TTFF NEWS - Sixty nine goals and counting... Stern eyes more from T&T team

Trinidad and Tobago striker Stern John is counting on the national team to pull off a greater effort both on and off the pitch as it looks ahead to the semi-final round of the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign which begins for this country away to Cuba on August 20.

 

John, speaking last week prior to his return to Southampton for preseason training after leading T&T to the next round with a 65^th minute goal in Sunday’s all important 2-0 victory over Bermuda expressed a certain amount of satisfaction with the team’s progress but feels that more is needed particularly if the “Soca Warriors” are to have any chance of defeating the United States in a competitive outing.

 

“I was a bit disappointed because over the past decade or so we would have been able to beat Bermuda by about five goals I think we took them for granted in the first game and we gave ourselves  a hard hurdle to get over. We showed character as team in Bermuda and we dug deep for it . But at the end of the day it was a professional job and we did what we had to advance to the next round,” John told TTFF Media.

 

John confessed that he was disappointment with being left on the bench for the start of Sunday’s match but he was able to put it behind him.

 

“As a player you will be disappointed when you don’t start and I was disappointed but when you are playing for your country it’s about Trinidad and Tobago and the team and not about Stern John anymore. I had to sit on the bench and wait until the manager called upon me as that was part of the tactics. That’s part of the game and right now is all about Trinidad and Tobago and qualifying for the World Cup.”

 

The former Sunderland striker, now with 69 goals in 103 internationals, gave his impression on the current state of the team and what he hopes to see regarding any improvements. T&T meets Cuba on August 20 in Havana and then has a home game scheduled for September 6 against Guatemala, an affair which could be played outside of T&T. The “Soca Warriors” then face USA in Illinois on September 10.

 

“I think we have a very young team and we will be looking to get back a couple more of the senior players. With the last team I think we had a lot more togetherness and it’s something we are working on now both on and off the pitch. Everyone was willing to work for each other back then.. When you got on the pitch everyone played for each other and that’s what we need more of. We need to believe more in ourselves as a team and believe that we can beat teams like USA and Guatemala as well as Cuba.  We just have to stay on working and become more of a unit.”

 

“I think some of the other guys deserve a second chance as they are still good enough to make the team. We will be coming up against stronger team and we need our strongest squad which also means that we may need a couple of the senior players to get involved again. Even if it means guys like Dwight coming back into the team then we have to go that way to ensure we have our best squad together. I know a couple of the guys need to start back playing for clubs if they are to get a chance with the national team again and they need to look after that as well,” John added.

 

The ex-Birmingham City hitman is also eyeing a return to the Premiership.

 

“Definitely I would love to return to the Premiership and I think the first step to that is keeping myself in good shape and scoring as much goals for my club and also doing well on the international stage for my country. When you enter the thirties as a forward they say that’s when you are in the twilight of your career and I’m just trying to keep myself in good physical condition and hopefully continue to produce the goods,” he concluded.