Leo Beenhakker: Look out for revamped ‘Warriors’
By: Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media, TTFF Press Officer.[/color]
Local fans can expect to see a revamped Trinidad and Tobago Senior team within the next few weeks. And if it means seeing one or two new faces or a couple regular faces off the team, then so it will be. That was the indication coming from newly appointed head coach Leo Beenhakker as he got ready to depart the Crowne Plaza on his way back to the Netherlands on Thursday afternoon.
Beenhakker had been here on a four-day visit which he ended with a two-hour meeting with TTFF technical director Lincoln Phillips before being escorted to the Piarco International Airport by Team assistant manager Sam Phillips.
The articulate Beenhakker, in conversation with TTFF Media, recalled his days in charge of Real Madrid, Ajax and Holland, explaining how he dropped some of the biggest names in European football in order to get results.
“I recall dropping the great Emilio Butragueno from the Real Madrid team because he was not contributing for the good of the team. Up to this day he has not forgiven me for it but we still talk and everytime he would ask me ‘Coach you dropped me, why?’ and I would let him know exactly why which was because he didn’t fit into the team as I wanted despite the great player he was. We still went on to get good results,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media. At the time he was also wearing a red ‘Warriors’ wristband which has been manufactured to spread further awareness and support of the team and to an extent the fight against crime, race and use of illegal drugs in T&T.
“And the same implies with any team I am in charge of. People ask always how come the Netherlands have never won a World Cup, why it is that they have won only one European Championship? It’s simple! The Netherlands has some of the greatest players and an exceptional bunch for the upcoming generation but there have been various things that contributed to this like personality differences and so on. But great individual talent doesn’t win you matches or a championship, it’s a team that does it at the end of the game. You defend as a team and that means the attacking players coming back to help and then you attack accordingly when you’ve got that ball again.”
Beenhakker, fondly referred to as “Don Leo” revealed plans to have three days camps in Trinidad in each of the first two weeks in May including a training match against a local team before playing his first international warm-up in the third week of May. He is expected to begin meeting this country's overseas-based pros along with their club managers later this month.
Goulart hat trick beats NE Stars.
By Nigel Simon.[/color]
Brazilian import Gefferson Goulart made a sensational return to the T&T Professional Football League as he netted a second-half hat-trick to inspire VIBE CT 105 W Connection to a 4-0 whipping of North-East Stars.
The Sangre Grande-based Stars, coached by Guyana’s James Mc Lean, were hoping for a positive start to their league title defence, but instead left the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, yesterday a dejected bunch.
Andre Toussaint opened the scoring for the Stuart Charles-Fevrier-coached W Connection in the seventh minute, when he beat goalkeeper Trevor Nottingham from the penalty-spot.
Despite going a goal down, Stars did not drop their heads and had it not been for some poor finishing could have drawn level, but instead went into the interval trailing 1-0.
Goulart, who enjoyed a stint in Yugoslavia last year before re-joining W Connection doubled his team’s advantage in the 67th minute as he was on spot to turn in a left sided centre from Toussaint.
Eight minutes later, any hopes Stars had of getting back into the match all but faded with Goulart’s second and his team’s third.
Stars also lost the services of defender Abassi Mc Pherson in the 76th minute after he was shown a straight red-card by referee Ted Gordon for un-sporting behaviour.
With seconds ticking away in injury time, Goulart added another for the 2001 league winners.
CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, champion league team in 2002 and 2003 played to a 0-0 draw with a revamped Caledonia AIA Fire at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella in yesterday’s other match.
This year the league will comprise seven clubs—North-East Stars, W Connection, San Juan Jabloteh, Caledonia AIA Fire, Defence Force, Tobago United and United Petrotrin (a combination of United Petrotrin of the Southern Football Association and South West Drillers).
The seven participating clubs will compete over three rounds of competitions (18 matches) as compared to the four rounds played last season.
In addition to the league competition, the seven clubs will battle for top honours in the First Citizens Bank Cup, Pro-Bowl, and two new competitions the Pro-League Classic and the “Big-Six.”
There will also be competition in the Under-16 and Under-18 Divisions while friendly matches will be arranged in the Under-14 age-group for the clubs.
Marvin Andrews hasn't given up hope.
By: Darrell King.
Marvin Andrews still believes he can save his season and avoid the need for cruciate ligament surgery.
A month has passed since the big Trinidadian sustained the knee injury at Dundee and he continues to defy doctors' orders by refusing an operation.
The defender, a devout Christian and faith healer, is still putting his trust in a greater power helping him to recover.
He has been receiving intensive treatment at Murray Park and has not been training with the rest of the squad.
He is believed to be doing a programme of special exercices to strengthen the quad muscles in his legs, which in turn can relieve strain being put on his knee.
It has also been suggested the 29-year-old is wearing a special knee brace as he attempts to feature in the title run-in.
But the big stopper was today again warned by boss Alex McLeish that he must prove his fitness to have any chance of playing again this season.
McLeish revealed: "There is no change. He is on the treatment table getting the stiffness out of his leg that he felt last week.
"I have told him, quite plainly, that if he shows me out on the training field that he is 100% then I will consider him. But he hasn't shown me that yet. That is why you have not seen him on the field as yet."
Rangers hoped this warning and his exclusion from the team might help Andrews reflect on his decision, and help him change his mind.
But McLeish confirmed: "He is still of the mind that he won't have an operation.
"But as I have said, it's any person's prerogative to change their mind on that. If he does change his mind we'll just have to wait and see."
Andrews new international manager, Leo Beenhakker, is also due to meet McLeish and the player over his controversial injury situation.
The Dutchman has just been named as Trinidad and Tobago boss and doesn't take up his position until May, but will come to the UK to meet players and coaches as he bids to cement relations.
The situation with his skipper Andrews will be top of the agenda, and Beenhakker said: "I will spend this month meeting the club manager and the players. Obviously everything will be discussed."
