TTFF News - Warner: Under 17s will peak at right time

Standing outside the TTFF head office in Port of Spain on Friday, members of the T&T U17 team pose with their blazers which will be worn in full suit for the team's arrival in Korea from Holland later this month.

Warner: Under 17s will peak at right time
Issued by Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media Officer, August 4, 2007

CONCACAF President Jack Warner says he is expecting Trinidad and Tobago’s National Under 17 footballers to peak just at the right time as they head off to compete at the 2007 FIFA Under 17 World Championship.

Warner, a FIFA Vice President and special advisor to the T&T Football Federation wished the team well and expressed his expectations of skipper Leston Paul and his charges who depart for Amhem, Holland on Sunday morning for a training camp before their arrival in Korea ahead of the opening group match against Ghana on August 20 in Cheonan.

Warner was also in the company of the TTFF’s Executive Committee which hosted a farewell dinner for the team at the House of Chan Restaurant, Emerald Plaza on Friday night. Less than fourteen hours after, head coach Anton Corneal put his players through their paces in a final training session on home soil at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Saturday morning.

Warner, though admitting that he didn’t think the team was as yet playing to its full potential, was optimistic that it would fare well in the 24-nation tournament.

“I must say that I don’t think they are playing the way they should be at this time but of course the most important thing is that they are willing and committed to the task ahead and I am confident they will peak at the right time,” Warner said.

“They have come from scratch and it’s an achievement by itself to get to the World Cup at the Under 17 level. I have told them that what we want of them is to play to their best potential, give it their all and we shall all be pleased with that despite whatever the results may turn out. Of course you always aim for winning results but the game is not always about that and at this level they must learn what it is to play on the world stage and prepare themselves sufficiently for the next stage.”

“What this team has shown is that with commitment, hard work and belief you can achieve a whole lot, sometimes too when nobody else expects you to and they must be a catalyst for others to follow. Their qualification just within a year of our participation in Germany shows that something must be happening right and we must build on this,” added Warner who will be in Korea in mid-August to witness the Finals.

TTFF President Oliver Camps and technical director Lincoln Phillips also expressed belief that the team will do T&T proud in Korea.

“I have faith that they will go out there and represent us in the most appropriate fashion and we will then be able to move forward with this group of youngsters for future tournament and senior World Cups in the future. They have demonstrated a lot of good qualities so far and now with more dedication and hard work they can go on to Korea and enjoy and learn from the experience and at the same time try their best to come away with their heads held high,” Camps added. The team will play two training matches against an Under 20 and Under 17 club in Holland and efforts are being made to get one final warm up against one of the African nations in Korea. Following its opening game against Ghana, T&T will they play Germany on August 23 and Colombia three days later in Changwon.

T&T Team contingent off to Holland and Korea
Goalkeepers: Glenroy Samuel (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh), Jesse Fullerton (Weston Fury High School), Kern Caesar (Victory Christian Academy);
Defenders: Ryan O’Neil (Defence Force), Robert Primus (Jabloteh), Shelon Bateau (Jabloteh), Akeem Adams (W Connection), Jean Luc Rochford (B Mobile Joe Public), Brenton Balbosa (Defence Force);
Midfielders: Leston Paul (Defence Force, captain), Chike Sullivan (Jaboteh), Sean De Silva (Superstar Rangers), Kevin Molino (Jaboteh), Micah Lewis (Jabloteh), Aubrey David ( W Connection), Aaron Maund (FC Greater Boston), Marcus Joseph (United Petrotrin), Stephan Campbell (United Petrotrin);
Forwards: Stephen Knox (Jaboteh), Daniel Joseph (Jabloteh), Daneil Cyrus (Stokely Vale FC, Tobago).
Team staff: Team Staff Anton Corneal (head coach), Hutson Charles (assistant coach), Ross Russell (goalkeeper coach), Gilbert Bateau (trainer), Michael Taylor (physiotherapist), Esmond O'Brien (equipment manager), Mario John (Doctor), Shaun Fuentes (media officer), Kenneth Kerr (assistant manager), Christopher Gouveia (Manager).