http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,401572,00.htmlWORLD CUP CINDERELLA?
Trinidad and Tobago Ready to Slay Giants
By Joseph E. Wolf in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Most think that Trinidad and Tobago have no chance in the World Cup. But the Caribbean nation wasn't supposed to qualify either. They've imported both players and a trainer in preparation.
The Bahrain fans were unimpressed. The fans from Trinidad and Tobago just wouldn't stop with their incessant drumming during the World Cup qualifying match between the two counties' national teams last November. At first, the Bahrainis didn't even want to let the 50 musicians the "Trinis" brought along play. And during the match, a number of fans peppered the drummers with stones. It was, in short, a true clash of civilizations. Fans of the Trinidad and Tobago team often start beating their drums before the kick-off and continue right through the final whistle. They were shocked by their treatment at the hands of the Bahrainis. After all, they see themselves as quite entertaining and lively fans -- and never disagreeable.
PHOTO GALLERY: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO ON THE WAY TO GERMANY
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Which is a to a large degree the same way national team players themselves treated the game until recently -- an attitude which quickly sent them to the bottom of their qualifying group and cost trainer Bertille St. Claire his job. The team was on the verge of failure and decided to bring in a foreign coach. Enter Leo Beenhakker, former Dutch national trainer and three-time Spanish champion at the helm of Real Madrid.
Upon arrival on the island, the 63-year-old could hardly believe the deficiencies of his new team. They were talented, but had virtually no discipline. Beenhakker's mission, as he saw it, was to provide them with a tactical framework. Indeed, one of his first successes was to encourage his players to pass to open team-mates instead of blindly forcing the ball in the direction of the goal. It may sound like the soccer equivalent of learning the alphabet, but the Dutchman was able to quickly turn things around. The first game of the new Beenhakker era was on March 30, 2005 -- and resulted in an important 2-0 victory over Panama.
One aging star
Contrary to a number of African and Asian teams, Trinidad doesn't currently have any big football names. Most on the national team play for meaningless lower-division teams in England or Scotland: Gillingham, Falkirk, Wrexham or St. Johnstone. Hardly any of them play in Trinidad and Tobago itself.
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Their most famous player remains team captain Dwight Yorke, now 34 years old. In the 1990s, he played for Manchester United and was a major part of the team's success. In the 1998-1999 season, when ManU won the prestigious Champion's League tournament of Europe's best clubs, Yorke scored 29 goals. He now plays for FC Sydney and is a step or two slower. But he remains the heart of the team. Stern John, who plays for the English lower-division team Coventry City, is the team's second pillar.
In other words, more talent is needed, and the country's soccer federation has come up with a bizarre campaign to find it. Currently, Trinidad and Tobago is scouring the world for soccer players who have even a drop of Trinidadian or Tobagonian blood in their veins. A grandmother from Tobago or a cousin from Port of Spain can be enough to obtain citizenship. The first fruits of this strategy were harvested in mid-2005. Chris Birchall, 21-years-old, blond and British, has joined the team.
The imported hope
Birchall watched much of the last World Cup, played in Japan and South Korea in 2002, in a Staffordshire pub. But he had soccer skills and was soon playing for English minor leaguers Port Vale. But then someone discovered that his grandparents once worked in Trinidad and Tobago and gave birth to a child there -- Birchall's mother. They all eventually returned to England -- where Chris was born -- but the connection was there. Trinidad's soccer federation saw its chance, and the authorities played along.
Since May, Birchall has been playing for a country he couldn't even locate on a map before -- and he fired in the decisive goal in the team's World Cup qualification. Partially as a result Birchall, referred to as "De White Boy" or "Me Mom" -- a reference to the woman who made it all possible -- by the fans, has become a favorite. He himself is having trouble believing his own story -- and that on June 15, he will be playing against his own idols from the English Premier League.
AP
Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker was brought in from Holland.
But does Trinidad and Tobago have much of a chance against the mighty English? Paradoxically, it has been two losses -- close games against the US and Mexico -- that showed the team's potential. With a bit of discipline, Trinidad and Tobago can play with almost anybody. But still, a Cinderella story like that of Senegal in 2002 or Cameroon in 1990 and 1994 is hardly realistic. The defense is rather unsteady, the attack average: The team only managed 12 goals during its 12 qualification matches.
"Soca Warriors"
The decisive question will be whether Beenhakker can get his team to play as a cohesive group. Otherwise, there is a very real chance that the weaknesses of the team will be laid bare and ruthlessly exploited during its very first game against Sweden. Indeed, Trinidad and Tobago has very little experience with European squads. In its last 50 games, the national team has only played against one European team -- Northern Ireland -- and it lost 3-0.
But the dream of reaching the round of 16 has grown since November 19, the historical day that Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the World Cup tournament over Bahrain. Parliament interrupted a session and thousands crammed into bars, clubs and cinemas to watch the live broadcast -- the prime minister even declared the next day a holiday.
Whether or not the team is successful, it is likely to become something of a cult in Germany. Adidas boss Herbert Hainer was quick to recognize the potential and signed a €10 million contract with the "Soca Warriors" soon after their qualification. The Germans, so goes the calculation, are sure to love this team.
