Trinidad and Tobago coach Leo Beenhakker has lost out on a chance of possibly adding some new talent to his Soca Warriors who are preparing for their first World Cup Final competition this summer in Germany.
Beenhakker had been eager to have a look at 18-year-old American youth striker Kirk Quavas, who was due to be part of the 15 member squad for a five-day training stint in the United States. However, he has informed the Trinidad and Tobago contingent that he cannot make it. The young American was to have featured in the camp during which the Fort Lauderdale-based T&T contingent was to have played matches against a Honduran side and also a University of Florida outfit.
Quavas, the son of Sylvan and Julian Quavas, is said to have a Trinidad and Tobago linkage through his parents. He has been described as having "bags of speed" and at 6ft one inch, is a proven "big" striker. He has scored 22 goals in 53 games for the US under-17 team, and is now just a few months away from his first season in the MLS with the L.A. Galaxy.
In 2003, he was the top scorer for the Americans at Under-17 level with 11 goals in 19 games for the side. Two years ago, he represented the Americans in 34 games, of which he started 31 times. Quavas played 15 international matches, scoring 11 goals. Quavas also competed for the American under-17s at the 2005 FIFA World Championships, including on September 17 when he played a full 90 minutes against the Korea Democratic Peoples Republic .
Bruce Aanensen, manager of the T&T senior national team said that it was indeed a blow that the T&T contingent could not look at the striker before the World Cup.
"We had put together the camp in the United States to keep the local members of the team like Cyd Gray, Aurtis Whittley, Atiba Charles and those guys active, while giving coach Beenhakker a chance to look at some of the others.
"The coach really wanted to see Quavas to see what he could do, but unfortunately, he contacted us two days ago to say that he was out because he had picked up an injury. "
Quavas also confirmed that he was injured recently in an interview on the 365 internet website in which he spoke about his career.
"My physical condition is that I am out for another month or so. I'm just getting back out and playing a little bit, getting a little bit of fitness, getting my energy back up for the season to start. It's going to start soon. This is an injury I suffered in April and I recently re-injured it. I strained a few ligaments near the same area which caused me to be out a month and I was back in a cast which kind of sucks."
Quavas is at least hoping to be fit enough to play this season with American professional team the L.A. Galaxy which drafted him last year.
"I have to come in and play hard. The team did very well, with winning the championship and the US Open Cup. It's pretty tough to walk in there and actually come out and start, but they said and play hard, do what I have to do and see what happens, you know? With me, I just have to do what I have to do, just get out there and work hard; do what they tell me to do.
"I mean, I have to work harder than anyone out there because I'm going to be the youngest kid out there. It's going to be tough for me, but I've got to work through it. I'm hoping I can actually get into the first team, so I'm going to be working pretty hard to get up there."