We are so up for Sweden, even Dwight has got to bed early
Carlos Edwards
Friday June 9, 2006
The Guardian
One day. That's all that's left now before the biggest game of my life: Trinidad & Tobago v Sweden. I am trying to keep sweet and relaxed, but it's not easy when the butterflies are fluttering around your stomach. In recent days I've been drinking more fluids, hoping to flush them out, but it's not working.
I know the bookmakers have us down as 1000-1 outsiders, but we've not come all the way to Germany to meekly take our punishment from the big boys. Our recent form may have been patchy - we've beaten a couple of club sides but lost to Wales, Slovenia and the Czech Republic - but we're not too despondent.
Warm-up matches are exactly that, warm-ups. You experiment, you tweak and you tinker. You make mistakes. Rarely do you play with quite the intensity you do in a competitive match. Despite those defeats, the mood in the Soca Warriors camp remains excellent.
I wish I could say the same about the weather in Germany. Ever since we arrived in our training camp in Rotenburg last Sunday it's been absolutely freezing - none of the lovely sunshine and scorching temperatures you've been getting in England! But the warm welcome from the locals has more than made up for it.
The reception when we arrived in Germany was astonishing - we certainly didn't expect to see crowds of people lined up in the streets, cheering and clapping and smiling. The locals were just as impressive the next day, when we played a friendly against St Pauli.
Would you believe we had a sell-out crowd, all waving Trinidad & Tobago flags? Judging by what I've seen so far, we're fast becoming everyone in Germany's second team - although the Brazilian players might just disagree.
I just hope we see those levels of support against Sweden tomorrow. Because when you're having a bad game, or you're up against it, and you hear applause for a pass, or your name being chanted by thousands of people, it electrifies your whole body like nothing else. The difference can be massive: one minute you're struggling, the next you're playing like Pele.
Facing the Swedes first will obviously be an enormous challenge. Most of their squad play in bigger leagues for bigger clubs and players such as Freddie Ljungberg, Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic can slice through defences in a second. I've always been impressed with Ljungberg's athleticism: not many players combine lightning speed with a long-distance runner's lungs.
Larsson, too, is a clever, cunning player. His movement is superb, something you don't always appreciate until you see his player-cam tapes. And while Ibrahimovic's form has been patchy this season, I think he's sheer quality - you don't get to lead Juventus's forward line without being something special.
But football isn't just about fancy skills or big-name stars. It often boils down to grit, hard work and wanting it more. On that score, we'll more than match any opponent. We'll be no one's walkovers. We're not here for the ride, we're here to achieve something.
Make no mistake: our coach Leo Beenhakker has done his homework on Sweden. We have a gameplan and we will stick to it. We know exactly what each of us will be doing. Obviously I can't give too much away, but we all believe that if we keep it tight at the back and display the same pride and joy that we showed when we beat Mexico 2-1 in qualifying last year, we can get a result. I guarantee you this: we will take points off teams in this World Cup.
Today we will continue our preparations of training twice a day. Nothing too strenuous - at this stage it's just a case of ticking over. When we're not training, we usually play pool, ping-pong or watch DVDs. And we're hitting the pillow early every night too - yes, Dwight included.
You know, I was speaking to my mum the other day and she asked me: "Do you ever get bored?" I laughed! The truth is, I don't. I'm doing something I love, something I've always wanted to do. I'm living the dream. And I don't want it to end just yet.
Trinidad & Tobago's Luton midfielder will be contributing during the World Cup.
