TT lose first game under Beenhakker

Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker lost his debut match in charge of Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors Tuesday evening when reigning national club champions North East Stars beat them 2-0 in a friendly at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Goals in each half from local youth star Kendal Jagbeusingh and Guyanese Kayode McKinnon gave the North East Stars the win as Beenhakker saw a first match performance by the struggling Soca Warriors, who are winless from three games so far in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany next year. 

 “I don’t want to read too much into the result,” Beenhakker said after the game. “The exercise was to see how the players did in a match situation, because it’s fine to do what is asked in training but match situations are different,” he added.  National Under-20 player Jagbeusingh sent North East Stars ahead on 23 minutes when he drove a low left-footer — from inside the box — past goalkeeper Duarance Williams in a relatively tame first half. 

Coached by Guyanese James McLean, North East Stars sealed the game when McKinnon ripped a fine free kick from the edge of the box past Williams in the 60th minute to sink the TT squad, comprising local-based players. “I now have a very good idea of what the local players have to offer and will be selecting a few of these players with the overseas professionals coming in next week and begin working with the squad,” said Beenhakker, who took over as TT’s Head Coach last month.