobago, act fairly towards players. Players should not be favored because they was affiliated with Alvin Corneal's school or they know someone in the TTFF.
I urge Mr Lincoln Phillips to take control of your future camps and not let amateurs run the show, your reputation is on the line here and many have a lot of respect and faith in you. However, you need to hire more level minded scouts who can evaluate the players fairly. Select players based on performance, discipline and attitude and not just name. Do not let your conscious be your guide because some of these scouts/coaches do not have a conscious or is simply following the wrong path.
Let God be your guide!!
Anonymous Warrior.
