Gray to lead Soca Warriors

Coach Wim Rijsbergen gave the armband to Cyd Gray yesterday on the team’s second day in Tokyo and trained at the match venue for one hour.

The 2006 Keirin Cup encounter will be played before a sold out venue of 55,000 fans and kicks off at 7.20 pm (6.20 am TT time).

The TT team, minus captain Dwight Yorke and midfielder Aurtis Whitley, had its first outfield training session under humid conditions on Monday morning after arriving the previous day and checking in at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Tokyo.

They then had a light stretching exercise session on the compound in the evening following a twenty-one hours flying time via London, England.

Rijsbergen will also go into the match with 17 players after an MRI scan on Yorke at Sydney FC revealed that he suffered a slight strain in his left groin tendon and has been advised to rest for a few days.

He is expected to visit a groin specialist this week.

Whitley meantime also withdrew from the trip at the last minute due to personal family commitments and his place has been taken by Jabloteh’s Kerry Baptiste.

Yorke, who had committed to joining the young team last month following the invitation from Rijsbergen, was disappointed with not making the trip, particularly as it would be the first outing for the Soca Warriors following their World Cup debut.

“We are happy to be here to play this match. We are bringing just the players from the local league because it’s not an official FIFA date and it’s a good opportunity for the local players to show their qualities.

“We have some players with the World Cup experience as well here with us and we will use them in the best possible way,” Rijsbergen said yesterday.

“They want to show that they deserve every minute of it and that what happened in Germany was no lucky show for us.

“All over the world it’s the same. They enjoy playing and they try to create and the football may have a lot of risks. And that’s the part we took off when we were trying to get to the World Cup and playing there.

“But we have to respect the nature of their game but we have to put it together in the best way to be successful in World Cup level. But we also do not want to take away from the creative side from some of our players. “Football is a team sport and we balanced both and that will be the future of our game as well. Let’s enjoy the game and hopefully we can continue working on it together and play our best football,” said the Dutchman.

“It’s almost the same with Osim and the Japan team because they also have a lot of new faces from their league here and like us they will be trying to expose them to the international game. I don’t know too much about their team but I have seen them before and we know their style just like they will know us.

“I expect it to be an open game and we will go for it once the whistle goes,” Rijsbergen said.

Gray, a former Joe Public and Roxborough Composite player, has made 41 appearances for TT since his debut in a friendly against Guatemala at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo in 2001.

And though at one time he was criticised for his performances in the qualifiers that season, he has matured and performed creditably in the first two World Cup matches in Germany before injury forced him out of the Paraguay match.

“I feel very honoured to be able to lead a national team in a game against Japan. It’s a young team and it will be a tough task for us but that’s what football is about and I expect that we will be eager to do well.

“The big crowd will not be a problem for some of us and we will try our best to ensure the rest of the new guys settle in as well,” Gray said.

Some of the regular faces in the squad to face Japan include Joe Public’s Gary Glasgow, Jabloteh defender Keyeno Thomas as well as Atiba Charles, Anthony Wolfe, Evans Wise with defender Ian Gray, Baptiste, Trent Noel, goalie Jan Michael Williams and Glenton Wolfe all having had stints before.

The newcomers include goalkeeper Marvin Phillips, a former national Under-17 member and Stephan David, Andre Pacheco and Kendall Jagdeosingh.

Arriving today to witness the match will be FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner while local songstress Sharlene Boodram, whose agent is from here, is carded to sing the TT anthem before kick-off.

TT Squad —

Goalkeepers: Marvin Phillip (Starworld Strikers), Jan Michael Williams (W Connection)

Defenders: Keyeno Thomas (Jabloteh), Atiba Charles (W Connection), Ian Gray (Jabloteh), Avery John (New England Revolution), Cyd Gray (Jabloteh), Midfielders: Kerry Baptiste (Jabloteh), Andre Pacheco (W Connection), Glenton Wolfe (Jabloteh). Trent Noel (Jabloteh), Stephan David (Caledonia AIA) Clyde Leon (W Connection)

Forwards: Gary Glasgow (Joe Public), Evans Wise (Waldhof Manheim), Anthony Wolfe (Jabloteh), Kendall Jagdeosingh (Caledonia AIA).