El Salvador warm-up for TT ‘Warriors’

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s senior footballers will have an international warm-up against El Salvador at Hasely Crawford Stadium on May 25, ahead of their next 2006 World Cup qualifier at home to Panama on June 4. The game which will follow the May 18 encounter against top Peru club Alianza Lima, was confirmed by TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner on Tuesday and was well received by head coach Leo Beenhakker. By the time of kick off, the Dutch-born coach is expected to have a fairly organised squad as by then he would have had a chance to work with the majority of the squad. 

Looking ahead to the two matches and next week’s live-in training camp, Beenhakker said: “Next week we start of course little by little with the players from abroad and that means we are on schedule and we will be ready when we start our official preparation for the important games.” But Beenhakker preferred not to dwell on what was officially his first match in charge of the former Caribbean champions. “It was a difference for us as it was a training game but for our opponents, with all my respect, I think it was the final of the World Cup so they beat us with good aggression,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media after the match.  But he added that the exercise served its purpose following seven training sessions with the team.

“It was very useful for me because you can have a lot of training sessions but the truth is on the pitch within a game. Before this game I had a lot of questions and the way we played and how several players were acting gave me a lot of answers,” Beenhakker noted.  “We are still in a try out period. We know very well all the possibilities of the local players now based on training sessions and this match and at least we have many answers. “There were some moments where we played like we wanted to play good football and we had some chances, few though and these guys are working hard to play their best and in that way I was satisfied.” 

Asked on whether he spotted any players in the Stars team, Beenhakker used the chance to respond to reports questioning the decision to omit defender Anton Pierre from the squad.  “Yes, but I won’t be saying any names right now. And listen I don’t understand all the emotion over the last few days over Anton Pierre. Anton is one of the few players we have seen in all the matches played, until now, for the qualifiers so we know him. I think when you start this job in the middle of such a tournament you have a right to give everyone a chance that they can all show if they are ready to play in the team.” English-born trialist Chris Birchall, Clayton Ince and David Nakhid arrived from London on Tuesday evening and made their way to the venue at half time. They will join the training from the next camp starting on Monday.