Again, my translation not to accurate, so dont hold me to anything, I got these of the Guatemala Press..Guatemala arrives in Trinidad after a 6 hour flight. The airplane took 150 passengers, 40 of the National Team (between technical body, players and directors), 80 passengers with paid ticket, 25 lucky people who won with promotions, and the rest altogether, journalists who traveled to cover the game tomorrow. But the attention was concentrated in the row of seats of Julio Girón, Mainor Dávila and Rigoberto Gomez, when this last one removed his portable computer. Dávila was by a film in DVD (Troy) and began the function deprived on the Caribbean Sea. The Fish, privileged While the racket was higher, Carlos Ruiz, traveled calm in the executive class. This time accompanied with the technical body and directive, Gonzalo Romero and Guillermo Ramirez. Selvin Ponciano returns to Trinidad and Tobago to correct the errors of 16 years ago, when he arrived with the Guatemala U-17 team at a premundialista youthful match, in which they did not qualify. Now it is on time and with chance to leave the island with a victory. Selvin Ponciano is again in the island. No longer he is same chiquillo of 16 years ago (when he played for the first time for the national side), but a mature player now, with a tranquillity that has infected to him to the Guatemalan defensive zone. He goes in search of revenge to a painful defeat in 1989. "When I arrived I remembered of the first time that I came with the youthful selection; first international experience was my; they were other circumstances. It was sad because we were eliminated, but always is one second opportunity to correct and to leave here winning ", expressed Ponciano as his arrival to the island. The first trip arrived at the island and the quadrangular one was before Honduras, the United States and the premises, Trinidad and Tobago. Ponciano remembers that he played like steering wheel of containment and not of central defense, where he seems that he will play tomorrow. They only gained the first encounter before the catrachos and lost both following to be outside. "I come to revert that, because this selection is different; all we come with the intention to win, although we know that Trinidad is pressed and can be that it is its last opportunity to go to a World-Cup. We must be concentrated. I want to go out with a victory here. One which is a personal revenge", concluded Ponciano.
Four players who today integrate the greater selection return to Trinidad and Tobago with the same idea that they had when they did it in U-20 in 2000: To qualify for the World-Cup. Fredy Thompson, Víctor Hernandez, Paulo Caesar Motta and Maynor Dávila were five years ago in Trinidad and Tobago. The four were part of the process U-20 that played, in that country, the last phase of the preworld-cup match. Nevertheless, the memories are not the best ones, but the fact to be today in the greater team in search of the qualification for Germany 2006, they confirms that all the long crossed and all the learned lessons they have been worth the trouble. "Memories... I believe that they are not most pleasing. Here, in Trinidad, I received the worse humiliation than I have had in my soccer life: lost 5-0 against the United States, and a 8-0 against Costa Rica ", remembers Víctor Hernandez. For Fredy Thompson, Trinidad represents a mixture of feelings. He was part of the U-20 team that saw truncated the mundialista dream of a bitter form, but also was in Trinidad where he made his debut with a greater team, three years ago, in the process that directed to Julio Courteous Caesar. "It brings pleasing memories to Me. Here reality was made me the dream make debut with a greater team", assures.
Dwight Yorke is without a doubt the great leader of the team of Trinidad and Tobago, and next to Russell Latapy he heads the challenge to qualify his tea to the World-Cup in Germany 2006. The player - who represents the development of Trinidad soccer after his incursion in Liga Premiership England- gives his vision about the game, of the mentality that prevail in his selection and of the influence that Leo Beenhakker philosophy has had in the team that will fight to assure a ticket for the World Cup. In front of has one day left for the game against Guatemala, how he waits for that moment? We are moved... to play Guatemala will be difficult. We know that we must winn this game to remain in the fight to qualify for the World Cup. For that reason, we know the important thing that it is to winn Saturday. We played the last game against the United States before Guatemala, that was a painful defeat for Trinidad. But now we must put those things far from us. We know that Guatemala is not a team with much superior over us, although we respect them like rivals. We are going to match them and to demonstrate of which we are able Saturday. How he sees the fight that is there between the four selections that look for a direct position in the eliminatory one? He is very interesting, very fought. Game after game are changes, the team that did it well in the previous date go and lose in the following one, and that maintains to us with life to the four. I believe that anyone of the four teams can qualify for the third place, and for that reason we must obtain a good result Saturday it is fundamental. He will continue being the captain...? That I hope! With the presence of Russell Latapy in the team, one knows that the responsibility will be for one of both. I have had the fortune to play for a long time with Russell, he is a great player. I know the leader he is, what he can do on the field, and what his pressece means on this tea. For the challenge that we have Saturday, all its experience will be fundamental. Of what Trinidad must be taken care of when they play Guatemala? Simply, we are going to leave on match day. We know Guatemala, we respected them, but we are going to be very difficult to them on our field. We are going to play since we know to do it. We want to shape the good atmosphere, the effort and the confidence that is there in this team. Trinidad is another team with Beenhakker than it was with Bertille St Clair? Yes, it is different. Different trainer also means different personality, ideas, style, mentality. Everything is different. With this trainer, the team has progressed, we have learn much from him.
In Trinidad still they are left resabios of the day of Independence: Hung flags on the ceilings, flags red, black and white, and pennants of such colors also. Thus it found the selection Guatemalan this island, in where it will face a crucial day in search of the mundialista dream. The colors that they identify to the Trinidadians are in favor of all sides: in the Piarco airport, on the streets, the buildings and even in the Kapok hotel, where the team is concentrated staying. Delayed In the outskirts of the airport, the taxi drivers who dress white guayaberas to be identified easily, crowded around themselves around the screen that announces the arrival of the flights, while they commented: "Guatemala... what flight is that ". Until one of them, expert one in soccer matter said to them: "they come to the soccer match against the Warriors". In effect, the normal itinerary of the flights that land in Trinidad, was altered with the arrival of chárter 9950 of Marks Air, that transported the Team. To the 16,58 hours in Trinidad, that has two hours in front of the Guatemalan schedule, the airplane landed. But it was one hour and quarter later that the group appeared. They say well that in the Caribbean everything goes slow, Trinidad is the Caribbean, and after the celebration of Independence everything marched still more slow. And the process to check immigration in Trinidad requires of a special ceremony. The migratory agent takes the passport, looks for the seal of the visa that emits the consulate, does not understand it, she consults it, and finally she accepts it. She takes the passport, she puts a round seal to it, with two spaces to fill by hand, and does the same in the form of data that distribute within the airplane. She returns to look for the visa to see the number and to fill the spaces with lapicero, and one takes leave: "Welcome to Trinidad". For that reason, the exit of the Guatemalan team was delayed a hour and a quarter, until finally the suitcases came return in the merry-go-round belt. Each one of the members of the team took their luggage and left supposedly directly to the bus that transported them to the Kapok hotel, located to 40 minutes from the airport, sometimes that can be 50 or 60 minutes. Finally, the team settled in the concentration hotel and made a regenerative session of half an hour in the swimming pool. Soon, they had supper and they went away to rest. Agenda In the hotel. To the 15:00 local time (13 of Guatemala) the National team will be in the stage Hasely Crawford Stadium. In the recognition it is had contemplated to make a small heating, char it of the technician Ramon Maradiaga and movements with ball.
Carlos "the Fish" Ruiz caught when arriving at the airport in Port of Spain, in the island of Trinidad and Tobago. Photo Presses Frees: Mario Linares.