The credit should be spread to many for nearly every team sporting success. But Leroy Spann is the primary father figure -- literally and symbolically -- of Trinidad and Tobago's first victorious World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Soca Warriors defeated Bahrain, 1-0, in a playoff game last week to become the smallest nation [pop. 1.1 million] to advance to the World Cup finals, scheduled next June 9-July 9 in Germany. This was the third time Trinidad and Tobago was a game away from qualifying for the finals, and Spann was directly involved.
Spann played for Trinidad and Tobago when it was edged out by Haiti in 1974 qualifying and was on the team that lost to the United States in '90 qualifying. Spann's son, Silvio, played an important midfield role as the Soca Warriors succeeded this time.
''[Silvio] called me after they won the game in Bahrain," said Spann, 52, who coaches and continues to play soccer in the Andover area. ''It was always my dream to play in the World Cup and I always felt we could qualify. But I played for 18 years with the national team and I know the problem. It is the same in all the Caribbean countries. They always wait until the last minute instead of getting it done up front. At Christmas, they wait to clean the place up until the last day or two.
''In a game, the first 15 or 20 minutes, they don't play. By the second half, they pick it up, but by then the game is over."
Leroy Spann should have been in the thoughts of most of the thousands who greeted the team in Port of Spain last week. The team had tied Bahrain, 1-1, in the first game at home, then clinched the aggregate goals decision when Dennis Lawrence, a 6-foot-7-inch defender who plays for Wrexham in Wales, headed in a corner kick early in the second half in Manama. In attendance were George Maxwell Richard, Trinidad and Tobago's president, CONCACAF president Jack Warner, and sprinter Ato Bolden, among the nation's most famous athletes.
The Trinidad and Tobago team was led by veterans Russell Latapy, 37, and Dwight Yorke, 34, who made their international debuts as Spann's career was winding down. The starters included Revolution defender Avery John, who was coached by Spann on Trinidad and Tobago's Under-17 national team in the '90s.
''Dwight Yorke got to England because we were playing against Aston Villa in 1989," Spann recalled of Yorke, who went on to star for Manchester United and is now in Australia. ''The manager, Graham Taylor, spotted him in that game."
In Spann's day, a move from the Caribbean to Europe was extremely rare
The North American Soccer League gave opportunities to dozens of Caribbean players and Spann played for the San Jose Earthquakes in 1978. That was among the first moves north for Spann's family. Now, Spann's daughter lives in Buffalo and a sister lives in New York. Several brothers-in-law have played soccer in the United States, including Brian Haynes, now an assistant coach with FC Dallas. There will be a family reunion next month, which will include Silvio, who plays for Yokohama FC in Japan, and Spann's other son, Silas, a member of the U-17 national team.
''They have good technique," Spann said of his sons. ''The thing that I had them do when they were growing up was to look at a lot of football."
Spann has noted major changes in soccer in the United States since the '70s.
''There were a lot of foreign stars and coaches in the league and America didn't have anything on their own," Spann said. ''Against the US, our team was better, we beat them in the Pan American Games in Mexico in 1975. It started changing when they bid for the 1986 World Cup and then got the 1994 Cup; then, they started to build. Now, they can stand on their own against any team in the world and, someday, they will win the World Cup."
Trinidad and Tobago's last-game qualifying experiences have occurred in 16-year spans.
In the '74 qualifying final tournament in Port-au-Prince, Trinidad and Tobago beat Mexico, 4-0, but lost to Haiti, 2-1. On Nov. 18, 1989, the Soca Warriors would have advanced to Italy with a draw at home vs. the United States, but fell, 1-0.
''We scored five goals and four were disallowed vs. Haiti," Spann said. ''We even were called for offside on a throw-in. We had a guy who could throw the ball very long, and we had a set play where someone would head the throw-in."
These three World Cup qualifying experiences support Spann's belief that Trinidad and Tobago performs better away from home, removed from distractions and pressures.
''The team will do well in Germany but the government is supporting them and the important thing is preparation," Spann said. ''They have to play games in Europe and South America. It will be difficult to get to the second round of the World Cup but in football, the world gets smaller, and nobody is far ahead of anybody else." (Boston Globe)