From the deep basement of my active mind, I have been thinking of the great possibilities confronting the Soca Warriors-coached by Leo Beenhakker and his assistants Wim Rijsbergen and Anton Corneal (who will no doubt succeed at the helm one day)-and what a tremendous legacy the 2006 FIFA World Cup will be for the development of Trinidad and Tobago football.
I am particularly inspired by the prospective performances of the national football team in Germany. It is an inspiration that tells me there is no real reason why the Warriors shouldn't give a very impressive showing, even if they fail to progress to the second round. However, in saying all of this, there is a very big "But "
Let me explain.
In preparing for the big challenge in June, one has to take cognisance of the vital concept of a sound foundation (physical and mental) that will certainly emanate in respect of the technical preparation that is now being scheduled. Coach Beenhakker has indicated to us the list of warm-up games in England (versus Iceland) and other places (in Port of Spain, against Peru) and has expressed his general satisfaction with the plans that have been put into place.
But let me revert to that very big "But" that can make a world of difference when the great Warriors step onto the fields in Dortmund, Nuremburg and Kaiserslautern for their games against Sweden, England and Paraguay. In this context, I wish to draw attention to the big difference that may exist between Trinidad and Tobago and these opponents. While the Warriors should be physically fit more or less, the question of specialised training should be raised. It is crucial that the practice of interval running be emphasised as part of Trinidad and Tobago's general fitness programme. Indeed, it is the Swedish athletes who formalised both interval running and speed-play (FARTLEC) into their pre-competition training regimens several decades ago. Why interval running? Quite simply, the amount of oxygen in a player's lungs can make a vital difference during a game. This is especially the case during contests featuring the established teams of international football, when the collective level of oxygen required to compete for a hard 90 minutes conjures up the term, "survival of the fittest." If this disparate idea is forgotten by any of the Soca Warriors, it may well be that, for all the technical know-how imparted by Beenhakker, they can well be swept off the field by their upcoming rivals.
I was at Wembley Stadium on November 25, 1953, when England engaged Hungary in a friendly international. Prior to the match, I was intrigued to see that the Hungarians were warming up on the pitch in their track suits while no England player was in sight. The home team did not appear until it was time for the squads to be greeted by the Queen and the English players were already in their playing gear (shirts, shorts et al). Even up until the final few minutes before kick-off, the Hungarians kept their track suits on. England never knew what hit them.. Even the great Sir Stanley Matthews was in a state of confusion as the Hungarians ran their hosts ragged and raced to a 4-1 lead after only half-an-hour. The final score was Hungary 6, England 3-England's first international defeat at Wembley by a side from outside the British Isles. Here was an example of supreme fitness being a main ally on the pitch.
I cannot say too often that the comprehensive fitness of international footballers is an understood requirement. It is there in the ability to beat an opponent in a 15-metre sprint for the ball and it is needed for another 30-50 metre run for ball that is in the air. When you can do this for 90 minutes or more without slowing down then you know that you were not only equal with your competitors in technique, but superior in lasting an entire game without letting up.
Let me remind everyone of the good saying that "Everest cannot be conquered without oxygen". Believe it or not, the World Cup is the Everest of football.
At the time of writing, Selwyn Melville and his team were providing very exciting radio coverage of the Trinidad and Tobago versus Guyana Carib Beer Regional Series game in Pointe-a-Pierre. As Brian Lara approached yet another regional century I couldn't help wondering: Can this be a case of one swallow making a summer?