Something about today has been different!
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
It’s 11:45 am at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Manama, just 15 minutes away from the team’s final meeting of the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign and a little more than seven hours away from kick off to the match which could change all our lives forever. Already, I am close to tears, win or lose. Trinidad and Tobago has won, at least I have, the players have, the fans have. Reading the Socawarriors.net message board in the wee hours of this morning and showing the messages and prayers to some of the players here brought silence, laughter but importantly signs that the “Warriors” realize more than ever that destiny is at their feet today.
October 1 made it five years since I joined the TTFF and by extension the National Team as Communications/Media Officer and I could not have asked for a better anniversary present than the two victories over Panama and Mexico. Stern John did it for me, my “Warriors” contributed, the fanatical support made my pores raise for days.
Now today, well aware that some players could not fall asleep, with the game on their minds as some fell asleep at 11pm and were up by 3am. But enough time was allowed for them to get the shut eye as breakfast was free until 10 am and group by group, the guys, smiling but focused, trickled down to the restaurant. Something about today has been different. The entire group started assembling at the lobby for the team meeting a level up. Before that, skipper Dwight Yorke and Leo Beenhakker with his assistants Theo de Jong and Wim Rijsbergen engaged in deep conversation awaiting the rest of the team.
Something about today has been different!
Why are you so excited? Kenwyne Jones asked me twice. I smiled. It was different today. Normally I’m the most tense on the eve of a match and moreso on matchday. But something about today has been different.
The biggest match of all our lives. So much can be determined today. At the drive back to the hotel, I thought, what if this is maybe the final ride back from a training session with Leo, Dwight, Russell, Shaka or Stern, together with the rest of the boys. Then instantly, I said to myself, No Way! This is just the final one of the campaign. There will be many after the time when we can say 2006 Journey to Germany – Arrived !
Warriors keep off panic button.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
Head Coach Leo Beenhakker said there was no reason for Trinidad and Tobago to be in any panic state ahead of Wednesday’s do or die final 2006 World Cup qualification playoff at the National Stadium, Riffa from 7pm (12 midday T&T time).
Beenhakker was speaking on the eve of the match, shortly after greeting Bahrain head coach Luka Perozovic at a FIFA arranged media briefing at the Radisson Hotel, a short walk away from T&T’s base at the Crowne Plaza.
The Dutch-born coach, who conducted his final session at the match venue on Tuesday evening, hinted that there may be changes in the T&T start team and also maintained his confidence in striker Stern John.
“Yes (there may be changes) but the team we played with on Saturday is the one which played great matches against Panama and Mexico so don’t panic now because one night we don’t play a match so good. At the same time we have to realize that our situation is a bit different now. We went into the playoffs with an open match and now we know the state of it after half time. It’s 1-1. It means we have to score one goal and in that way it could mean I may have to make some changes but don’t become a guy who will panic after the game on Saturday,” Beenhakker said.
He referred to the fact that Stern John’s three goals against Panama and Mexico were crucial in getting T&T to this stage of the campaign and as a result, he will not point fingers for his less than inspiring performance last Saturday.
Stern John is our striker and he played all our matches for us. He scored two great goals against Mexico. Yes he was a little bit ineffective in the last match but once again we all did not play well as a team. Basically one of the most important things in football is that you have the ball because without that you cannot play the game. We were able to find Stern John for 60 minutes during the Mexico match because we had 60 percent of the ball possession. When you play a bad game like last Saturday with only 40 minutes ball possession then you have less scoring chances. This is why Bahrain was able to dominate for most parts of the game and it had nothing to do with bad defense or tactics or a system. You must have the ball to play the game,” he told TTFF Media.
“I hope we will be ready. In a way we will be under the same conditions as the team of Bahrain which traveled a long time after the match. We have professional football players who are used to traveling and playing under different circumstances,” Beenhakker continued when quizzed about whether he long travel would affect his team.
“He was asked by a Bahrain mediaman as to why he seemed be holding his head more than ever in the first leg.
“Remember Bahrain played their game and they played a good match. I don’t think I had my hands on my head for 90 minutes but I was a little bit disappointed that my own team did not play well. This match in relation to the level of play we had against Panama and Mexico was not good. So of course you as a coach you want to play a good game and also be successful.
Questions were also raised about the ready state of experienced duo Russell Latapy and Dwight Yorke and whether he felt they could not match up to Bahrain because of their ages. Beenhakker quickly replied “The age of the football player is not based on his date of birth but rather whether he is in physically in good shape and if he’s mentally able to play on this level. Both players have shown me and everybody that they can still play great games.”
The Bahrain media even went on to inquire about the David Nakhid situation prior to the match, asking whether Beenhakker had sent the player on a scout mission.
The former Ajax boss replied: “I can assure you we are not stupid. At the moment we have a lot of information about Bahrain and I can tell you that we respect the football of Bahrain totally. First of all I did not send David Nakhid here to get information on Bahrain. This is 2005. There are no more secrets in world football. And no player or no member of staff who were thinking that it would be a walk in park to beat Bahrain. But maybe the public or press felt that but we took the last match very seriously. We never underestimated them before Saturday and we will not tomorrow night”
Striker John meantime was quietly optimistic about his team’s chances, admitting that he would have to put on a new pair of scoring boots to break the deadlock.
“I think we can definitely pull it off but we all have to lift my game. While I want to do well and I know I wasn’t on top of my game last time, I think that right now is not just about me. It’s about an entire nation and whatever I can do for the benefit of the country, then I’m willing to see it that way,” John said.
Bahrain coach Peruzovic said his team would be looking to seal their spot at home.
“We will be cautious but we will play our same game and that should be able to keep us alive and into the next World Cup. I think we did well away last time and now we are at home and it could be a great achievement for us to qualify at home,” Peruzovic said.
At Tuesday’s final sessions which took place under cool conditions from 7:15pm, Beenhakker also had to appeal for a full compliment of match balls after being handed only five for the previous sessions. The “Warriors” trained for 65 minutes at the match venue following the Bahrain team’s workout. But Beenhakker instructed his players to remain in the dressing room until every player was fully ready to begin the session, warning them that once a single player was to step on the pitch, then the clock for the team’s allotted time could start clicking. T&T eventually stayed on for an extra five minutes before the lights started dimming.
But the mood wasn’t affected as Yorke and his players, all 21 of them fit after Aurtis Whitley was declared fully fit following a calf blow, made their way off the pitch and on the bus for the 20- minute drive back to the hotel. Earlier in the day, a team meeting took place prior to lunch and on matchday, the players will be allowed a light day at the session with a final teamtalk before lunch.
“We’re confident now and while we expect the Bahrain team to be a tough bunch in this match, we know that we have to bring our best game on the pitch. Once we can do that, then we definitely are in with a chance of booking our spot in next year’s World Cup,” Yorke said following the final session.
Meantime, The Bahrain Government and FA announced also that there will be no cost for Bahrain fans to get into the Stadium as they intend to have their 35,000 seater venue full of fans in red to follow the home team. FIFA security officer Adrian Titcombe, at the technical meeting on Tuesday, expressed concern over the decision to leave the gates opened and possible unruly behaviour of the fans but was assured by the home officials that there will be order. T&T’s “Warriors” will take the pitch in white shirts and black pants. The match officials will be Oscar Ruiz Acosta (Referee, Colombia), Eduardo Botero Walker (Assistant 1, Colombia) and Fernando Tamayo (Assistant 2, Ecuador).
News from the 15th of November 2005.
Yorke: Time to stand up and be counted.
By: Nigel Simon (Guardian/TSTT).[/size]
T&T football team captain, Dwight Yorke, said he is ready to play his brains out against Bahrain in the “must win” second-leg World Cup play-off at the National Stadium, in Riffa here tomorrow. The match kicks off at 7pm Bahrain time, which is 12 noon TT time.
The Sydney FC striker was speaking to a group of about 10 journalist who made the trip from T&T with the Warriors to this Middle East country following an intense practice session at the Bahrain Football Association headquarters training fields, which are less than five minutes walk to tomorrow’s match venue.
T&T, held to a 1-1 draw at home on Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, must win ,or at least earn a high-scoring draw to book a place in next year’s World Cup finals in Germany, a first for the nation.
Dripping with sweat after he and his team-mates were drilled for almost two hours in cool weather, Yorke, reflecting on the first-leg match said:
“We all are fighting to get the Warriors to the World Cup, but at the end of the match we felt that we could have done much better on the night, we did not play well.
“We have now got ourselves into a tough situation, where we must score first and hope not to concede a goal.
The T&T captain was of the view that his team must stay focused on the task they face tomorrow to get the job done.
“As a team, we have to keep our focus and be sharp, we must play to our maximum because that’s something we did not do on Saturday.
“They (Bahrain) came to play and made life difficult for us on that night, however, we know we can turn things around.
“There is no need for us as a team or a country to panic, we still have 90 minutes of football left to play.”
Asked if he was satisfied with his own performance against the Bahrainis, the former Aston Villa and Manchester United striker replied:
“I know I’m the biggest critic of myself and every time I go out there I always try to give my best and if that means an improvement on the match from before, yes.
“The guys know that there is no secret about the situation and we are prepared to sweat blood to get the result we require.”
The 34-year-old Yorke, once the top scorer in the European Champions League competition, said that he had no butterflies going into the match, but felt it would be a significant one in his career.
“This match is of great significance to me especially at this stage of my career, I’m in my twilight years in the game and the impact this match will have not only on me, but our entire country, is just huge.”
Referring to his days with the Strike Squad (1989) when he and current team-mate Russell Latapy, undoubtedly the two most recognised T&T footballers worldwide in terms of success, and popularity, were faced the same crucial moment, Yorke said:
“It took us 16 years as a nation to get back to as close as where the Strike Squad was and we have to be ready for this match.
“Some of the guys know they did not have the best of matches as they had against Guatemala, Panama and Mexico, but tomorrow we all have to stand up and be counted as individuals and as a team,” he said.
Beenhakker: We have to play our brains out.
“We had two good sessions today (yesterday) and while the morning session was difficult for everyone, as they had to overcome the jet lag from the long flight, it was good.
While the 63-year-old T&T coach again voiced his disappointment with his team’s performance in the first-leg 1-1 draw, he stressed on the importance of Wednesday’s encounter.
“We are working on improving our game for the match, because we all know as a team we did not do a good job in the first match.
“In this key match, a much bigger effort is needed from everyone than before.”
Question as to what effects he thinks Bahrain’s loss of two players through suspension will have on his match, the former Holland and Saudi Arabia coach was quick to note that it was not important for T&T.
“The important thing is for us to play a much improved game, we have to play a good game, just like we did against Panama and Mexico, added Beenhakker.
He also pointed out that playing away in these kind of matches should have no effect on his players.
“The only difference is that your are playing away from your home crowd, they will have the supporters behind them.
“In a way, the crowds can be important, but as I said before, all that matters is how you play on Wednesday.
“At the international level, it does not matter where you play, you just have to get the job done.
“It’s something that players have to deal with at that level, if you cannot cope with it, well then you are not prepared for international football as a player.”
Stressing on what it means for a player to reach the World Cup, the Beenhakker, who has taken his team from the bottom of the Concacaf Group with one point after three matches to within 90 minutes of a World Cup spot said: “
I have been to the World Cup twice and no disrespect to your local league, but if the guys are happy to play in front of crowds between 25 and 100 people then so be it.
“Every young footballer dreams of appearing in a World Cup.”
Acknowledging the support of the T&T fans who came along on the Charter Flight the coach added:
“The support is a boost to the team, of course. It was the same last Saturday.
“Everyone is interested in the team and its very important for the players to know that.
“There are two sporting events in the world that most athletes want to be a part of, that’s the Olympic Games and the World Cup, so normally all coaches and players have to show that they are ambitious.
“We have to go out there and play our brains out on Wednesday and while some of the guys are not yet ready for these big occasions, they will have to learn the job on the field.”
Whitley only injury concern.
He may be the only player carrying a slight knock, but after yesterday’s two practice sessions, midfielder Aurtis Whitley, who was singled out by coach Leo Beenhakker as having his A-game on against Bahrain in the first-leg 1-1 draw, is the only injury concern of the management.
Beenhakker separated his squad into two teams and was very imaginative during the two-hour session on a well grassed training field.
Watched by their travelling band of supporters, led by President George Maxwell Richards and FIFA vice-president and T&T Football Federation advisor, Austin Jack Warner, the Warriors seemed at home. The T&T team will have one more training session today, which coach Beenhakker said will be a light work, before tomorrow’s match.
Warriors made to feel at home.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Trinidad and Tobago skipper Dwight Yorke and teammates were feeling at home from afar as they settled in at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bahrain treated to meals, home cooked-style, compliment of local chef Cecil Wint.
Wint, along with assistant Jeannette Douglas were hired by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation to travel to Bahrain to prepare the meals for the team which was experiencing it’s first stay ever in the Asian country.
Since arriving here on Sunday night, the team has had little to worry about off the pitch and coach Leo Beenhakker has been fortunate to have all conditions in order for preparations ahead of Wednesday’s do or die 2006 World Cup qualification playoff with Bahrain from 12 midday T&T time.
The TTFF also ensured that payments following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bahrain were handed out to the players on time following the match and other incentives are also in place once a win comes through on Wednesday.
The team had a one hour recovery session at the Bahrain FA’s training pitch, a stone’s throw away from the Bahrain National Stadium on Monday morning from 9:30am on Monday.
Under warm conditions, nothing different from what the “Warriors” are accustomed to back home, trainer Zeph Nicholas led the work out while Leo Beenhakker also directed a short sprint session with Dwight Yorke and company before a ball possession exercise which was aimed at getting the players to work the ball around for longer periods.
“Keep the ball like you’ve never done it before,” Yorke yelled several times during the workout. “Just one final push guys, one final push is what we have got to do.”
“I think the mood has been getting better and obviously we know what’s at stake on Wednesday and the guys have accepted that they were disappointing in the last game. This is our chance to make it better and by doing so, claiming our place in the World Cup next year,” Yorke told TTFF Media.
The mood was a vibrant one but one could sense that the intensity of the match on Saturday and then the long flight had taken some toll on the players but it all appeared to be normal again as the session approached closing time. Dennis Lawrence trained separately with Nicholas due to muscle tightness. Midfielder Aurtis Whitley had to spend the time recovering from an ankle blow but has been passed fit to resume training from Tuesday with the rest of the 21-man squad minus Anthony Wolfe who was left out of the traveling party.
Beenhakker then took over the warm down period by repeating the short stop sprints.
Following lunch, Beenhakker led a meeting with the players and words were passionately exchanged. Beenhakker did most of the talking, letting his players know that destiny was at their feet on Wednesday.
“This is what you dream of as a kid. And everything you have achieved or not achieved for the years gone comes down to this. And what you can achieve now makes up for what you have not achieved in the past,” Beenhakker said.
A second session, this time open to the media and witnessed by an enthusiastic bunch of traveling T&T supporters took place from 6pm and the pace increased as Beenhakker put his players into a game situation workout. The turn out by the fans, roughly over 100 hundred of them was the largest ever to witness the team train either home or away for the entire campaign so far.
News from the 14th of November 2005.
Less stress, more passion on the way to Bahrain.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Dwight Yorke and his teammates were a less stressful bunch by late Saturday night as they boarded the Air Tahiti charter flight out of Piarco International Airport on the way to Bahrain.
The 13-hour direct flight arrived in Bahrain at 11pm local time (4pm T&T time) and the fans including FIFA Vice President Jack Warner, departed for a separate hotel while the team and the country’s President George Maxwell Richards took the short drive to the Bahrain Crowne Plaza.
Despite the 1-1 result at home, several fans back home made it their duty to show appreciation to the “Warriors” from the time they left the Hasely Crawford Stadium and made it up Ariapita Avenue and on to Crowne Plaza where a contingent applauded them off the bus and through the lobby.
As the team bus headed up the priority bus route on the way to the Airport after leaving Port of Spain at midnight, fans on the roadside jumped and waved at the sight of their team.
Yorke and company got on to the flight, all seated in business class with some passionate fans behind them in economy including Warner. Only the country’s President and his contingent and TTFF President Oliver Camps sat in First Class.
The vibes on the entire flight, with maybe the exception of the player’s area due to them taking time out for a rest after the match, was exhilarating. But even later on, Yorke’s men got a piece of the ambience as they exchanged words with some of the fans including Warner and Richards.
They sang, danced in their seats and drank from their glasses with Spalksman Anil Roberts and Warner leading the crew in good spirits. His Excellency even took a walk down the aisle to join in the lime for a short while.
For those on board who may have been sweating, maybe even with a headache over the first leg result, the vibes on the plane must have turned their feelings around. Bahrain would be welcoming a still very much optimistic T&T contingent ahead of Wednesday’s return leg. Beenhakker will hold his first session at 9am on Monday to shake off the jet lag and a second session is carded for later in the day.
Meanwhile, English-born midfielder Chris Birchall was thrilled to get his second international goal for Trinidad and Tobago but was not pleased to have only come away with a 1-1 draw with Bahrain in Saturday’s 2006 World Cup qualifying half slot playoff at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The Port Vale man kept T&T in the game with an absolute stunner in the second half as the “Warriors” drew level to go into the second leg on Wednesday with a good enough chance of booking their place in Germany.
“I’m delighted to get my second goal for Trinidad and Tobago and especially the first one at home in front of the packed stadium. But it was a bit of a sour note that we conceded the away goal. Our aim going into the match was to make sure and not concede any goals but at least we’re still in it right now. Now we have to go to Bahrain and we know what’s got to be done,” Birchall said after the match.
The 21-year-old 2005 T&T debutant mentioned that he had been joking around with goalie and roommate Kelvin Jack earlier on Saturday that he would net one on the day.
“Strangely I was actually joking around with Jack and saying that I was going to score one and luckily it happened. But personally I didn’t think I played that well. I think I can play a lot better than I did in this game and that was disappointing but hopefully we can all get it right on Wednesday,” Birchall added.
