I WANTED TO PARTY.
This was the reaction of former FIFA Vice President and former CONCACAF President Jack Warner Trinidad and Tobago extermination of the US soccer team's chance at qualifying for World Cup 2018 in Russia.
Warner in an interview on radio on Wednesday said that it was correct to say that Tuesday night's win was “sweet revenge”, in reference to Trinidad and Tobago's loss to USA in 1989, crushing local hopes of qualifying for World Cup 1990 in Italy.
“I have not been in better spirits. This is the happiest day of my life”, said Warner. “It (the win) couldn't have given me great joy”.
The former CONCACAF President said that the US had “reduced football in CONCACAF to a nightmare”.
“They have used their Government to help to dismember FIFA in a way that is unimaginable. And last night on the field of play Trinidad and Tobago reduced them to their knees” he said.
Warner said that the US team was feeling the pressure to qualify for World Cup 2018 in Russia.
“They will continue to undermine (the World Cup in) Qatar for 2022, but they will not succeed. As far as I am concerned this is the beginning of the end for US football”, he said. “Nobody in CONCACAF likes the US.”
He said other teams within the CONCACAF sought to “help one another” but the US team sought to “embarrass them”.
Warner said however that for there to be more football success team coach Dennis Lawrence should rely more and more on local players since the time has come where they can no longer depend on overseas players.
“They (local players) have the commitment and know how to push us forward”, he said.
He added that the team should focus now on building their game towards World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Warner also said that the win for him was personal payback.
“And for me personally, it has reduced the US to a laughing stock. Last September 27 when the judge ruled against Jack Warner there was a party in the US, they were quite happy”, he said.
“”Knowing that this has happened I wanted to go out and party as they partied last September when a judge ruled against me. I wanted to party. This was my personal feeling”.
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Warner: USA has paid a price.
By Shaliza Hassanali (Guardian).
T&Ts victory over the United States is “the best day” of Jack Warner’s life. The former FIFA Vice President, who is facing extradition charges to the United States, described it as a “glowing achievement” and a “feather in the cap” of the team to beat the Americans.
“At the end of the day, after 28 years we have now settled the score with the USA for the first time. You know something, we have beaten them when it hurts the most that they cannot qualify to go to Russia,” Warner said as he weighed in on T&T’s 2-1 victory that ultimately ended all hopes of the USA qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
He said T&T had nothing to gain by beating the USA, “but you know what, God don’t sleep, and they have paid a price for what they have done to football in FIFA, CONCACAF and in the Caribbean.”
The former CONCACAF head also dismissed the ‘River to Russia’ statement, posted by the US Men’s National team Twitter page, as “foolish.” He said he was sure that American players who practiced on the stadium’s saturated grounds on Monday had experienced similar conditions back home. Warner told the T&T Guardian: “We have been blessed. Rain has fallen in Houston, Miami and Dominica and all over the Caribbean and Central America. We have a little flood at the Ato Boldon Stadium and we are taking that as embarrassing ourselves to the world with River to Russia.”
“We make a mountain out of a molehill,” he added.
Warner was also full of praise for head coach Dennis Lawrence, saying T&T needed to rely heavily on its local players, “as you would have more to gain while they are more committed.”
Extradition proceedings are set to resume in the Port-of-Spain Magistrate’s Court after Warner lost his lawsuit challenging his extradition to the United States. He was indicted by US authorities over allegations of racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies spanning 24 years.