Sydney waits on Yorke's return.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago captain Dwight Yorke has assured Sydney FC that he will be returning to the club for the new upcoming season. So says new Sydney coach, former England defender Terry Butcher who claimed that he has already spoken to Yorke following his 2006 World Cup showing.
And Butcher wants the former Manchester United man in his usual attacking role despite the fact that he was used in a more defensive midfield role by Leo Beenhakker which saw him in plaudits in Germany.
“I spoke to Dwight, and he told me he's coming back," Butcher said. "As far as I'm concerned it's not a case of if, but when. He's been training with Manchester United, and now he's been at the World Cup, so he needs to recharge his batteries.
"He won't be back to start the pre-season cup [July 15], but I'm sure he'll be back by the end of the month.
"He's got a great lifestyle in Sydney, he's got a great club to play for, and the fans absolutely love him. He's an integral part of what I want to achieve, and this is a big year for all of us associated with Australian football."
Assuming Yorke, 34, does complete the final year of his contract, Butcher does not want him playing in the deep midfield role he adopted both during the World Cup, and during the latter stages of the inaugural A-League season.
"He's looked very good during the World Cup - he looked lean, he had great energy levels and against England in particular I thought he was immense," Butcher said.
"But I don't want him in that role for Sydney. I need him further up the park, because he's got too much to offer in the attacking third. He can score goals, and he can set them up. His range of passing is superb. I can put the young legs around him to do the other work."
Yorke did say shortly after T&T’s match versus Paraguay that he is still committed to Sydney.
“At the moment I’m a Sydney FC player and I’ll be heading back there. We’ll see if anything comes knocking on the door but at the moment I’ll be heading off to holiday and then we’ll take things from there,” Yorke said.
News from the 28th of June 2006.
Warner believes Beenhakker will stay.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
Dutchman Leo Beenhakker could remain on as head coach of the National Senior Team of Trinidad and Tobago towards the 2010 World Cup.
This is according to Special Advisor to the TTFF, Jack Warner who was speaking on a local television morning programme. However, there has been no official statement on the matter and Beenhakker is yet to make his feelings publicly clear.
Warner had journeyed from Berlin to Rotenburg to hold talks with Beenhakker prior to the team’s match with Paraguay and was confident that the coach would agree to stay on but Beenhakker calmly admitted that he was yet to decide his future with the “Soca Warriors”.
"Beenhakker is willing and ready to come back," Warner said.
"And we discussed briefly a strategy whereby his assistant Whim (Rijsbergen) will take over for the first two years," adding that Beenhakker himself would resume the head coach role for the following two years.
The next World Cup Finals will be in 2010 in South Africa.
Warner last week indicated he would no longer be assuming the task of financing the team.
He said, however, that if the Government assumes the financial responsibility for the team, as well as the technical staff, they will have to collaborate with the T&TFF.
"The Government will have to work with the Federation," Warner said. "It cannot do it on its own because Mr Beenhakker cannot sign a contract with the Government, he can sign one with the Federation, and the Federation can guarantee his payment via the Government."
Warner also feels that although Jamaica have failed to progress to the two subsequent World Cup finals after their maiden success in France 1998, Trinidad and Tobago have what it takes to consistently qualify for the world's biggest football tournament.
"In Trinidad we can do so, because we have natural talent. There is no other country in the Caribbean that has more talent than we have. What we have to do is to develop it, to have it disciplined, as it were.
"...We have shown it can be done by bringing coach Beenhakker on board."
Assistant coach Whim Rijsbergen has indicated his willingness to resume duties with the team and assistant coach/scout Mario Been who worked with the team only at the World Cup before returning to take back up head coach duties with a Dutch First Division team SBV Excelsior, also indicated to TTFF Media that he would be happy to assist whenever required. He confessed that he had developed a enjoyable relationship with skipper Dwight Yorke and his teammates who also felt the same about the former Feyenoord Star player.
“It was a real honour to be working with these guys….. when I see them fighting in every game… not much that can describe this,” Been told TTFF Media.
News from the 26th of June 2006.
Ghana shows T&T interest.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Fresh from a showing which won the hearts of many in their first appearance at a World Cup Finals, Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors could well be on their way to playing a testimonial match against new African wonder team Ghana.
Just as skipper Dwight Yorke and his men were on their way back to Trinidad last Thursday, Special Advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation Jack Warner was in meeting with Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Education Papa Owusu-Ankomah as both men discussed the possibility of the match on a proposed date of September 2, 2006.
According to Warner the African team seems very interested in making the visit to Port of Spain but there is one issue which could put the date off. And that is the fact that Mexico have already accepted an invitation from Warner and the TTFF to come to Port of Spain on the same September 2 to play the match which will serve as a final send off for the Squad which represented the country at the 2006 World Cup.
“I will return home on Monday and then we will discuss this at the TTFF because it will definitely be a wonderful opportunity to have Ghana in our country for what could be the best of Africa versus the best of the Caribbean,” Warner told TTFF Media.
“We have already booked the date with the Mexicans and they have accepted the invitation to come but the Ghana match is under serious consideration at this time,” added Warner who is schedule back home on Monday for a short stay during which he will also hold meetings on the staging of the upcoming Caribbean Football Union Youth tournament.
Meantime, under the influence of Warner, FIFA has invited St Kitts/Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas to attend the World Cup final on July 9.
FIFA General Secretary Urs Linsi. Who has expressed his delight with T&T’s showing in Germany, wrote to Douglas: “Since June 9, 2006, the best national teams have inspired millions of people around the world with their exceptional skills and continue to thrill them with their attractive play. As a sign of a special appreciation, we would like to invite you on behalf of FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter and Vice President Jack A.Warner to attend the final in Berlin as our guest of honour.”
Meanwhile, several of the national team players are carded to make their way out of the country early this week as some of them report back to the clubs or use the few extra days off to go on holiday trips. LA Galaxy forward Cornell Glen, out with a torn cartilage for up to six weeks will return to his club on Tuesday to continue rehab. Skipper Yorke along with the other UK-based pros are also expected to depart. Some of them will also be hoping to tie up final contractual arrangements with the likes of Kelvin Jack and Shaka Hislop finishing their contracts at Dundee and West Ham United respectively and are considering options. Hislop has not yet agreed to a new one-year offer from the “Hammers”. Luton Town midfielder Carlos Edwards has also been told by his manager that there have been other clubs now expressing interest in him but for now at least he will report back to the club later in the month for preseason training. The rest of the squad is currently here with the exception of Port Vale’s Chris Birchall who had to return to England on request of his club in order to undergo a wrist operation and Ian Cox also had to return on personal business.
Head coach Leo Beenhakker also left the team base in Rotenburg on Thursday and did so with a few smiles as he also told reporters how pleased he was with the display from his team.
"For the future, we have to think that these players will be among the world's best, we showed (world class) skills here. Now they have shown that they can compete and what else can I ask of them. The players only need more self-confidence," he said. "We were knocked out of the competition and we have lost. But there is a first time for everyone and we have gotten a good dose of experience. They will move on with this now and just as we came here with a lot of passion and ambition I am sure you will see more of it (in the future).
News from the 25th of June 2006.
Millionaire Warriors.
By: Gizelle Morris (Guardian).[/size]
After months of secrecy, Prime Minister Patrick Manning unveiled a multi-million-dollar reward package, yesterday, for T&T’s Soca Warriors. The package included $1.2 million gift and a diplomatic passport for captain Dwight Yorke, $1 million each for the 24 players and the nation’s second highest award for the team.
Addressing the crowd at the Government’s welcome home tribute to T&T’s national football team at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain, Manning said the team deserved a just, fair and reasonable reward for their achievements.
While the crowd shouted its approval, Manning unwrapped a package totalling $ 31 million, the long-promised reward for the team’s qualification for the World Cup Finals in Germany.
It was last month, after private talks with Manning at Whitehall, that Yorke had said Manning promised to reward generously the players and members of the technical staff after the World Cup.
In addition to their cash bonuses, Manning said the Central Bank Governor was asked to arrange workshops on money management for the footballers.
“Save, Warriors, save. Save like Shaka Hislop, put your bounty to good use. You must save for a rainy day, now that you are prosperous and strong,” Manning advised the players.
Manning thanked the footballers for bringing the people of T&T together in unity and scoring “five goals” for T&T.
The goals Manning referred to, however, were off rather than on the football field.
He said the Soca Warriors made T&T known throughout “every nook and cranny” in the world, and kept the flag flying high in the global arena.
The second goal Manning identified was the Warriors’ “inspirational performance” and show of discipline on the football field.
He also thanked the team for helping place T&T’s culture on the world stage and opening the door to further economic growth.
As a result of the headway made in Germany, said Manning, trade missions are planned for Europe, Asia and the Far East with the first delegation to Europe leaving at the end of July.
Manning also said Yorke, who was called out of retirement to captain the team, was a positive leader and indefatigable, articulate helmsman who deserved to be recognised and rewarded for his outstanding leadership.
“As soon as he is available he will join Brian Lara as a sports ambassador for T&T in the international community.”
But while Manning heaped praise on the team for most of his address, Fifa vice president Jack Warner—the man some credit with getting the Soca Warriors to Germany—was mentioned only in passing near the end of the Prime Minister’s speech.
“Finally!” one woman commented as Manning mentioned Warner’s name.
“I would like to thank Mr Austin Jack Warner most sincerely for contributing to the success of the Warriors and the development of football.
“If it was not for his effort, we might not have made it to Germany.”
As the crowd cheered, Manning invited Warner, Beenhakker and Yorke to be a part of discussions to determine the role of Government in getting T&T to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“We must not only go to South Africa, but qualify for the second round and must be favourites to win in the next World Cup...
“Government will ensure we do everything possible to build on the achievement.”
The Prime Minister also announced a package for the growth of sport in T&T.
This included making the Ato Boldon Stadium home of the national football team and using the Manny Ramjohn stadium in Couva for the development of track and field athletes.
Yorke, who also addressed the fans, thanked Warner and the public for their support.
“It is important to see all of you come out in your numbers to support what we tried to achieve.
“I know some had doubts about the Soca Warriors, but we wanted to prove to the world we belonged on the world stage.”
Later, those members of the team present were awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal by acting President Dr Linda Baboolal, in a special investiture ceremony.
When the team arrived in the Stadium at just after 5 pm to deafening cheers, there were more empty seats than people in the venue, with only the covered stands boasting a crowd.
As the evening wore on, however, people flooded the venue.
As the team members took their seats in a special VIP area, eager fans, mainly scantily-clad women, rushed towards the team and almost succeeded in mobbing the smiling players.
Soldiers and police, armed with large sub-machine guns, had to form a human chain to hold back the mass of bodies.
Among the dignitaries attending the event were former presidents Ellis Clarke and ANR Robinson, who wore a Soca Warriors football jersey, and several members of Manning’s Cabinet.
Included in the generous bounty announced by Prime Minister:
* The nation’s second highest award, the Chaconia Gold Medal, for the 24 footballers who represented T&T in Germany.
* $250,000 each for the 16 members of the national squad who were not selected for the matches, ($200,000 in units from the Unit Trust Corporation, $50,000 in cash)
* $250,000 cash for each of three assistants to Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker.
* $1 million for each of the 24 players who travelled to Germany. ($750,000 in UTC units and $250,000 cash).
* $1 million cash and the Chaconia Gold Medal for Beenhakker.
* $1.2 million for team captain Dwight Yorke ($1 million units, $250, 000 cash), along with the title of His Excellency as a Sports Ambassador of T&T.
News from the 22nd of June 2006.
World cup memories among Soca Warriors.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup footballers were experiencing life in a different light on Thursday as they tried to come to terms with the fact that their lives were about to get back on normal track following what has been a remarkable debut on the World Cup stage.
Skipper Dwight Yorke and his teammates, along with members of the technical staff and even the hotel staff at Landhaus Wachtelhof Hotel all took time out for a sit around the lobby and dining table as they looked back at the past few weeks in Germany. This started at about 4am on Wednesday and was cut short by only a few hours nap and has gone on since with sponsors eBay also arranging for a bar-b-q lime at the hotel.
Despite the failure to come away with an intended three points in Kaiserslautern, there was no reason for frowned faces or hanging shoulders as the "Soca Warriors" continued to receive much love from everyone who had sight of them from the fans outside the venue as the team bus made the exits to the security at the Kaiserslautern airport guiding the players on to the charter flight back to Bremen.
As expected, in defeat the mood was somewhat somber in the dressing room because naturally the players had high hopes of going home with something more to show. But by the time, they all came off the closing prayer led by Marvin Andrews and made their way through the media mix zone, the Soca Warriors spirit - the fighting spirit of the Caribbean was once again in the air.
Glen out for six weeks.
Speedy striker Cornell Glen met his teammates before the flight departed out of Kaiserslautern as he had to be taken to local hospital for treatment and examinations which determined that he suffered a torn cartilage in the first half and has been advised to have no pressure on the leg for at least six weeks.
"It's disappointing and from the moment I landed after I tried to skip the tackle, I knew something was wrong. No player can feel anything by horrified over that. But overall I think we can still feel good of what we have done as a team in Germany," Glen told TTFF Media.
Government officials including PM Patrick Manning and Sports Minister Roger Boynes were keen to talk to skipper Dwight Yorke after the game and ongoing conversations have been taking place with senior player Shaka Hislop regarding the team's arrival in Trinidad and a program for the weekend. So far, all the players have felt comfortable with arriving back on a charter on Thursday and it seemed up to Wednesday evening that such would be the planning. A couple members of the technical staff made their way back to Holland on Wednesday but head coach Leo Beenhakker might just make the journey back with the team.
There have been talks of a matches against Japan and Mexico over the next couple of months but football was the last thing on the minds of the players over the past 24 hours as they have tried to not only clear their minds, but moreso absorb all the experiences as a team over the last few months. The future of the T&T game has also been a topic of conversation as everyone eagerly awaits the way forward.
“I think my most memorable moment would be everyday, whether it be riding to or from training, living with the rest of the boys fir basically six weeks and playing all the games together. Just coming this far and all, it has been a beautiful experience for me,” Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones told TTFF Media on Wednesday.
“I think most of us and especially me will be looking to taking at least three weeks off and then heading back fresh to our clubs.”
Skipper Yorke felt similarly.
“It was a such a great pleasure to be here and part of all of this,” Yorke told TTFF Media.
“We felt that this was a game we could get some confidence but again Paraguay is a quality team. First half to them and second half to us but again they got the goals. Right now I don’t know what is going to happen to me. I just want to go on a holiday and also I will rethink and talk with the people who are important to me to try and make a decision which way or I go – whether I will continue playing for the national team or make a career move. You just never know…,” Yorke added.
Yorke felt the opening game was T&T’s best moment at the Finals. “Our first point definitely with ten men must be the highlight of the tournament for us. As much as England was a very special occasion for us, to play Sweden the way we did must be the big moment for us,” added the Sydney FC player.
