Thursday, April 13 2006

FORMER TRINIDAD and Tobago footballer and coach Alvin Corneal is questioning the early selection of the Soca Warriors team for the upcoming World Cup in Germany.

Corneal who played both cricket and football for Trinidad and Tobago said yesterday he is confused with the selection of the team one month before the FIFAdeadline of May 15.

Corneal also said he thought a few other players could have been considered and although they may not have been selected on the national team, he felt they could have been looked at by the national coach.

Among those overlooked he said was CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh midfielder Kerry Baptiste and United States-based Osei Telesford whom he described as better than any defender on the TT team.

Corneal, who is a FIFA Match Analyst said he was a bit surprised with the selection of some players who were left out of the team during the CONCACAF qualifying campaign.

He pointed to striker Cornell Glen who he said has done nothing to deserve a pick after being left out for so long. Corneal also charged that David Atiba Charles, Brent Sancho and Anthony Rougier would not be on his team for the World Cup Finals.

He said it was difficult to determine how the coach was thinking, but suggested that national team coach Leo Beenhakker would have based his selection, rightfully on what he has seen of the players so far.

Also commenting on the 24-man squad named yesterday by Beenhakker was Richard Braithwaite, a former national team manager who is the current CONCACAF Development Officer based at the Dr Jao Havelange Centre of Excellence in Macoya.

Braithwaite said he was satisfied with the squad selected by Beenhakker. He said it was good to see Atiba Charles, Glenn, goalkeeper Clayton Ince and in-particular Rougier on the shortlist since he said, they have worked extremely hard to catch the coach’s eye.

He described Rougier as the best utility player in Trinidad and Tobago whom any coach would consider an asset especially if their team playing in their first World Cup Finals.