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http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_sports?id=160965344'NOTHING SPECIAL FOR ENGLAND'...Soca Warriors coach not changing the formula for Thursday's clash
Marlon Miller
Monday, June 12th 2006
"WELL, you saw the training," coach Leo Beenhakker replied yesterday when asked about the mood in the Trinidad and Tobago camp after Saturday's goal-less draw against Sweden in their opening Group B match at the 2006 World Cup Finals here in Germany.
Cheered on by more than 300 T&T supporters, members of two tour groups who were allowed access to the players by Beenhakker yesterday, the T&T Soca Warriors were especially loose and relaxed as they worked out at their training ground in Rotenburg, where they are based during the tournament.
They left the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund just after nine p.m. Saturday (3 p.m. T&T time) and arrived at the Landhaus Wachtelhof Hotel in Rotenburg near midnight.
Yesterday's training session was originally scheduled for 9.30 a.m., but did not get underway until after 10.30 and Beenhakker made sure they took it seriously, barking out commands alongside assistant coach Wim Rijsbergen on a bright, sunny morning.
"Well, you saw the training," the head coach repeated. "But it's not only today, that's one of the advantages of this team. We are all working very tough, we're working very serious, but we are always very much friends."
On the jovial atmosphere yesterday morning after securing a point in their debut outing at football's World Championships, the Dutchman stated: "Every training we enjoy and every activity we enjoy this is not different. But these people were travelling over here for many hours, so it's normal that they're available for the fans a few times. For me it's normal."
The 63-year-old Dutchman was referring to members of the tour groups from Trinidad and Tobago, who arrived from Dortmund on five buses and thoroughly enjoyed themselves receiving autographs and posing for photographs with the squad, who, after the training session concluded at around 11.30 a.m., all went over to the western side of the ground where the visitors were standing and mingled among them for almost half an hour.
T&T captain Dwight Yorke, Man-of-the-Match against Sweden, was the last one to head over to the changing rooms on the other side, before getting on his bicycle for the 20-minute ride back to the team hotel.
Before coach Beenhakker rode off, he was questioned as to whether the players' practice sessions will get tougher over the next few days, with their next opponents being Group B leaders England, who edged Paraguay 1-0 in the earlier match on Saturday. T&T square off against the English in Nuremberg on Thursday.
"Nah, the normal preparation the normal preparation we did before Sweden, we will do it before England, do it before Paraguay, before every match. No special things, normal preparation," Beenhakker said, as he rode off. "Okay?"
