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Midfielder Chris Birchall described his first goal for Trinidad and Tobago as a “dream come true” moment following the exciting 1-1 draw with Honduras in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup opener at the Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami on Wednesday night.


The 21-year-old Port Vale player was however a concerned chap on Thursday morning before the team left the Intercontinental Hotel for training as the news of the London terrorist attacks hit the T&T camp.

Birchall, who hails from Strafford and has a Liverpool-born father along with T&T’s other UK-based pros were glued to their televisions and on their mobile phones and contact was made with family and friends in and around the areas that were under attack.

New Luton Town signee Carlos Edwards was on the exercise bicycle in the hotel gym when he happened to glance at the television before running off to his room on the seventh floor to ensure his wife Theressa was safe. She is currently staying with his cousin a few miles from the Edgware Road Underground Station where one of the explosions took place. Edwards also took up a new address in London last month following his move to Luton Town.

Though concerned, head coach Leo Beenhakker still managed to conduct a 90-minute training session at the Barry University Ground as the start team against Honduras were given an easier time while the others went through their usual drills with assistant coaches Wim Rhisbergen and Theo De Jong.

“It was a shocker for all of us when we got the news this morning,” Birchall told TTFF Media. “Fortunately for me, I live a distance from where the attacks took place but I have been contact with my family over the phone and they’re in good hands. But it must me a terrible feeling for a lot of people back home now.”

Birchall was still reminiscing in his wonder strike from 25 yards out which put T&T ahead 1-0 the previous evening and won him the Miller Lite “Player of the Game” award.

“We didn’t play the best last night but for me personally to get my first goal out of the way for Trinidad and Tobago and the way I scored it was a nice feeling. It came from the right and then Jason got inside and just sat me in and the way he set the ball it was perfect for me to kill it into the top corner,” Birchall commented.

“It’s just a dream really, even to just come into the squad and then to score a goal like that in my fifth start for the team is unbelievable.”

“There was a bit of a disagreement with the gaffer because he didn’t want me to come over for the tournament but once I made my mind up, he said to go out and play my game and do what I had been doing for Port Vale all season. He’ll be pleased to know that I have scored and my confidence will be high playing for Trinidad again and then going back to England.”

Beenhakker gave the team the evening off, ordering that they rest until 3:30 and then be on their own until 11pm.

“We were not happy with the way the game went for us last night apart from the result and we know what has to be done for the next game,” Beenhakker said after lunch. “Today is more like a recovery period after the game but it doesn’t just mean that we do what we feel to do. Tomorrow (Friday) the regular programme resumes.”

T&T faces Panama at 7pm on Saturday at the Orange Bowl.