Dwight Yorke: It’s far from over.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago skipper Dwight Yorke made it clear that all is not lost despite his team only being able to muster a 1-1 draw at home to Bahrain in Saturday’s World Cup qualifying half slot playoff.
Yorke and his teammates, some disappointed, were still able to keep their heads off and were warmly received after by their fans, many who lined the streets of Port of Spain on the team’s journey back to the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Several chased the bus and applauded from the sidewalks while others also waited at the Crowne Plaza to applaud them and let them know that their support was still there going into Wednesday’s return leg. A group of about a dozen Bahrain visitors who were at the game also waited and clapped each T&T player as they walked through the lobby at the Crowne Plaza on returning after the match. That was followed by a big shout for Yorke who came in last. The vibes put a smile on the player’s faces and following a team talk led by Beenhakker after dinner, the “Warrors” were left knowing exactly what must be done to complete the mission.
The team, scheduled to leave the Hotel at midnight for the Piarco International Airport ahead of their charter flight with some 200 fans including His Excellency, the President Maxwell Richards and FIFA Vice President Jack Warner.
“I want to say that this game is far from over. There’s still a next game to play. We know that the fans, the whole nation will be disappointed with the result and maybe the performance. But we know what needs to be done now and that certainly is going to Bahrain and winning and putting it away,” Yorke said.
“I am very happy about the character my team showed after we went behind because before I think there were times when we would just fold up but we responded well and while I have been fortunate to see a lot of really good goals in my career, Chris Birchall’s striker was a very good one and he deserves full credit for that,” Yorke said.
“Now we must go there and put our heads together again and do what is necessary to realize this dream of ours. We have to still fancy our chances and there’s no reason to think that we are not capable of still doing it,” Yorke ended.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago head coach Leo Beenhakker remained a confident man after tying Bahrain 1-1 before a partisan crowd of 24,991 fans in the 2006 World Cup qualifying half slot playoff at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Saturday.
We now have to prepare ourselves for the second match and in that way it’s still what I said before this game which is that both teams have a 50 percent possibility. This 50 percent from our side is still there,” Beenhakker said after the match. “One again, we have to look for a solution within three of four days.”
Commenting on the better second half showing by T&T, he added “I think first of all we brought (midfielder) Dwight Yorke more up front together with Stern John and Russell was not very much in the game and we tried to do it with Jason Scotland and Kenwyne Jones and we saw something a little bit different,” he added.
Beenhakker added that he didn’t think the slippery conditions caused by rainfall earlier in the day affected his team.
When asked about whether his team didn’t play well under the pressure of the overwhelming response of the home fans all clad in red.
“They are humans as well… football players.
“I don’t know yet. I have to talk to guys about it. I think that what I saw, there was a lot of pressure and some of these players made many technical mistakes which is not normal for these players.”
He didn’t feel Bahrain played far higher than their usual level.
“That’s the way I see they normally play. They weren’t above their usual level.”
The plan for the next match is the same as this one, which is to win,” Beenhakker ended. “Now we must be prepared to go there and get that result and give that performance to bring it home.”
