Jack impresses Blatter at Gold Cup

FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner hailed the recently completed CONCACAF Gold Cup football tournament as a “tremendous success.” Soon plans will be underway to make the 2005 event even bigger. Warner said there were various factors contributing to the outstanding organisation of the competition by CONCACAF, the regional football association he heads. A victory for the Mexicans over Brazil’s Under-23 team turned out to be a fitting end for the host confederation in front of a partisan crowd at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday in Mexico City. “This Gold Cup most definitely was a tremendous success elevated as such by the visit of the President of FIFA, legitimised by our welcome by Mexican President Vicente Fox and laid in posterity through our handprints  in concrete,” Warner said yesterday.

Warner and Blatter, on request by the Mexican Federation, had their hands placed in a cement tray for some fifteen minutes until it hardened and proper prints were made. The prints are to be placed at the Mexican national and football museums in Mexico City. As to how President Blatter felt about CONCACAF’s premier event, Warner said the football boss was exceptionally pleased both in terms of the general organisation as well as the level of play. Several of the world’s top clubs such as Manchester United, Juventus, Celtic, Barcelona and others have embarked on preseason tours in regional countries and for Warner, this is just further proof that the Confederation is attractive to the “big guns” from across the border. “To me it says much more than that as well. It shows up the hypocrisy of the top clubs who are critical of having to participate in FIFA competitions on the ground that their players need a rest and yet, in the off-season, like this one, they go to the ends of the earth in pursuit of the almighty dollar with the very same so very tired players,” said Warner.

And while the CONCACAF boss is busy with his business on the other end he’s also maintaining some form of assistance to the TT Football Federation, getting matches arranged for the senior team which is preparing for 2006 World Cup qualifiers. So far, Warner has helped in finalising matches against Morocco there on September 7 and September 9 against English Second Division side Wrexham in London; as well a clash for the TT senior team against Brazil’s Under-23 team in October. The TT Under-23 team will also face Costa Rica in two friendlies, first in Costa Rica on August 20 and here in October.