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“Soca Warriors” pumped up for Paraguay.
« on: June 16, 2006, 02:30:46 PM »
The adventure ends.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
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The adventure in Germany came to an end on Tuesday night in Kaiserslautern as Trinidad and Tobago surrendered 2-0 to Paraguay in their closing Group B fixture.
The South Americans, already eliminated, claimed their first points of the tournament through Brent Sancho's first-half own goal and an 86th-minute effort from Nelson Cuevas.
The sides had failed to register a tournament goal coming into the game but it could have been 1-1 after five minutes in a lively start at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.
Recalled Soca Warriors keeper Kelvin Jack, who missed the first two games through injury, flung himself to his left to claw away Roque Santa Cruz's glancing header from a freekick. Paraguay keeper Aldo Bobadilla was also tested at the other end by a powerful Cornell Glen header.
T&T carried the bigger threat from set pieces and Bobadilla punched clear from another awkward curling free kick. Cruz and Nelson Haedo Valdez were off target with headers before the breakthrough came on 25 minutes when Roberto Acuna's free kick was headed on by Julio Dos Santos and the luckless Brent Sancho deflected the ball into the net.
Trinidad coach Leo Beenhakker reacted by throwing on striker Kenwyne Jones in place of defender Avery John and the substitute almost made an instant impact when his fiercely driven free kick flew narrowly wide.
Paraguay had a goal chalked off when defender Denis Caniza slipped the ball under Jack but was denied by a late flag by the linesman, apparently for handball in the build up.
T&T's problems got worse before the break with Glen carried off on a stretcher after falling awkwardly.
Paraguay were on top and only another flying Jack save, to deny Valdez, and Densill Theobald's goalline clearance kept the scoreline down. But Leo Beenhakker's team  finally conceded a second goal when Cuevas produced a neat finish after a one-two with Santa Cruz.
Try as they might T&Tcould not get back on level terms. Chris Birchall found space on the edge of the box but unfortunately not the net with his 20-yard drive. Yorke was also off target after being set up by his old mate Russell Latapy, on as a substitute for his first appearance in the World Cup, who then shaved the bar when he reacted quickest to Jones' knock down.
But the equaliser would not come and the killer blow arrived four minutes from time when Cuevas exchanged passes with Santa Cruz and slid a neat shot under Jack.

Dwight's disappointment.

It's a massive disappointment," captain Yorke said. "I suppose when you see the England score at the end it's different. But we wanted to win the game. We wanted to score a goal at the end of it all. That would have made the whole campaign a huge success."
It is, however, one that will only slightly muddy the glorious campaign accomplished by the tournament's smallest participants while their coach Leo Beenhakker has now taken charge of seven World Cup games - four previously with the Netherlands - without a victory, which is a record.
But it would be a rank injustice if that is what the Dutchman is remembered for. He and a modest group of players, the self-styled Soca Warriors, can hold their heads up high.
Yorke, who hinted that he might, once again, retire, said afterwards: "This is a moment of history for the country, the people, the supporters. The way we have played and conducted ourselves makes me very proud."
His "boyhood dream" ended without the passage into the second round that Yorke believed was achievable, even if the Paraguayans were not the demoralised bunch T&T hoped they might be after failing to progress for the first time at a finals since 1958. Instead the South Americans played with a freedom which, in truth, meant their victory was warranted.
Beenhakker's decision to recall Kelvin Jack in goal, instead of the capable Shaka Hislop, proved to be an error. He saved smartly from Roque Santa Cruz's header inside the first five minutes, but then appeared hesitant and eminently beatable, often rushing from his goal unconvincingly or pushing shots from distance back into his own area.
Time and again the Paraguayans peppered his goal with crosses which were half-cleared until, finally, Robert Acuna swung in a free-kick which was glanced on by Julio Dos Santos only for Brett Sancho to head into his own net.
T&T made a better fist of it after the break by speeding the game up. They had to and poured forward, Beenhakker throwing on extra attackers and a low skimming cross by Carlos Edwards just evaded Yorke while the Luton defender did better with another centre, although it was brushed off Stern John's head by Bobadilla.
Paraguay, with Dos Santos and Paredes in particular, reminded T&T of the threat they could create before Beenhakker finally introduced Russell Latapy for his first appearance of the competition.
The 37-year-old made a difference. Immediately he set up Yorke, but his shot flew over, and then he met Kenwyne Jones's knock-down with a fierce half-volley which only just cleared the bar. It would have been a wonderful ending, but T&T were tiring badly and then Paraguay broke away and scored a fine goal.
Substitute Nelson Cuevas exchanged passes with Santa Cruz before beating Jack with a low shot from just inside the area. With that the fairy tale was over. "We had possibilities but scoring is our problem," Beenhakker said. "We played with courage, with confidence. We didn't want to go home now. But we have to and leave with pride."

Line-Ups:[/u]

Paraguay (4-4-2):

22-Aldo Bobadilla; 2-Jorge Nunez, 4-Carlos Gamarra, 5-Cesar Caceres (15-Julio Manzur 77th), 21-Denis Caniza (14-Paulo Da Silva 88th); 8-Edgar Barreto, 13-Carlos Paredes, 10-Roberto Acuna, 19-Julio Dos Santos; 18-Nelson Valdez (23-Nelson Cuevas 66th), 9-Roque Santa Cruz.

Trinidad & Tobago (4-1-4-1):

21-Kelvin Jack, 6-Dennis Lawrence, 3-Avery John (15-Kenwyne Jones 31st), 5-Brent Sancho, 11-Carlos Edwards, 7-Christopher Birchall, 18-Densill Theobald, 9-Aurtis Whitley (10-Russell Latapy 67th), 19-Dwight Yorke (capt), 14-Stern John, 13-Cornell Glen (16-Evans Wise 41st).

Goals.

Brent Sancho 25th minute (own-goal), Nelson Cuevas 86th.

A-46,000.
Players & Coaches' quotes.
By: FIFAworldcup.com.


Julio DOS SANTOS (PAR), Budweiser Man of the Match
I’m very happy to have started tonight’s game, because I was disappointed that I hadn’t started before. We knew the importance of winning this game, not just because it was our last game, but because we wanted to leave a positive image behind of our involvement in the World Cup. We wanted to win for ourselves, because this squad didn’t deserve to go out of the tournament. Obviously I’m pleased with how the game went and with our win. I can see a great future ahead for Paraguayan football because there are a lot of young players in this team who have gained a lot of experience. The foundations are very good.

Nelson CUEVAS (PAR)
I’m satisfied with the win and with my goal, although we know that our morale isn’t the best after our elimination. We win together and we lose together, and that’s why we’re a team. Even though we’re hurting because of the way the World Cup turned out for us, that pain will eventually go away.

Carlos GAMARRA (PAR)
On the one hand, we’re departing with great sadness because we’ve been eliminated very early, but at the same time, I’m leaving with great satisfaction because of the respect among the players and the atmosphere in the squad. What will I do in the future? I’m not sure just yet, but I have to step aside to let the young players come through. I’ve played for the national team for 14 years. They were marvellous years, and those happy memories will stay with me.

Roberto ACUNA (PAR)
We played well, and I think that we showed some of the things that we didn’t do, for example, in the game against England. It’s a pity to leave the World Cup so soon, but we had to try and compete in a very difficult group.

Roque SANTA CRUZ (PAR)
I thought that we could beat teams of the stature of England or Sweden, but we should have taken a few more risks to do it. I really think that there wasn’t an awful lot of difference between us and them. It will be important to learn from the mistakes we made so that we can eliminate them in the future.

Dwight YORKE (TRI)
I am proud to be captain of this fantastic team. It was a dream come true to be taking part here for the first time. We had an unforgettable time in Germany and we can be more than satisfied with our performances. In my 20 years as a professional, I’ve had a lot of good experiences, and some bad ones too, but this World Cup is undoubtedly one of the highlights. This may have been the last time that I play for my country, so this is a very emotional day for me.

Carlos EDWARDS (TRI)
(Brent) Sancho’s own goal was just plain bad luck, things like that can happen to anybody. It wasn’t his fault that we lost the game, though - we were all responsible. It was a very tight match, but we never gave up and never stopped believing that we had a chance. Our football has a great future ahead of it, since we’ve shown that we can compete with the best teams in the world. Being at the World Cup and having such great fans supporting us was a wonderful experience. We’re already looking forward to South Africa 2010!

Evans WISE (TRI)
We never gave up, and we had a lot of chances in the second half. I’m going to fly home with my boys now and celebrate our achievement properly. The World Cup was a total success for our team and for our country. We can return home with our heads held high.

Brent SANCHO (TRI)
We showed a lot of passion. I feel really bad about the whole own goal thing, but things like that can always happen – that’s life. We played well and created some good chances ourselves, but unfortunately we didn’t manage to take them. We’re sad to be going home now. We’ve proved that we can compete with big teams like England and Sweden. The last two weeks in Germany have been like a dream come true for us. We came here and nobody gave us a chance. That’s why it was so unbelievable that the German fans really took us to their hearts. A great World Cup and a fantastic atmosphere.

Anibal RUIZ (PAR)
We had asked the players to try and lift their spirits after the Sweden defeat. We knew that it wasn’t easy, because that was a harsh blow, but it was important to get up for this game and play for pride and honour. The boys showed that they are a classy team. This win against Trinidad and Tobago means that we can leave the tournament in the right way.
I don’t want to answer any more questions, and I hope that you will excuse me, because I would like to go and discuss the game with the Paraguayan press. My future? I will announce my plans when I get back to Asuncion. In the meantime I have to put together a report to explain our performance here. 

Leo BEENHAKKER (TRI)
It was an open game and we had some chances, but that's football. If you don’t put away the chances you create, the opposition deserve the win. I didn’t like the way we performed in the first half, when we had a few problems in defence. On the other hand, in the second half we matched them and we had some chances to grab an equaliser. Unfortunately, we didn’t make them count and we paid dearly for that.
Clearly the team had some problems with their finishing, but you have to bear in mind that before the tournament started, people back in Trinidad and Tobago were expecting us to lose 6-0 or 8-0 against Sweden and England. For that reason, I'm disappointed to be out of the competition so soon, but I'm very satisfied with the effort my players put in. I can't blame them, because they played with pride and passion.
Perhaps we paid for the fact that the other teams played at a higher tempo than us, but I think we're leaving with our heads held high. This was the first time that the team has played in a World Cup, and we've learned some great lessons. The next time, they should have more confidence. This experience will help to develop football in Trinidad and Tobago.

Technical analysis by TSG member Alvin CORNEAL (TRI)
Right from the beginning, Trinidad and Tobago looked both nervous and over-ambitious. There was too much emotion and too little structure to their game. They defended too deep and couldn't put any pressure on the opposition. Paraguay took advantage of this lack of confidence and let their greater experience shine through. 
Paraguay’s opener in the 25th minute was a very unlucky own goal by Brent Sancho, and this made Trinidad and Tobago even more shaky. Coach Leo Beenhakker’s team seemed to be in shock, and Paraguay totally dominated the rest of the half, keeping possession, spreading the ball wide and snuffing out any half-chances. The South Americans had 53 per cent of the possession and looked very confident going forward. The Trinidad goalkeeper Kelvin Jack had to pull off a couple of excellent saves to keep his team in the match.
The second half was the complete opposite of the first. Trinidad came back out with renewed spirit and put Paraguay under real pressure. The Caribbean team created a number of chances, looking particularly dangerous down the flanks and firing in quick crosses. Nonetheless, Paraguay still looked a threat on the break, in particular 23-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Julio Dos Santos, who launched numerous counterattacks and proved to be very much the linchpin of Anibal Ruiz’s midfield. The performance, combining physical yet very intelligent play, earned him the Budweiser Man of the Match award.

Trinidad much stronger after the break.

Trinidad showed a lot of heart and passion, but couldn’t manage to turn their possession into goals. Indeed, they spent long periods in the Paraguay half without creating any real chances. Russell Latapy’s appearance as a substitute gave the Soca Warriors more guile in attack – his distribution was very intelligent and he also had a few decent long-range efforts himself – but luck was not smiling on the Caribbean side tonight.
Paraguay, on the other hand, stoutly defended their lead and put the match beyond any doubt with five minutes to go when Nelson Cuevas made it 2-0, his opportunist goal underlining T&T’s lack of experience. Though the scoreline flattered Paraguay, they fully deserved their win.
Trinidad and Tobago can also be satisfied with their performance at their first ever FIFA World Cup™. They gave an excellent account of themselves, and both the players and the fans can feel justly proud of their team, which showed that they were capable of holding their own with the big guns. Indeed, with a bit more luck throughout the tournament, who knows how far they could have gone?
News from the 19th of June 2006.

We will go for it – Beenhakker.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
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National team coach Leo Beenhakker has made it clear that worrying about the possibilities over this country’s chances of advancing to the second round based on what happens to the Sweden versus England match is far from his mind as he prepares to the take the “Soca Warriors” into Tuesday’s clash with Paraguay.
Beenhakker was speaking at the team’s press conference in Rotenburg on Monday when he also hinted that he may just find the space to let Russell Latapy play some part in the closing Group B encounter at Kaiserslautern which kicks off at 9pm (3pm T&T time).
Skipper Dwight Yorke and his men will run out in an all white strip, which by the way is Beenhakker’s preferred colour for the team and they will be going all out to take something away. A 1-0 win over Paraguay and a 2-0 win for England will see both the Swedes and T&T ending up on identical goal difference which could result in a coin toss to determine which team advances to the second round. The fitting occurrence would be for the “Soca Warriors” to at least win by two goals without conceding and hope that England put the hurt on the Swedes.
“We know our actual situation. I think the team is ready again and has gained a lot of confidence and courage. We know what we have to do and it makes no sense to lose any time of energy on the England/Sweden match. We don’t have it in our hands so in he beginning after the England match the message to the guys was to focus on the Paraguay match and try to win it and then later on wait for the result over there. We will try to play our own match. In that way we will go for it and try to have a good result,” Beenhakker stated.
“It’s not a question of defensive options or attacking options. I have already explained several times that if you want to play offensive, you need the ball. So our intention is always the same and it’s to try and get in front and in the most perfect conditions. If we don’t have the ball then we have to work to get it back,” he explained.
“The intention is exactly the same as it has always been but the opponent is sometimes different as you may have seen.”
“I don’t know how they will manage this game but for us the next game is the important one and the motivation is a hundred percent with the guys. At least on paper we are still in and that gives us the courage to go for it. I know this group and in that way I think they did everything they could do in both matches within their possibilities and talent they will do some extra in this game,” he assured.
Beenhakker did say that while he will even think about calling Sven Erikkson ahead of England’s match, he will in fact keep updated on that match while T&T’s is also on the pitch at both games will be played simultaneously.
“Of course. At least will try that and it’s good to know what is happening there. I could imagine based on the actual result and what is happening there, you probably bring in an extra player in the front or back.”
He also dismissed further talk of the Peter Crouch’s climb on Brent Sancho for England’s first goal.
“That’s after the game. It’s the first thing Brent Sancho said -  I couldn’t get him and he blocked me. But these things happen in football and you have to accept it. It makes no sense. It was a goal and you lost it. More than ever the way we lost it and the moment we gave it out of our hands was the tough part for these guys. You have to be able to handle possible errors of the referees.”
We will gamble of course but not from the beginning We have our philosophy and our way of playing, during  a match you always can change during a match with an extra guy up front or with extra pressure in the midfield. You need 90 minutes to win a match and you can lose it in one second.
When asked about maybe a role for Latapy in this encounter, Beenhakker replied: “That’s possible. The problem with Russell is not that he doesn’t have the talent and that he can’t play football. The problem to bring several players with this skills  together in the team once again is who is playing versus who. Before the game you realize the big part os getting the ball back and that’s not the strongest part of Russell. (But) hopefully I can use him in the Paraguay game yes.”
The Dutchman was also asked to comment on talks with Jack Warner about a possible future with T&T, he explained that afterwards “First of all I will be on my party. Afterwards I have time enough to make decisions and see what I want. He explained to me what his idea was about the coming future of T&T and the Caribbean and CONCACAF. I said it’s nice to know but when the tournament is over for us I will start possibly planning my next future and that can be between playing golf for the next three months or starting next weekend with another job.”
He did say that there will be options available from other clubs and Federations. Warner had indicated that he remained hopeful that T&T can continue to have the services of Beenhakker and that the Government and corporate T&T will feel the same way.
 
John’s Birthday in Germany.

Meantime, as the players engaged in double sessions in Rotenburg, defender Avery John was celebrating his 31st birthday and was more than pleased to be back in the squad and eligible for the Paraguay game following his red card suspension. Goalie Kelvin Jack and Marvin Andrews will be available for selection.
Skipper Yorke remained upbeat about T&T’s chances on Tuesday.
“I think we will definitely go all out to bring a result home and at least end on a high. There’s not much we can do about the other result but I’ll be texting or will call the boys, like (Wayne) Rooney, Becks (David Beckham), Rio (Ferdinand), Gary (Neville) and whoever else. We know what is ahead of us and I think the guys have all done us proud but there will be nothing better than  finishing the group phase with a win and then of course getting into the second round will be absolutely fantastic,” added Yorke who was the centre of laughter among his teammates on Monday as he has to resort to taking his bicycle into his hotel room to avoid the chance of it being hidden away as has occurred on more than one occasion this past week.
“If it’s one thing, the camaraderie in this team is fantastic and we will work for each other on and off the field,” he said. The team will travel by charter plane to Mannheim on Monday morning and will stay at the Dorint Sofitel hotel and will train once at the match stadium in the evening period.
News from the 18th of June 2006.

Leo Beenhakker has T&T future in mind.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
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Leo Beenhakker is considering the possibility of remaining on as head coach of this country’s national team following the run of the “Soca Warriors” at the ongoing 2006 World Cup.
This was the firm disclosure made by Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation Special Advisor Jack Warner after he met with the celebrated Dutchman at the team’s Landhaus Wachtelhof Hotel in Rotenburg.
Warner not only turned up to extend his congratulations and best wishes to Beenhakker and the “Soca Warriors” but he was intent on sitting with the former Real Madrid coach and discussing his future with T&T. And according to Warner, there was positive feedback which he hopes will turn out in the best interest of the country’s football after the Germany experience.
“The feeling has been excellent. There are some things you cannot describe in the world and this is one. More importantly I just spoke to Leo and he is interested in working with the team again….he and Wim (Rijsbergen) and this is extremely important once the conditions are right…. if it means that the Government needs to play an active part, the business sector has to play an active part. Jack Warner alone can no longer do it.
“What Leo has shown is that we can do it. Let’s just forget what divides us and let’s look at what unites us and if we do this our country will be a better place and what we are doing in Germany should serve as a catalyst for of course a bright future for the country,” Warner told TTFF Media.
The FIFA Vice President believes that Beenhakker’s continued involvement with the team must be the next step.
“I came here to talk to him about that. He said to give him three days to consider it and I will. He also said that he wants to focus on the match on Tuesday and I respect that. But moreso, he said that he is positive about it,” Warner added. There remains no guarantee though that Beenhakker will make public his decision after such time.
“He says Tuesday he’s going for it and I expect that we shall win. He said to me Jack don’t forget that I have a player from (San Juan Jabloteh) Aurtis Whitley marking Steven Gerrard, a guy from Nelson Street (Densill Theobald) marking David Beckham. When they ask what my players earn, it’s nothing compared to the England team and yet of course we gave them a very good performance. Had it been for a proper referee we would have had a draw. He said the second goal was irrelevant and that the first goal should never have scored,” Warner stressed.
And to how the CONCACAF President feels now among his FIFA colleagues, “Oh I walk tall today. I walk taller than all of them. I tell all of them that ‘I told you so’. I made the point to them that I needed to get to this stage in order to show my worth and I have gotten it and we have done it as a country,” a proud Warner concluded.
He also presented Beenhakker with a signed copy of the recently launched book “Zero to Hero” which gives a detailed description on the journey of a man himself in Warner who has inspired T&T to its first World Cup. After that, it was time too for him to meet with skipper Dwight Yorke and other members of the players committee to discuss conditions pertaining to the team’s ongoing appearance on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

Gray ruled out Paraguay match.

Defender Cyd Gray has been ruled out of Trinidad and Tobago’s final Group B encounter against Paraguay with a knee ligament injury sustained in the second half of the 2-0 defeat last Thursday.
According to team doctor Terrence Babwah, Gray suffered a partial knee ligament tear and could face the possibility of being out for up to two weeks even though the defender himself was confident of making a comeback in time for T&T’s possible second round appearance on June 24 in Munich.
“Getting this injury is not the best thing at this time but life goes on. I’m quite disappointed that I won’t be playing the Paraguay game. I would have liked to play in all three games. Based on the injury possibly maybe I may not be back  but I really believe that if we go through to the second round I will make it back in time,” Gray told TTFF Media.
“I felt great to know that there are players who are making greater salaries than we are and we can also hold our own. It shows that not based on your salary means you can do as you want. You have to work just as hard all the time,” he added.
“Overall though we have worked hard and I feel pleased about that and about my personal performance. I think I have exceeded what people thought of me. I know I have in me but now I was able to bring it out on the field.”
There was better news for Marvin Andrews who took part in the small sided scrimmage in the one evening session held in Rotenburg on Saturday. The same went for goalie Kelvin Jack who took turns in goal along with Shaka Hislop and Clayton Ince.
News from the 17th of June 2006.

“Soca Warriors” pumped up for Paraguay.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
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Trinidad and Tobago’s “Soca Warriors” are coming off another proud showing in Deutschland which has gone highly noticed throughout the globe. And aside from the performance which shocked many and caused the English to work down to the wire for their three points, the manner in which it occurred has obviously raised eyebrows not just in the English Press but also in the top seats of FIFA.
Just ask defender Brent Sancho as his name and dreadlocks has grabbed much attention over the 24 hours following the hard fought loss in Nuremburg.
Replays showed that Peter Crouch blatantly pulled  Sancho's dreadlocks as he won the header to put England ahead in the 83rd minute, At first glance it looked like a fair header from the 6ft 7ins Liverpool striker. But slow-motion replays clearly showed Crouch grab a handful of Sancho's hair and leap above him is already. It stopped Sancho from jumping. Referee Toru Kamikawa missed the incident at the time and England went on to win 2-0 with a second goal from Steven Gerrard in stoppage time Sancho admitted that he was gutted.
“Definitely I was gutted. I felt him tugging my hair and on my back and I was unablke to jump. He was all over me and I was surprised we didn’t get the free kick. But that’s football for you and I’m not going to cry over spilled milk. Now we move on and we have a next game against Paraguay in which we will go all out,” Sancho told TTFF Media.
“This performance showed that we have players that are undervalued and that we can match strides with some of the best players in the world. We gave a great account and this can be used in any set up. We had all odds stacked against us. We will love to get to the second round but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t. I think we have won a lot of hearts and opened a lot of eyes.”

Congrats from all over.

CONCACAF General Secretary Ted Howard felt proud over the “Soca Warriors” achievement thus far.
“Congrats on another brilliant effort from T&T. I did not see the hair pulling but certainly thought that Crouch had held him down. Nothing can be done about that now except to say that T&T is the surprise of the tournament and enormous credit to all for preparing the team so thoroughly. You have made CONCACAF proud,” Howard stated in a message to CONCACAF President Jack Warner. The FIFA Vice President also relayed that both he and FIFA President Sepp Blatter felt “T&T were unlucky not to get a foul called on Crouch’s goal and that Stern John’s goal was not offside.”
“But we shall live to fight another day and believe me we will fight with all the passion and determination that we have shown the world so far,” Warner added.
FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi praised T&T for it’s showing in Germany following the loss to England. “Compliment to your team again. What you have done is the very best promotion for football,” he stated.
 
Yorke: A lot to be proud of.

This has definitely turned out to be a remarkable showing and has not gone unnoticed. T&T Prime Minister Patrick Manning was on the phone once again with Yorke following the match to express his satisfaction with the team’s performance.
“It’s great that everyone can see this but we also want them to know that it’s not just happened easily. It’s come about because of hard work and dedication and belief as well. Everyone in this team deserves full credit for this. We thank the people as well for the support they have shown us,” Yorke told TTFF Media.
“We had a game plan and we stuck to it. We tried to make the biggest upset in football history but it didn’t happen. We made the English panic for 83 minutes though,” he added.
“We are disappointed though. It’s a pity though but it’s a performance we can be proud of. We thought we did enough to get a point out of it. I am sure they (England) will do that and beat Sweden for us and we have to get the job done versus Paraguay.
“After meeting Rio and Rooney after all these years on the same pitch is definitely something to remember. We probably will ask them to do us a favour now. The most important thing is that we gave ourselves a chance and people didn’t think we can do that and here we are still biting in there”

Jack, Marvin back again.

On Friday morning, there was the usual one hour recovery session in Rotenburg and goalkeeper Kelvin Jack was able to resume full training and has been declared available for the Paraguay game and so too defender Avery John who is back from suspension.
Defender Marvin Andrews also continues to show positive signs and may be an option for Beenhakker. There were no other injury matters to report following the match in Nuremburg. Most of the players also engaged in a limited overs match of windball cricket with the Yorke outfit mustering only 42 in reply to an eventful 77 scored by the Lawrence-led team. Andrews was the topscorer with 50 before being run out. He also took two catches to carry his team to victory.
“It’s always good to compete with the best and come away with any problems as a player,” Edwards told TTFF Media in relation to the Group B matches.
“You are on the big stage and you always want to play against the big teams. We went out there with a positive frame and we will do the same against Paraguay even though the result was discouraging against England. We have shown that we can compete with the big teams. We simply have to forget the past two games and try to go out and have a real go at it. We have to believe again that we can do it. I am sure all the lads will be up for it.
“Coming up against the likes of Lampard and Gerrard, we made them look like regular players and that said a lot for us considering the ratings. I hope we can get the respect now and we will continue to compete and grow from strength to strength,” said Edwards who exchanged shirts with Ashley Cole at the end of the match. Yorke also swapped shirts with David Beckham who he chatted briefly with outside the two dressing rooms after the game.
“We thought we had you guys there for a bit,” Yorke told his good pal and former teammate. The players from both sides also exchanged hugs and encouraging words before heading off for the mix zone area and onto their respective team buses.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2006, 07:31:17 AM by Flex »
The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

 

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