National Senior Football Team head coach Leo Beenhakker has selected a squad of 21 players for the back to back all important 2006 World Cup qualifying matches against Panama and Mexico.
Beenhakker will leave home for Panama on October 3 with the locally-based players and will be met in Miami by the foreign contingent before taking a connecting flight to Panama later that evening.
There are no major changes from the squad which defeated Guatemala 3-2 and then traveled to Costa Rica for a 2-0 loss except for the return of Coventry City goalkeeper Clayton Ince as a third custodian along with first choice Kelvin Jack and Shaka Hislop in the squad for the two matches and Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones making a comeback after being injured out last time. Local player Anthony Wolfe of National Quarries North East Stars is also in the squad.
Sydney FC striker Dwight Yorke will remain captain with Falkirk midfielder Russell Latapy also in the line up and is expected to make his third straight appearance for the “Warriors” after coming out of retirement for the 3-2 win over the Guatemalans earlier this month.
Beenhakker has stated that without further analysis, T&T’s fate depends on what happens on October 8 (against Panama) and 12 (Mexico). Wins in the two matches will take T&T to 13 points while Guatemala (currently on 8 points) faces Mexico and Costa Rica in their closing matches.
“The main part is for the players to play with the same attitude they have when they play at home for instance in the Guatemala and Panama games we won before. We have to go fir the win from the most moment, from when we are on the plane to when we are back on the bus after the match in Panama,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media on Saturday.
“We know how it works and we must all realize that this is the final countdown and everyone has to do everything to make it happen,” he added.
“There has still been some differences with some players playing with less confidence, like away from home, and with less intensity at times but we have to throw this all overboard and more than ever play our own game in these next two matches.”
On the topic of team selection, Beenhakker said he was accustomed now to different opinions on the players chosen to represent the country but he was fixed on going with the eventual choices.
“Of course there is a matter of choice and I think everyone has to understand that while they all have their favourites, the actual choice of the players is based on the information we have on the current situation of the players. You find people asking about Cornell Glen and I told several persons already that if I take Cornell then they ask well they why don’t I take Kenwyne (Jones). I have a made into a practical situation by taking three goalkeepers, six defenders, seven midfielders and five guys up front so therefore I think there is a lot of balance in the squad,” Beenhakker added.
Jones has returned from an ankle injury and is back in the Southampton team and made a 68th minute appearance in their 0-0 draw with Plymouth in the English Championship Division on Saturday.
“I am happy with Kenwyne and he is fit again. The main thing for us is to be successful in away matches too which has not been the case for our team. It’s clear that we must do whatever we need to get the win in Panama and at the same time Mexico must do their duty at home to Guatemala. In that case it’s becomes a situation where it’s still in our hands but then there’s also a weird side to it because then there is also a situation which I never like in football when you actually don’t have it all in your own hands. We saw it happen when USA played Guatemala and they didn’t have as much interest in it as they did in their earlier games.”
The former Dutch National team and Ajax Amsterdam boss, though not wanting to dwell on what occurred in the early part of the “Journey to Germany”, felt T&T must now make up for the early loss of points at home to USA and Costa Rica.
“Once again when you make your analysis up until now, it’s proven and I don’t ant to blame anyone like the earlier coach or the other players who were in the team then, but basically you can see that you have to be successful in your home matches and you cannot allow the mistakes. We lost five points in the first two games at home to the USA (1-2) and Costa Rica (0-0) and you take those five points now and you would realize that already it would have put us in Germany. But we have to handle it as it is now and I know that. We have everyone on board now and we must just be fit and ready for the next two games. We all travel on the 3rd and we will also send one member of staff to see the Mexico/Guatemala game just to have the latest update before we play them. We already know Panama and it’s down to us now to prepare well and get the job completed,” Beenhakker ended.
The Squad for Panama and Mexico
Goalkeepers:
Kelvin Jack (Dundee FC), Shaka Hislop (West Ham United), Clayton Ince (Coventry City)
Defenders:
Atiba Charles (Vibe CT 105 W Connection), Marvin Andrews (Glasgow Rangers FC), Brent Sancho (Gillingham), Ian Cox (Gillingham), Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Avery John (New England Revolution)
Midfielders:
Russell Latapy (Falkirk), Anthony Wolfe (North East Stars), Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA Fire), Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Silvio Spann (Yokohama FC), Carlos Edwards (Luton Town), Aurtis Whitley (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh)
Forwards:
Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC), Jason Scotland (St Johnstone), Stern John (Derby County), Scott Sealy (Kansas City Wizards) and Kenwyne Jones (Southampton FC)