Beenhakker starts building a better T&T
FIFAworldcup.com
Two months after chatting to FIFAworldcup.com about the prospects of guiding his new island charges, Trinidad and Tobago, to a first-ever finals, legendary Dutch boss Leo Beenhakker is feeling a few inches closer to that achievement.
With two positive friendly results last week (4-0 and 1-0) against Caribbean minnows Bermuda, one would expect the Dutchman – who took over for Bertille St Clair at the start of April – to be upbeat about his side's progress. But a coach 40 years in the game with such illustrious teams as the Netherlands, Ajax and Real Madrid, Beenhakker is not a man easily impressed.
"I was not particularly pleased with the results (against Bermuda)," the coach said after seeing Coventry City striker Stern John grab a goal in each game. "We have been working hard in the camp and you can see we are getting better little by little, but there have been no miracles of yet."
According to Beenhakker, all friendlies, training camps, squad additions and omissions are aimed toward the Soca Warriors' next qualifier on 4 June against Panama. "I still have more than a week to go and I will work with all of the players. I will build a team that will be ready," the former Club America coach insisted. "If it's enough to beat Panama and Mexico, I don't know, but at least we are playing more like a team now."
Currently experimenting with new players and systems, the coach's goal is to put a more dynamic team out for the upcoming qualifiers than the one that struggled to earn one point in their three previous Germany 2006 preliminaries.
Bringing in previously overlooked players from the domestic scene, Britain, the United States and various other shores, Beenhakker is leaving no stone unturned in picking out the best squad to represent the only remaining Caribbean side left in Germany 2006 qualifying.
It also seems the boss is keen to stand behind recent FC Sydney signing and former Manchester United star Dwight Yorke as team captain. Despite being unable to score in the islanders' three previous qualifiers and looking a touch out of sorts in those games, Beenhakker believes in the 33-year-old's experience and ability to inspire his team-mates.
"There is a new system that we have been working on and there are some new players in the team who he (Beenhakker) has to look at," said Yorke, a former UEFA Champions League winner with Man Utd. "We as players also need to get to know these new ones better and support the coach's plans."
"We haven't got a lot of time but this gives us something to work on," Yorke went on to add. "There is good spirit in the team and it's my duty as captain to make sure the morale of the players is up and encourage them to be as positive as possible."
The closest Trinidad and Tobago ever came to qualifying for a FIFA World Cupâ„¢ was back in 1990 when, needing only a draw at home to the United States in their final qualifier, they were sunk by a Paul Caligiuri strike from distance referred to as the 'shot heard round the world'.
Following this so-close-yet-so-far failure, the nation was plunged into a state of profound mourning and they have failed to reach similar heights in subsequent campaigns. With only one point from a hard-fought draw with inconsistent Costa Rica so far this time, it is hoped Beenhakker's new plans and tactics will see the side finish somewhere in the top four of the remaining six sides from the region.
Germany 2006 could well represent the islanders' best chance of reaching a finals since Italy 90. For the first time in the competition's history, the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone could lay claim to four berths in the final field. The fourth-place finisher will go on to a play-off with Asia's fifth team for a spot in Germany.
With only days of their final training camp to go, the moment of truth approaches for Beenhakker in the form of a date with ever-improving Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. They will need to take a full haul of points as their next match – just four days later – is away to the marauding group-leaders Mexico in Monterrey.
But despite the long road ahead, Yorke is still confident that T&T can turn things around. "It's not black and white and we know how difficult it is but once we get the right result against Panama, it puts us back into the thick of things and I have no doubt that will give us the encouragement we need to turn things around."
