National Football Team Leo Beenhakker has included Scottish-based strike duo Collin Samuel and Jason Scotland in a 23-man squad to travel to Ft Lauderdale for a one-week training camp ahead of the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup which kicks off in Miami on July 6.
Beenhakker, on the heels of guiding T&T to two of their more convincing performances in recent times, will have just about the same team from the recent affairs against Panama and Mexico with the exception of skipper Dwight Yorke who has been excused after indicating the need to be with Sydney FC for preseason from early July. Veteran midfielder Angus Eve makes a return to the squad which will be cut to twenty for the tournament.
Also making a return to the squad is goalie Shaka Hislop with Kelvin Jack and Daurance Williams also making the trip but there is no place for Crewe Alexandra’s Clayton Ince.
There is also no place for Real Salt Lake duo Marlon Rojas and Leslie Fitzpatrick nor Wrexham striker Hector Sam. Japan-based midfielder Silvio Spann is also back in the mix with Cyd Gray.
Samuel has not appeared for T&T since June 2003 in a 2-0 win over the Kenyan Olympic Team while Scotland’s last bit of action was in the semi-final round World Cup qualifying 3-1 loss to Mexico last year at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Scotland ended the Scottish season strongly for Dundee United with 5 goals while Samuel’s input also reportedly helped the club to a fifth place spot and runners up spot in the Scottish Cup which they lost to Celtic.
Glasgow Rangers’ Marvin Andrews, Wrexham’s Dennis Lawrence and Port Vale’s Chris Birchall, despite pleads from their respective clubs to rest up, are all set to appear in the region’s top championship. Defender Brent Sancho is also back from a hamstring injury which forced him out of the Panama and Mexico games.
Beenhakker has stressed the importance of the Gold Cup campaign, using it as a build up to the rest of the World Cup campaign which continues against United States on August 17 in Connecticut.
“Of course we will go to the Gold Cup with an aim to win our matches but more importantly it is a very good chance for us to prepare for the remaining matches in the World Cup campaign. We will be looking to make full use of the matches we have there,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media. “It is my intention to have all the players involved because it’s the only way we can get it better as a team,” he added.
Yorke meantime is banking on the “Warriors” going from strength to strength in the Gold Cup.
“I will not be available but I expect that the boys will keep the improvement rate going. We have done quite well as a team over the past two games and without a doubt I think we can only get better,” Yorke told TTFF Media. “I think it’s a chance for some of the younger guys to get a chance to show what they can do and it also gives the coach further options. He’s done a really good job since he’s been in charge and I’m sure this will go on for the benefit of all of us,” the Sydney man added.
The T&T team has been told by the Pro League that the locally-based pros cannot be released until June 28 even though the contingent is expected to leave here the day before for Ft Lauderdale. However, the MLS is releasing all players taking part in the Gold Cup from June 26 and Beenhakker is hoping to have his full list of local-based pros travel from the scheduled departure date of June 27.
T&T, with a best performance of reaching the semi-finals in the 2000 Gold Cup, opens the 2005 edition in the second game of a double header versus Honduras which they defeated 3-1 in the 1998 tournament. T&T plays Panama at the Orange Bowl on July 9 and Colombia on July 11. The Colombians are coming off 3-0 and 5-0 wins over Ecuador and Peru in World Cup qualifying action as well as a close 1-0 defeat to Argentina.
The 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Shaka Hislop (unattached), Kelvin Jack (Dundee Utd), Daurance Williams (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh)
Defenders – Marvin Andrews (Glasgow Rangers), Brent Sancho (Unattached), Cyd Gray (Jabloteh), Atiba Charles (Vibe CT 105 W Connection), Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Anton Pierre (Defence Force), Avery John (New England Revolution)
Midfielders – Silvio Spann (Yokohama FC), Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Glenton Wolfe (National Quarries North East Stars), Carlos Edwards (Luton Town), Densill Theobald (Caledonia Fire), Aurtis Whitley (Jabloteh), Angus Eve (Jabloteh), Brent Rahim (unattached)
Forwards – Collin Samuel (Dundee Utd), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton), Jason Scotland (Dundee Utd), Cornell Glenn (Columbus Crew) and Stern John (Coventry City).