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News from the Caribbean as of
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Trinidad and Tobago's 'Soca Warriors' ready to rumble
Monday, May 8, 2006
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (AFP): The bookmakers might have made them the longest of long shots, but Trinidad and Tobago are odds on to be every neutral fan's favourite when they make their World Cup debut.
The 'Soca Warriors' booked their place in Germany after a rollercoaster qualifying battle which ended with a nail-biting play-off victory over Bahrain, sparking wild celebrations across the Caribbean nation of 1.1 million people.
T and T's qualification finally erased the bitter memory of 1990, when they only needed a draw in their final match against the United States to secure a place in Italy but ended up losing 1-0 at home to miss out.
A similar story of disappointment looked to be unfolding in 2006 qualifiers, when the islands lost four of their six opening matches.
But T and T federation boss Jack Warner's decision to step in and appoint Dutch legend Leo Beenhakker in place of coach Bertille St Clair proved an inspired move, helping the CONCACAF minnows win three of their last four games.
Beenhakker, who coached Holland at the 1990 World Cup, has instilled a direct style of play and a sense of belief amongst his squad.
He has also had no qualms about picking foreign-qualified Trinidad and Tobago players such as Port Vale's Chris Birchall, the first white player to represent the islands in 60 years.
The key man however has been striker Dwight Yorke. The former Manchester United player notorious for his party lifestyle was inspirational in qualifying, bringing the best out of his less experienced team-mates.
Yorke insists the islanders won't just be making up the numbers in Group B, where they face England, Paraguay and Sweden. "Realistically we are going there to compete. We have a fifty-fifty chance like everybody else," said Yorke.
Leading scorer from qualifying with 12 strikes Stern John, veteran playmaker Russell Latapy, goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and defensive lynchpin Dennis Lawrence are other key figures in the squad.
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