By VALENTINO SINGH, Sports Editor

FORMER national football coach Bertille St Clair has accepted an invitation from technical director Alvin Corneal to be part of the Trinidad and Tobago technical staff.

However, St Clair is unlikely to join the staff before the clash against Mexico on April 25. Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) adviser Jack Warner said last night after talks with coach Ian Porterfield and his assistants Zoran Vranes and Jimmy Blanc, it was felt the team did not need more technical help at this time.

"I have spoken to the coach and his assistants and they do not need St Clair." Warner did not rule out the possibility of St Clair returning after the Mexico clash.

"We still have a long campaign ahead of us and there is every possibility that we may have to utilise St Clair's services. But our coaches have agreed that there is no immediate need for him."
St Clair's decision to accept Corneal's invitation followed lengthy talks with the newly-appointed technical director Wednesday night.

Corneal said he called on St Clair to be part of the set-up when the TTFF approached him to take over the team. "Initially he was very apprehensive but I am happy to say that he has agreed to be part of the set-up."

Corneal said he has sent sent off a letter to the Football Federation informing it of St Clair's position. Up to late yesterday, the TTFF had not received Corneal's letter, according to Warner. "But this is unlikely to have any effect on the composition of the technical staff for the Mexican game."

Porterfield stays

By MARK POUCHET

NEWLY-APPOINTED Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) technical director Alvin Corneal
said that national senior team coach Ian Porterfield “was no part” of his plans.
 

That was on Tuesday, but after a meeting with the T&TFF executive and the senior team technical staff
yesterday, Porterfield is still in the mix.
 

And it was his predecessor Bertille St Clair who was not on the cards.
 

After his appointment was announced on Tuesday, Corneal stated that Porterfield’s ideas were “too far
different” from his, claiming that St Clair, who coached the team to its highest-ever placing at the 2000 Gold
Cup in the USA, would be able to “do a better job”.
 

But all the wrangling between the new appointee and the current coach seems to have been settled at a
meeting at the Concacaf office of Jack Warner.
 

Joining Porterfield and Corneal at the meeting were team manager Neville Chance, assistant manager Neil
Mollineau and assistant coaches Jimmy Blanc and Zoran Vranes, who was named to his post on Tuesday.
 

In the chair was T&TFF president Oliver Camps, while Fifa vice president Warner attended in his capacity as
the football association’s advisor.
 

Describing this juncture in T&T football as “a new era and a focus on the future”, Camps said the matter of
re-hiring St Clair never arose.
 

“That was not even mentioned,” Camps said emphatically. “If they (the technical staff) discuss and decide they
want to bring somebody else on board then they’ll have to pass it on to our committee and then we’ll make a
decision. But nothing like that came up.”
 

And the Scotland-born Porterfield confirmed Camps’ statement, telling the Express he will be at the helm of
the senior team for their April 25 encounter against Mexico at the Queen’s Park Oval.
 

Porterfield was pleased with the way the meeting went and hoped Corneal, who was appointed to his new
post following T&T’s dismal showing in a 3-0 loss to Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying last week, would
help the technical staff “to improve the performance of the team” in the remainder of their World Cup
campaign.
 

“In the end, our objective is to take this country to the World Cup,” said the coach, also denying claims there
was any division among the players.
 

At yesterday’s meeting, a short-term plan for the Mexico game and preparations for the other games in the
campaign were discussed, as well as “the solidarity, the communication and co-operation” among the technical
staff.
 

Camps added that “everyone pledged to work for the benefit of the team and country”.
 

Warner, too, was in good spirits after the meeting.
 

The CFU president described the meeting as “very fruitful” and explained that Porterfield was not given an
ultimatum after the team’s poor performance in Costa Rica.
 

“Football is a funny game,” he said, “and I appreciate the vicissitudes of the game. One minute you’re up, then
next you’re down. The thing is not to allow the downward cycle to continue for too long.”
 

But asked if any changes would come if the senior team lost against Mexico, Warner had this to say: “So be it.
It’s not the end of the world. Once you are sure you give something your best shot then so be it. But we have
at least to give it our best shot.”

Porterfield defends strategy

By LASANA LIBURD

TRINIDAD and Tobago senior team coach Ian Porterfield has stuck to his earlier position that the strategy
employed in the 3-0 away loss to Costa Rica was correct.
 

Porterfield spoke to the media on Tuesday at the Queen’s Park Oval during a news conference called by the
Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) to address the World Cup qualifying campaign thus far.
 

However, Porterfield insisted he was not to blame.
 

“The strategy was okay, I don’t think the strategy was wrong,” said Porterfield. “I don’t think that the strategy
was wrong against Jamaica (either)...With that system, we came 29th in the world and that’s a fact. The
highest position that this country has ever been in.”
 

Porterfield did not reveal what the strategy was nor did he give much by way of his halftime team talk in the
dressing room during last Wednesday’s match against Costa Rica.
 

He maintained, though, that the “Soca Warriors” performed well in the first half, despite the statements of
several former national coaches—including former technical advisor Edgar Vidale—to the contrary.
 

Instead, Porterfield pointed to the absence of players like Wrexham’s stopper Dennis Lawrence, Joe Public’s
forward Arnold Dwarika and Kansas City Wizards’ striker Gary Glasgow through injury. He also missed the
rugged service of Columbus Crew’s wing back Ansil Elcock, who missed out through suspension.
 

Elcock will return to the national fold for T&T’s home game against Mexico on April 25.
 

The coach admitted that his squad lacked quality left-sided players, but blamed that on the scarcity of good
left footers in the country.
 

Porterfield again responded evasively when asked why more support was not given to Joe Public wing back
Cyd Gray, who was constantly under siege against the speedy Costa Ricans.
 

“On the training pitch before the game, we tried to make sure that the problem did not arise,” said Porterfield.
“We knew where their strengths lay, but unfortunately on the day we couldn’t stop it.”
 

All three Costa Rican goals began with attacks down the right side of the T&T defence, which was manned
by Gray.
 

Porterfield will retain his position as head coach—which he accepted in March 2000—despite two successive
away losses to Jamaica and Costa Rica, but he will now be assisted by Fifa technician Alvin Corneal and Joe
Public’s Yugoslav coach Zoran Vranes.
 

Corneal and Vranes were officially announced as the new technical director and assistant coach, respectively,
by T&TFF president Oliver Camps.
 

Camps, who occupied the head table alongside Fifa vice-president Jack Warner, Sports Minister Manohar
Ramsaran and team manager Neville Chance, explained that their appointments were deemed necessary after
the team’s performance in both matches.
 

“Following our matches against Jamaica and Costa Rica,” said Camps, “it has become clear to us at the
Football Federation, and surely the wider community of Trinidad and Tobago, that our team’s performance in
both matches has been less than what we believe is the team’s capability.”
 

Porterfield will still be responsible for team selection and on-field changes during the course of the game.

]Thursday April 5th, 2001

FIFA technician Alvin Corneal was yesterday named by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) as the new technical director of the senior football team. And his first act was to call for the immediate return of axed head coach Bertille St Clair.
 

St Clair held the position of Trinidad and Tobago senior team coach from May 1997 to March 2000 when he was replaced by Scotsman Ian Porterfield.
 

Corneal himself was national senior team coach in the early 1990s—after Everald “Gally” Cummings who nurtured the famed “Strike Squad”—but resigned when the then T&TFA announced plans to make an English coach his superior as technical director.
 

Corneal and St Clair both worked together at national youth level in the mid-1980s.
 

In a press conference at the Queen’s Park Oval yesterday, T&TFF president Oliver Camps declared that Corneal and Joe Public’s Yugoslav coach Zoran Vranes will take up their posts as technical director and assistant coach respectively with immediate effect.
 

The decision comes in the wake of two successive World Cup qualifying defeats away to Jamaica and Costa Rica. T&T currently lie at the bottom of a six-team Concacaf table with no points or goals scored and four conceded.
 

However, the T&TFF told the media that both men must work alongside current head coach Porterfield and manager Neville Chance who will both retain their posts.
 

Mere hours after his appointment, Corneal—who was not present at the press conference—told the Daily Express that he did not want Porterfield on board.
“Porterfield is not part of my plans,” said Corneal. “I have no problem if they want to keep him but I think his ideas are too far different from mine... With all due respect to Mr Porterfield, I think Bertille (St Clair) will do a better job.
 

“I think that as technical director, they (the T&TFF) have to respect my choice of coaches.”
 

St Clair became the first coach to lead an English-peaking Caribbean country to a Fifa World Cup tournament when he led the “Soca Babes” to the 1991 Portugal World Youth Cup. He was not retained after that competition but, following a stint as head coach in St Vincent and the Grenadines, was eventually recalled in 1997 to lead the national senior team following their disastrous 1998 World Cup qualifying campaign.
 

St Clair lasted roughly three years in that post before he was fired by Fifa vice-president and T&TFF special adviser Jack Warner after taking T&T to the 2000 US Gold Cup semifinals—their highest ever placing in the competition.
 

Warner, at that time, told the media that he was dissatisfied with the performance of the team and felt the need to act quickly to preserve T&T’s chances of earning a spot in the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup competition.
 

“In spite of our success and victories,” said Warner, “I still find the team to be technically deficient in several areas—particularly with regard to our defence and, to a lesser extent, our midfield. I felt all along that we would pay for those deficiencies.”
 

However, Corneal, who has the responsibility of reviving T&T’s floundering World Cup bid, believes that St Clair is needed to erase the shortcomings of Porterfield.
 

“I think that he (St Clair) will bring back the player respect and discipline that is needed,” said Corneal. “I think that this has been eroded under Porterfield and I also understand that there is a bit of division among the players as well. “
 

Corneal said that he will approach the T&TFF executive committee today with his ideas. The committee comprises Camps and Warner as well as T&TFF general secretary Richard Groden and vice-president Lennox Watson.
 

Corneal admitted that St Clair has had some “off-the-field problems” with “certain people” but said that their discussions were still positive.
 

Richard Braithwaite, dismissed as team manager along with St Clair, was also said to be a “good prospect” to return to the job now occupied by Chance. Corneal expressed his delight at working with Vranes who, he said, did outstanding work with the 1996 Olympic football squad, particularly the defence.
 

The T&T defence and the composition and organisation of the players on the field, according to Corneal, are the main areas of concern.
 

FC Zurich left winger Jerren Nixon—discarded by Porterfield—was mentioned as the best option on the left side of midfield while former national youth defender Avery John may get a chance to fill the vacancy at left back.
 

Corneal hinted that he liked the attacking duo of Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke and Nigel Pierre and they should be given the chance to gel. There was little else that impressed him about Porterfield’s squad.
 

“Nothing in the last 180 minutes we have played is encouraging,” said Corneal. “Because we haven’t scored while he have conceded four... We are going to work hard to try to bring some respectability to the team and at least try to cover the gaps exposed in the past two games.
 

“I have the experience, I think,” he ended, “and I will give it a shot.”
 

Defender Ansil Elcock is working feverishly to get himself ready for the World Cup qualifying match against Mexico on April 25 and the start of the new American Major League season.
 

Elcock was banned by FIFA for three matches for a tackle on Mexican striker Blanco. He missed T&T's last two matches in the final qualifying round.
 

During his break, Elcock underwent surgery to clean up cartilage in his left knee in late February and has almost fully recovered, according to a report from the Columbus Crew team. "When I first heard I was banned, I made the decision to get it fixed," he said. Elcock is enjoying his training at the moment.
 

"It's good for me to get the training with the team. I've got to get back in shape. I'm only about 60 per cent. I've been doing a lot of work with (assistant coach) Greg Andrulis. I want to be ready to open the season," said Elcock, who turned 32 last month. He played on the right and left flank in a recent preseason game against Dallas Burn.
 

"We had him on the right side for 15 to 20 minutes, then moved him to the left flank to get a taste of both sides," crew coach Tom Fitzgerald said, adding it is not difficult to use the player in various positions. Crew open their 2001 MLS season against the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
 

In related news, Elcock's national teammate Dennis Lawrence could recover from a damaged rib earlier than expected as reports from the club stated the injury is not as bad as first feared.
 

His bruised rib is still painful. Carlos Edwards, who damaged a ligament in his knee last month, should be back in training this month while Hector Sam, coming off a double hernia operation, is back in training and awaiting a pick on the Wrexham first team.

Latapy to decide by month end

Russell Latapy intends to help Hibernian to one of the top two places in the final Scottish Premier League standings and a possible Cup title.
 

Latapy's fans have been wondering where he will campaign next season, but the "Little Magician" will decide at the end of the Scottish season.
 

"I haven't really had time to look into that since I'm on national duty. I'm not really sure. I want to concentrate on the national team right now. I have some offers to consider, but I'll just have to wait and see," said Latapy.
 

He remains fully committed to Hibs. "We're in with a chance of making the Champions' League and I'll love to do that and also a chance of getting the Cup."

Latapy's Hibs lost 0-2 to St Johnstone on Sunday with the "Little Magician" being unlucky to have a late effort come off the post. Hibs are third with 60 points, behind leaders Celtic (82 points) and Rangers(66).

Prayer is a special part of the T&T's preparations, according to former captain Anthony Rougier. Rougier, a born-again Christian, says it is something the players now engage in at various times of the day.
 

"It is a responsibility I take to glorify God in every way I can. It is something I must do. The players strongly understand their ability and what they achieved for T&T hasn't come just like that. To achieve what we have comes by the grace of God. We work hard and, from that point of view, I try to keep on a level head with the players," said Rougier.
 

The Reading FC player told the TTFF Media in Costa Rica the T&T team is now getting back to where it was at last year in terms of cohesion. "Obviously we have to learn no matter what happens, we have to support each other. At the moment, Ian Porterfield is the coach and we are the players. We need the support. I think we have to support the team no matter what happens."
 

Rougier came on in the 46th minute of Reading's 2-1 win over Nottingham County on Sunday. Their promotion push continues as they now lie third on the Second Division table with 73 points, four behind leaders Rotherham.

Dwight Yorke got a double dose of disappointment over the past week after having a second goal disallowed while playing for Manchester United in a 0-2 loss to Liverpool on Saturday.
 

Yorke had indicated earlier he thought his second half strike in T&T's match against Costa Rica was valid, but it was ruled offside. Then, during Saturday's action, Yorke had another second half strike ruled offside and felt he was onside according to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
 

"Dwight thought he was onside, but I asked the question of Phil (Neville), why he did not score it himself and he said it was a tap-in for Dwight, so there you go," said Ferguson.
 

Despite the victory for the "Reds", Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier said his team still had some way to go before being able to reach the heights of Yorke and his teammates.
 

Yorke will undoubtedly be aiming to help the "Soca Warriors" return to winning ways against Mexico later this month.

West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and striker Stern John believe the race towards 2002 World Cup qualification is still open.
 

"Of course the group is wide open. The States are obviously the early favourites. It is important we pick up home points. I strongly believe we have it in us to grind out the results away from home despite the disappointing start. It is a long way to go, and many of us have been in similar situations previously.
 

We know what it takes to get ourselves out of this hole and we can't let our heads drop. As long as we remain positive and with a little bit of luck, the results will go our way," Hislop told TTFF Media last Thursday.
 

Hislop stood in goal for West Ham in English Premiership action on Saturday, but came out 0-2 losers to Everton.

John said T&T will now have to throw everything at the Mexicans on April 25.
 

"It was tough in Costa Rica. The first half was really good. We just fell asleep at the start of the second half. We still have a lot to look forward to. We just have to throw everything against Mexico."
 

The former Columbus Crew player came on in the 80th minute of Nottingham Forest's 1-1 draw with Queen's Park Rangers on Saturday, which virtually ended his club's chances of promotion into the English Premiership.
 

They now lie seventh on the table with 60 points. Meanwhile, Ian Cox's Burnley suffered a 0-5 hammering from Blackburn Rovers on Sunday and are now in 10th spot with 55 points.

Former national youth midfielder Glenn Benjamin has been signed by Charlestor Battery of the American A-League.
The former St Benedict's College player completed his move to the club earlier this month and has been tipped to add depth and experience to their midfield, team coach Alan Dicks said.
 

"Glenn is a world class player. He's played for the Trinidad and Tobago National Team at U18, U20 and at the Full-National Team level. That kind of experience will certainly help the Battery this season, and I am very pleased to welcome him on-board," said Dicks.
 

Benjamin played the opening 45 minutes of Battery's 5-0 win over Coastal Carolina in warm-up game last Tuesday.
The 28-year-old is a former member of the A-League's New Orleans Storm and is a graduate of the University of Mobile (UM) with a degree in Marketing.
 

Local fans will remember Benjamin as a member of the T&T Under-20 team that participated in the World Youth Cup in Portugal in 1991.

Shaun Fuentes is the communications officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation.
 

It's easy to claim that the loss against Costa Rica in the World Cup qualifier last Wednesday, was disastrous. Those who were disappointed have every reason to be.
 

The bottom line now reads two matches played, no wins and two losses for T&T. Nothing could have read worse and it's almost like a horse race where one horse was left in the boxes for the first 200 metres.
 

A likely comeback for that horse is highly probable, but in football, it is slightly different. When we take a look at the fixtures, we expect that there will be winners and losers along the way, which could easily bring the field back to T&T.
 

Losing away games is not surprising. We have seen it so often in other countries across the football world. Sometimes even the poorest sides hold their home advantage.
 

So let us not cast aspersions on our chances in this competition. If we remember well enough, Jamaica had gone four matches without a point before qualifying for France 98.
 

However, that does not stand in the way of a complete and precise analysis of the team's performances, the preparations, and everything leading up our defeats.
 

Only a total optimist or someone who has no understanding of the game will defend the mediocrity of our field performances. Jamaica helped our cause in Kingston with an equally abysmal display of football where neither team deserved a point from the match. Try desperately to extract some good points from that game and it would be like pulling teeth.
 

The same or worse can be said about the Costa Rica encounter where the team seemed short of technical, theoretical or mental preparation. This opens the door for a sound critique of the knowledge which guides the destiny of the team play, and maybe it is the first area of change that may be needed.
 

For many of the disappointed fans, a quick jump to "Fire the coach" would be a chant that sounds good to the ear. Yes, only because the ideas of Ian Porterfield have brought very little to the table for debate on the poor football demonstrated by some of the finest players we have ever been able to put together for many years.
 

So, where do we go from here. ? Or better still, is it only the coach and his staff to target ? I don't think so.
Some players must be reassessed as they have not shown the ability which they displayed over the years.
 

It is almost pitiful to see the 'Little Magician' Russell Latapy appear as innocuous as he did in recent times, while the absence of playing time for their clubs have deprived Stern John, Anthony Rougier and to a lesser extent, Ronnie Mauge of some of the effectiveness of which we know them to be capable.
 

Names do not win matches, performances do. And if that is the case, then Nigel Pierre, Brent Rahim, Lyndon Andrews, and Mickey Trotman, are players who will produce the quality play for T&T.
 

I hope that its not too late to ask pertinent questions about the whereabouts of players like Gary Glasgow, Darin Lewis, Jerren Nixon, Avery John and a long lost Shaun Boney.

The speed of Glasgow, the excellent skill and guile of Lewis, the mixture of both from Nixon, the aggression of Avery John in defence especially on the left flank, and the variable assets of Boney, his extraordinary aerial play because of his 6ft-7inches, his powerful left foot on freekicks, and his absolute aggression in the tackle, should not be ignored.
 

Many changes you may say but my suggestion for a more committed effort from our national team will be to recall those players and place them into the hands of Bertille St Clair (give him advisors if you think that he needs them) and set the new machinery in motion.
 

We are certain to have a more organized team performance when the Mexicans arrive. Please note that I did not emphasise the possibility of beating the shirts off Mexico, because I have the greatest respect for one of the more advanced football countries. However, with full effort and a careful game plan, even Mexico can feel the pain.
 

What else is needed? Your relentless support for the country's national team. Remember, we are still one of the most recognised football countries in the world with a population of less than a million and a half people. Do not throw in the sponge, you may need it to wipe the tears of our opponents.
 

By IRVING WARD

ALVIN Corneal is back at the helm of Trinidad and Tobago football. Corneal was yesterday appointed as the new Technical Director of the 2002 World Cup team.
 

And one of his first recommendations to the local football federation will be to bring Bertille St Clair back into the fold.
 

"I certainly think Bertille did quite a good job while he was in charge," Corneal said yesterday. "He (St Clair) may not have had the experience and knowledge then to take us further, but that's what I'm here for now. Hopefully, I'll be able to assist him and the other coaches to get the job done."
 

If the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation were to accept Corneal's recommendation, then St Clair - if he also accepts the challenge - would join current coach Ian Porterfield and Yugoslav Zoran Vranes in a new-look technical staff.
 

Corneal and Vranes' appointments came as part of a shake up in the wake of T&T's two opening final round loses to Jamaica and Costa Rica.
 

Also retained along with Porterfield were assistant coach Jimmy Blanc and Team Administrator Neville Chance while Clayton Morris and Michael Maurice were sacked. Confirmation of this came from TTFF president Oliver Camps at a press conference at Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
 

Starting off with his now often used catch phrase "To whom much has been given, much is expected", Camps said they had drafted Corneal and Vranes, both former T&T coaches, following a meeting of its emergency committee.
 

"We are mindful of the fact that the current technical staff had done well to bring our senior national team to this stage of the World Cup qualifying series but, in the light of our two most recent experiences, there needs to be some additional input in this area," Camps said. However, at the time, Camps could not have been privy to Corneal's intention to ask St Clair be recalled to duty.
 

St Clair and the TTFF parted rather unceremoniously last year when he was sacked in the wake of T&T's failure to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup, an apparent pre-requisite for his keeping the job at the time.
 

Corneal - who first coached T&T in 1980 and also had brief stints in 1990 and '94 - is hoping St Clair will forget all that has past in the best interest of the country.
 

"Being Trinidadian, I didn't think it was right to turn my back on it (coaching job)," Corneal said after revealing he was asked to assist by FIFA vice-president and TTFF adviser Jack Austin Warner.
 

Warner, not aware of where the ever busy Corneal was at the time, sent out an e-mail to his close friend on the matter.
In a strange twist of fate, Corneal is now back home for the funeral of a close relative and contacted Warner after reading the e-mail.
 

In fact, Corneal said he only discussed the matter briefly with Warner yesterday morning before making up his mind.
As a result, Corneal did not attend yesterday's press conference and expressed surprise when learning it was announced there that Porterfield was still part of the mix.
 

"When I spoke to Mr Warner, and agreed to come on board, it was certainly not with the knowledge that Porterfield would be part of the mix," Corneal said.
 

Corneal felt, though, that St Clair's return would be critical to the team's future. The Tobago-born coach, he said, will be able to re-instill the drive and discipline the team needs to move forward.
 

The disciplinary aspect of the team, it was unanimously agreed by TTFF and team officials at yesterday's conference, and by Corneal, is a major concern.
 

"We are aware that some off-field problems have affected the team," Corneal said. "This is why I believe Bertille will help because he will bring back the respect between the local and foreign-based players that will help the team back together."
 

There is also a major hurdle as Corneal's duties with FIFA, where he is a technical adviser, often takes him out of the country for long periods. He has another major assignment coming up next month in Japan.
 

"I'll try to be here as often as I can but this will still be the coaches' job. I'm going to do my best to instruct, guide and educate them."
 

On the field of play, Corneal said he was very concerned about the team's lack of cohesion especially in its, "transition from defence to midfield to attack."
 

He added: "There is no magical formula for this. We are six points down and if we were six points down and had played well there might have been a little more enthusiasm. But we've played two bad games. This doesn't mean that we are going to roll over. Our duty now is to ensure that we give it our best shot."
 
 

NATIONAL football defender Brent Sancho left for Portland, Oregon, United States on Sunday to take up a
contract with the Portland Timbers who campaign in the A-League.
 

The 24-year-old Sancho had participated in the warm-up games in England prior to the start of this country’s
World Cup qualifying campaign but he was left out of the squad that eventually went to Costa Rica and lost
0-3 last week. His place in the squad went to Cyd Gray who once played as a forward for PFL team Joe
Public.
 

Timbers is a new franchise which hopes to earn “promotion” to the MLS in three years time. Sancho, who is
the only Trinidad and Tobago player on the Timbers team, secured his one-year contract, with an option to renew, through his English-born US-based agent Graham Smith.
 

Sancho’s previous clubs include Charleston Battery in the A-League. Battery won the Eastern Conference title last season but lost in the national semifinals to Rochester Rhinos, the former club of one-time national defender Craig Demming who now campaigns with Tampa Bay Mutiny.
 

Sancho also had stints with Finnish First Division club Mypa in 1999, the same year the club won the Finnish
league and qualified for European competition.
 

Sancho told the Express last week that he left the club owing to his commitments with the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic team. That team lost to Canada in the Olympic qualifiers last year.
 

Walsall, an English team, also expressed interest in Sancho after seeing him play. Say one for Marvin Lee
 

By Gregory Trujillo

INJURED footballer Marvin Lee's dream has always been to play for big bucks as a professional footballer like Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy.
 

"He wants to be like Yorke and Latapy so that he could make me happy," revealed Lee's mother Dawn Warrick, on Sunday just before leaving home to attend a church service.
 

At this moment Lee's football career is in jeopardy as he suffered serious injury to his neck in an on-field collision with star United States player Landon Donovan last Thursday while representing the Under-20 Soca Warriors against the USA in a qualifying match for the World Youth Championships.
 

After undergoing an emergency operation on Thursday night at the St Clair Medical Complex, Lee, who was captain of the side, remained in an unsatisfactory condition at the hospital. Doctors are still not in a position to say whether he will recover or not from the injury. Lee is presently bed-ridden and fears are that he might not be able to kick a ball again because of the nature of the injury.
 

Upon his release from the institution, he will require special care and physiotherapy if he is to ever walk again or continue his career as a footballer.
 

This week was expected to be a big one for Lee. He was to be recruited into the Defence Force and was in line to receive one of the biggest awards, the "Player of the Year" at his club's prize-giving function on Saturday at Belmont Junior Secondary School.

"He was very upbeat and happy when I visited him yesterday evening," stated mother Dawn. "He had a big smile on his face." Dawn explained that her 19-year-old son has been eating good and praying a lot.
 

"Lee is normally a good eater and a very prayful child," she said. "So I felt good to see him in high spirits." Dawn said that Lee was able to move his right hand and right leg but was still unable to move his left leg. "He has a little feeling on his left side but more on his right," she disclosed.

"The doctor said he is showing improvement and that he is a very strong-minded person who wants to be back on the field." Dawn said she hopes her son could return home at Santa Rosa Heights in Arima soon to resume his life with his brother Miguel, aged six, and sister Mesa, aged 13.
 

"We all are very close. When Mesa heard that her brother was seriously injured and had to undergo surgery she kept repeating, 'What you talking about?'" Dawn said Miguel understands what has happened to his brother. "He is very close to Marvin." Talking about her injured son, Dawn described him as a "ball jumbie."
 

"Marvin loves football so much that he actually plays inside my house. I am always quarrelling with him to stop it."
She also remember a few years ago when her young son ran away from home despite her refusal to allow him to play in a football final.
 

"Although he came back home with a trophy, he got a cut-tail." Asked how she felt when she saw her son lying motionless after the collision, Dawn said: "My first reaction when I realised that Marvin was down was to pray.
 

"When I rushed to the field, I started to cry because I actually heard him saying: 'My neck, my neck!'" She said that everybody tried to console her by saying, "Don't cry everything would be okay." Dawn recalled that after going to the hospital in the ambulance, she returned to the match because her younger son and mother were still there.
 

She explained that the incident has affected her to the extent that she has lost her appetite and has been unable to sleep.
Lee attended Nelson Street Boys Primary School and then went to Belmont Junior Secondary.

He later moved to Tranquillity Government after sitting the 14-plus exam and became a permanent fixture on Tranquillity's football and cricket teams.
 

According to his mother, Lee does not have many friends because he is not a limer. She said he loves to sit at home and play music. "His favourite music is dub and reggae and he loves to listen to Glenn Washington and Berris Hammond."
 

All Lee's friends, she said, are younger than he is. Last year Lee was voted Tranquil's " Sports Personality of the Year." Dawn claimed that she will be frighten if her son plays again. "I am certain that if he gets well, he will play again."
 

Oswald "Danny" Davis, manager-coach of Defence Force youth team, the side that Lee plays for in the National Under-20 League, also spoke highly of the young footballer. "Lee is a very strong defender. He takes his game very seriously and his goal was one day to represent the country at the highest level.
 

"He is also very disciplined and any coach will like to work with him. I will like the nation to pray for Lee so that we will see him back on the football field."
 

Englishman Jim Kelman, the Technical Adviser of the National Under-20 side, said Lee was a true captain among the players. "His attitude and application in training and in games and around the camp was magnificent."
 

Kelman said Lee moved up by leaps and bounds, and that he is looking forward to seeing him playing again.
From that group, said Kelman, Lee is among about five players he observed that had the ability to go onto the senior squad.
 

Ronnie Mauge has turned down a contract with English club Queen's Park Rangers in order to continue representing Trinidad and Tobago as they attempt to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
 

The Bristol Rovers midfielder, who scored T&T's opening goal in a 3-1 victory over Guatemala on Saturday, revealed Rangers offered him a deal which he turned down last Wednesday.
 

"They gave me an ultimatum of retiring from international football which I couldn't do so I'm here now with the national team. They're a good club and but my main ambition is to see my country get to the World Cup," Mauge said after the win over Guatemala. His current club is among the bottom four teams on the English Second Division standings and seem likely to be relegated.
 

Mauge was pleased to have scored his first goal for T&T and hopes to carry his form into today's World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica.
 

"It great to get off the mark. We're still in the process of gelling but it's nice and we have to take this game into Wednesday's (today's) important one," he added.

Shaun Fuentes is the communications officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF).
 

Midfielder Brent Rahim will be heading to England for a trial with Premiership club Liverpool after today's qualifier against Costa Rica.
 

The former St Anthony's College player revealed on the weekend that arrangements have been made for his trial. "I'll be heading to England when we get back from Costa Rica and will be going to Liverpool for a trial which I'm really excited about," said Rahim.
 

He added he also will be meeting with former England boss Kevin Keegan who has strong ties with Fulham.
Keegan was in charge of Newcastle United when Rahim was on a training stint with that club, while still a student of St Anthony's College.
 

Rahim will be hoping to be on the pitch for today's clash with Costa Rica. He was happy to be wearing the national jersey in front of his home fans against Guatemala on the weekend. "Every chance I get I try to make use of it. It's competitive team with a lot of experienced guys. I'm just coming out of college trying to get in.

Those fellas are seasoned players in England so I just want to get in. We picked things up in the second half against Guatemala and myself and 'Crock' (Nigel Pierre) were able to do some good things," said Rahim, who helped the University of Connecticut to the American NCAA Division One crown last year.
 

While Rahim will be heading for England, Pierre, currently contracted to Joe Public, is likely to return to Hibernian as manager Alex Mcleish wants to have a second look at him, according to reports out of Scotland. Pierre was on trial at the Easter Road club earlier this month.

Marvin Andrews seems likely to be playing in the Scottish Premier League next season in Livingston colours. His club is currently top of the First Division table and also are through to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup. Andrews told TTFF Media on the weekend he is enjoying every moment of his time with the club since leaving Raith Rovers earlier this season.
 

"Livingston is absolutely brilliant at the moment. We're on top by one point with three games in hand. We are in the Cup semi-final so things are going great. We can't complain," he said.
 

He is under a one year contract and mentioned there have been no talks as yet about an extension. "There haven't been any talks about contract. But I'll continue playing as I have been and something is going to open up. I'm not worried," said Andrews.
 

He reflected on T&T's come from behind 3-1 win over Guatemala on Saturday, saying it showed the team has the potential to win matches, even when the going is tough.
 

"We started off slowly. But we came on good and that shows you the character of the team. Don't matter things didn't go our way early on, we can still fight and come back." He will be hoping to keep things tight at the back when T&T takes on Costa Rica on today.

English-born defender Ian Cox feels this country is set to get a good result in the second match of the final 2002 World Cup qualifying round against Costa Rica tonight.
 

Cox played the entire match on Saturday and feels it could turn out an important factor for the match versus the Costa Ricans.
 

"The pace of the game was a bit slow but it was a good result and it's only going to give us a boost for the big one tonight, which is what is really important for us," said Cox.
 

His club Burnley has dropped out of the top three on the English First Division table but can still qualify for the playoffs by winning the majority of their remaining games. Cox said it's a long road to the Premiership for Burnley.
 

"We've lost too many matches and promotion to the Premiership is now out of our reach. We can still make it to the playoffs but that will take a lot of doing," added Cox, who played his first game in T&T on Saturday.

Russell Latapy says Hibernian manager Alex Mcleish has always supported him when it comes to representing T&T in the World Cup qualifiers.
 

Latapy seems likely to be playing elsewhere at the end of the season after stating he has not agreed to terms in an extension deal offered by Hibs. Several clubs including Celtic, Fulham, Manchester City and Bradford City have expressed keen interest in the "Little Magician."
 

In the meantime, Latapy continued to appreciate the support McLeish has given him in past months and currently doing in terms of releasing him for international duty.
 

"Alex is former player who played at international level so obviously he understands the importance of being here and wanting to be here with my country. We just want to keep the good working relationship, Latapy said in a recent interview with TTFF. -Shaun Fuentes
 

TRINIDAD and Tobago coach Ian Porterfield has come in for some stick in the wake of the team's 3-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday night.
 

Yesterday, hundreds of irate fans called in on radio and television programmes to voice their concerns about the team's latest effort under the leadership of coach Ian Porterfield.
 

The trend was also the same at the Guardian where fans openly voiced their concern about not only the team's future in the World Cup but that of coach Ian Porterfield.
 

Many called for Porterfield's head and the return of former coach Bertille St Clair to the helm. Others also felt a change now might be risky but felt something drastic had to be done to change the team's performance.
 

Former T&T skipper, Sedley Joseph, was one of the persons who laid some of the blame for the team's lacklustre effort on the Scottish coach.
 

Joseph feels that Porterfield is having a serious problem with the team tactically. "Tactically there are some shortcomings. When you are involved in a World Cup qualifier with six teams that are fairly evenly matched, tactics and strategy is what will win you matches," Joseph explained.
 

"Because your team is made up of a number of professionals, the expectation is that you must win. But I must point out that you have to plan your tactics and strategy for each game. And we are badly lacking in this department."
 

Joseph, who skippered T&T from 1963 to '68, said that if T&T is to have any chance of having many scoring opportunities, Brent Rahim has to be in the team playing alongside captain Russell Latapy.
 

"Latapy is our most creative player and he is not doing what he is supposed to do. He's not taking on the mantle of playmaker as he is obviously having problems with getting the ball to his strikers."
 

As a result of the midfield's failure, Joseph said strikers Dwight Yorke, Nigel Pierre, and then Yorke and Stern John, were getting the ball long from the defence instead of being fed from the midfield. "Our midfield just doesn't comprise players who can create openings in opposing defences, and I reckon that Latapy is the man to do it and he has not been doing it," Joseph said.
 

Joseph, who represented T&T for nine years, also believed that the local side's defence played reasonably well, tackling and heading the ball, but the marking was atrocious. "If you look back at the goals, you would see the T&T defence standing around and the Costa Rican players unmarked, " he said.
 

Edgar Vidale, the national senior coach from 1972 to '78 and again from '90 to '92, agreed with Joseph and said: "If we have so many top class players and we cannot produce good enough football to win a match, something is wrong.
"I see it as an organisational problem, especially in defence, and I blame coach Porterfield because he is responsible for the tactical defending."
 

He added: "If I was the coach I would have to answer that question and find solutions. The team needs guidance from the technical bench which they seem not to be getting."