TT footballers arrive in Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior footballers were preparing for their first training session at the National Stadium in Bangkok this morning following an exhausting 19-hour journey from Piarco. Coach Bertille St Clair and his troops left on Monday night and following a nine-hour flight to London, England they stopped for a couple hours before boarding another flight which took ten hours to Bangkok. The weary travellers finally settled at the luxurious Radisson Hotel at around 9 am yesterday morning Thailand time. Here for Saturday’s friendly international against Thailand, skipper Angus Eve and company seemed all prepared to get down to business. The team will have two sessions today in what has been warm conditions so far. Also accompanied by 14 members of the Angostura Woodbrook Playboyz Steel Orchestra, the only hiccup so far has been the news that Dundee defender Brent Sancho is out of both matches against Thailand and Korea Republic.

Sancho suffered a knee injury in training with his club on the weekend. And English League One club Wrexham have also refused to release defender Dennis Lawrence at the last moment despite being notified by the TTFF at least two weeks in advance. FIFA have since been informed of the matter and it is expected that he may be released this week and should travel to Thailand along with Birmingham City striker Stern John who is also in preseason training with his English Premier League club. The rest of the squad is here with China-based duo Gary Glasgow and Arnold Dwarika both joining the team while Scottish-based striker Jason Scotland and Southampton defender Kenwyne Jones also cutting short their preseason campaigns to join St Clair’s team. Experienced utility player Anthony Rougier, Falkirk midfielder Brent Rahim, Wake Forest University striker Scott Sealy and Craotia Zagreb midfielder Silvio Spann is also in the team with Trinidad-based pros, skipper Angus Eve, Densil Theoald, Kerry Baptiste, Keyeno Thomas, Derek King, Marlon Rojas and goalkeepers Kelvin Jack and Duarance Williams.

“This again is another opportunity for us to use this kind of experience to our benefit. This is not just some trip where we arrive here and enjoy the experience and just play a game,” St Clair told said yesterday. “Getting here was no easy task and just being on this side of the world is no easy accomplishment. There is a lot at stake for the players and the team on a whole in these two matches. We are using it as preparations for the bigger picture which is to qualify for the World Cup in Germany. This is why it is so important that we continue to perform well,” St Clair said. “The guys must realise that it is no longer just about talent and big names. The game has continued to change and  a major part of what is required is hard work and commitment. There must be a great desire to want success and a classic example of this was the victory by Greece in the European Championship.

They showed what is required to get the job done and this is something we need to follow and I believe that we have the potential to do so but it’s just up to us now to want it so much where we can go right down to the wire to achieve our goal,” he said. “We must want to be part of a change, a change in our lives and a change for the benefit of the country. We should be able to be well judged. As a coach as well, he is one who is judged by what happens when he comes out the dressing room and what happens on the pitch, and it is the same with the players that make up a team,” St Clair said. CONCACAF President Jack Warner is also in Bangkok along with TTFF General Secretary Richard Groden and other officials. Thailand were recently coached by Brazilian-born Carlos Roberto Carvalho who resigned following a 4-1 loss to North Korea. On Monday they suffered a 2-0 loss to Bahrain in a friendly in Bangkok. The home team is currently also preparing for 2006 World Cup qualifiers.