Leo to pick training squad

TRINIDAD and Tobago football team coach Leo Beenhakker is expected tomorrow to resume training with home-based and US-based players bidding for selection for upcoming World Cup practice matches. Beenhakker will arrive with assistant Wim Rijsbergen and both are expected to meet with  Anton Corneal to discuss the selection of players for the training sessions. Also to be considered are those who have earned notable mention following the recent sessions with the Under-23 players based in the United States and home. This is in preparation for the Soca Warriors upcoming international match against Iceland on February 28 (Carnival Tuesday) in London, England.

MLS players currently home will also be considered. However missing will be Aurtis Whitley and Cyd Gray, both currently on trial in England and Densill Theobald who heads for Falkirk, Scotland today. Corneal who was recently brought onto the technical staff by Beenhakker as an assistant coach intends  to show coach Beenhakker a video of the sessions with these Under-23 players. “Then we can make recommendations from there,” said Corneal. “We will decide whether they will join preparations before the World Cup and if not, we will look at those who can be in the programme following the World Cup or for other national team  selection,” he said. Corneal commended the players who made themselves available for the recent Under-23 training sessions.

“We always have to thank them for making themselves available because we don’t want to end up in situations where we might lose a player to another country like the United States. Even if you get two players out of such an exercise then it would have been worth the time,” he said. “So far we are on the right track because these players develop every year. They mature as individuals, they get better physically and their discipline in the game itself improves,” Corneal told TTFF Media. Two of the players, defenders Anthony Noreiga and Julius James were happy to be involved in the recent sessions. They noted that since TT’s qualification for Germany 2006, the local footballers overseas are gaining more respect.

“People don’t give talks anymore. They can’t since we qualify because now we are getting that bit of respect out there. All the Caribbean players too, like from Jamaica, can’t keep giving us talks because we have the bragging rights now and it’s just good for us because it will ensure that we try to keep those rights by playing at a high standard,” said James He is a former national Under-17 and St Anthony’s College player who is now at the University of Connecticut. “The invitation to the sessions were really good because it makes us feel that the coaching staff and the Federation are looking our for the players especially those of us who have to come back home and get the chance to take part in a camp like this rather than all the focus just being on the big team. There’s a lot more encouragement now for players,” he said.

Noreiga, who was involved in the MLS Combine sessions over the past few days and a standout with George Mason University, felt the same way. “Well before people didn’t respect Trinidad and Tobago players. They felt we were always there just for show. We have talented players before but we were never able to really demonstrate it with any power. Now we have that and there’s a big turn around,” said the ex-Princes Town Senior Comprehensive and national Under-23 player.