Jan-Michael ready for Mexican test.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Connection’s numero uno.
“Over the last couple of months, I realised it is very hard to get on top,” said Trinidad and Tobago and Vibe CT 105 W Connection goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams. “But it is three million times harder to stay on top.”
At 22, Williams is still learning his trade and he has already had to endure some punishing lessons. There was a particularly difficult examination, on February 4, at the Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela , Costa Rica when Trinidad and Tobago lost 4-0 to the host nation.
Williams was culpable for the opening goal when he allowed a speculative effort from Harold Wallace to squirm home. The mishap was especially unkind to the young goalkeeper as, 24 hours earlier, he was named the Pro League’s best goalkeeper and most valuable player for the 2006 campaign.
“(That mistake) really hurt me but I just had to go on concentrating hard,” said Williams. “I remember (national coach) Wim (Rijsbergen) told the players that ‘in order to be a great player, you have to suffer great defeats’. I knew it was supposed to hurt but I am supposed to use that to achieve something positive.”
Williams could not have a better opportunity to remind Trinidad and Tobago fans about his talent than tomorrow when Connection faces Mexican champions, Club Deportivo Guadalajara—who are better known by the nickname ‘Chivas’—in the CONCACAF Club Championships quarter-final from 8 pm at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella.
Rijsbergen’s repeated criticisms about the standard of the local Pro League job predictably riled several clubs and Connection is no exception. Williams, who was handed the mantle of the domestic competition’s marquee player, has more reason than most to take the match personally.
“It is an opportunity to show that football is football,” said the former St Anthony’s College student, “and not because they are from Mexico means that they are automatically better than us in Trinidad .”
Williams spoke with some authority on the subject. At Connection, he began as understudy to the agile Colombian goalkeeper Alejandro Figueroa.
At just 21, Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier was convinced that the Couva boy was ready to lead the south Trinidad-based outfit as they launched the defence of their Pro League title. Connection finished second to Joe Public on goal difference but, on a personal level, the season was a tremendous success for Williams.
“When I began the 2006 season, I thought that all things were possible and I dreamed of being the best player in the country,” said Williams. “But it was a distant goal and I really thought it was a bit far fetched…
“Getting that award in my first full season gives me a lot of encouragement to go forward and I must credit it to my faith in God and to my family and friends.”
Five years ago, Williams was on the brink of migrating to the United States and a sport scholarship with the University of South Florida but, at the moment, he prefers the dream of football stardom to furthering his academic career.
Connection club owner David J Williams—of no relation—offered him the chance to become a professional player and his namesake never looked back.
In 2001, Williams was a non-playing member of “Team 2001” who represented Trinidad and Tobago at the Under-17 World Championship while he was only 18 when he won his first international cap under Fevrier in a goalless draw away to Botswana.
Last season, Fevrier further motivated his talented employee by making him one of the club’s three captains in a remarkable display of confidence in the rookie custodian.
“Jan has been one of the most improved players in the entire country over the past two years in terms of his rising market value,” said Fevrier. “He is the sort of guy who loves challenges and he brings leadership and quality to the first team. We believe in him.”
So too does Rijsbergen who opted to stick with the Pro League star even when he was offered the services of 35-year-old England-based goalkeeper Clayton Ince—albeit belatedly—for last November’s international friendly away to Austria.
Williams conceded four times in Vienna but there is a feeling among local stakeholders that he is getting better with every appearance and he emerged with much credit from Trinidad and Tobago ’s runner-up finish in the 2007 Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament.
Chivas should offer another opportunity to showcase his talent even as he helps to bolster the reputation of the Pro League.
Connection need perfect start.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).
Caribbean champs tackle Mexican maestros
In “Friday Night Lights”, a US movie centered on a small town Texan high school football team, coach Gary Gaines—played by actor Billy Bob Thornton—assured his players that he could make them State champions.
Gaines had only one request of his players.
“Can you be perfect?”
Vibe CT 105 W Connection head coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier might be tempted to ask as much of his charges tonight as he faces arguably the toughest test of his coaching career.
From 8 pm at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, Connection, the newly crowned Caribbean champions, tackle Mexican conquistadores, Club Deportivo Guadalajara, in the first of a two-legged series at the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup quarterfinal stage.
And Fevrier is adamant that his players must give Guadalajara , also known by its nickname “Chivas”, as little help as possible.
Connection was narrowly evicted from the 2003 CONCACAF tournament after a 6-5 aggregate defeat to Mexican outfit, Toluca , and Fevrier believes that he has singled out the deficiency of the south Trinidad-based club.
“We can play just as well as these clubs,” said the St Lucia-born coach. “The main difference is that we tend to make more mistakes than they do. Once we can minimize the mistakes at this level, the game will be much closer.
“The key is to concentrate well and eliminate silly errors.”
Mistakes are expected to be severely punished by a Mexican club that, two seasons ago, thrashed Argentina ’s most famous club, Boca Juniors, 4-0 in the knock out stages of South America ’s prestigious Copa Libertadores competition.
Fevrier must depend on an outfit whose average age is just 24 to defend the honour of Trinidad and Tobago ’s Pro League competition, which was recently criticised by the national coaching pair of Dutchman Wim Rijsbergen and his assistant Anton Corneal.
Club owner, David J Williams, for one, is looking forward to the contest and anxious to see the test of his club’s youth development program.
“They called us a foreign side when we started,” said Williams, in reference to the glut of South American and St Lucian players on Connection’s initial team lists. “When we started, most of the (other) clubs already had the best local players so we had to go abroad (for players) to compete.
“But we also started our youth program and you are now seeing the benefit of that.”
Connection’s back four will be protected by Colombian Christian Viveros, who, at 17, is too young to drive while five other first team members including national goalkeeper and 2006 Pro League Player of the Year, Jan-Michael Williams, were not old enough to vote at the last general elections.
In contrast, Guadalajara , who features an all-Mexican team, can boast of four players who played at the 2006 World Cup in Germany . Speedy striker Omar Bravo scored twice in Mexico ’s opening 3-1 win over Iran although he is often overshadowed by the flashier Adolfo Bautista at club level.
Bautista, who sports the number 100 jersey, scored in Guadalajara ’s 2-1 weekend win over Cruz Azul in the Mexican domestic competition.
The strike pair is supported by team captain Ramon Morales (who represented Mexico at the last two World Cups) and Alberto Medina—both flying wingers—while the central defensive duo of six foot three stopper Francisco Rodriguez, another World Cup participant, and the six foot tall Hector Lopez shore up the backline.
Fevrier expects Guadalajara to be a handful on the break and would lecture his charges on the importance of keeping possession and quick rotation from offence to defence.
As usual, Connection would try to make the most of Brazilian playmaker Gefferson Goulart’s creativity while his compatriot, William Oliviera, should threaten from set pieces.
Nippy striker Andre Toussaint is unlikely to play from the start, due to injury, and could be a big miss for the hosts as would absent Brazilian right side midfielder Ronaldo Viana, who would have kept watch over the gifted Morales. Instead, their responsibilities fall to Dwight Scott and Hughtun Hector respectively.
Hector, like versatile left side midfielder Andrei Pacheco, was a member of Connection’s first under-16 team, seven years ago.
“We are really excited about this (present) team because half the team is young and from our youth program,” said Fevrier, a former Trinidad and Tobago national coach. “These boys helped take us to number one in the Caribbean .”
Of course, as Rijsbergen is never slow to point out, there is a sharp difference in quality between the Caribbean and the North and Central American game.
Williams (J-M) was the only Connection player to tour Central America on the national team’s recent tour, which comprised a 2-1 loss to Panama and a 4-0 whipping at the feet of Costa Rica.
The likes of right back Nickcolson Thomas, Pacheco, Hector and Drayton must give Rijsbergen cause to rethink tonight. To do so, though, Connection’s young players must get as near to perfection as possible.
Possible Line-Ups:
W Connection:[/b] - 21.Jan-Michael Williams; 13.Nickcolson Thomas, 27.Devon Drayton, 5.Elijah Joseph, 2.William Oliveira; 17.Hughtun Hector, 43.Christian Viveros, 19.Andrei Pacheco; 10.Gefferson Goulart; 20.Dwight Scott, 9.Earl Jean (Capt).
Guadalajara: - 23.Luis Michel; 2.Diego Martinez, 4.Hector Lopez, 3.Francisco Rodriguez, 19.Jose Magallon; 20.Edgar Mejia, 7.Gonzalo Pineda; 10.Alberto Medina, 11.Ramon Morales (Capt); 9.Omar Bravo, 100.Adolfo Bautista.
