AN Ash Wednesday clash with the mighty United States starts Trinidad and Tobago’s final bid to make it to the World Cup football finals in Germany 2006.
The team has hurdled all previous obstacles and now five countries—the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama—stand in its way.
The “Soca Warriors,” as the team is known, will need to finish at least third of the six-member group to secure a guaranteed place in the finals, following home and away matches against its opponents.
A fourth place will also be available to the region, if the team placing fourth in the group can beat a team from Asia in a play-off.
The Concacaf region must, of course, be thankful to FIFA vice-president Austin Jack Warner for convincing FIFA that the area is much more deserving of the one spot that was available to it in 1974, when Mr Warner first entered the administrative chair.
Connoisseurs of the sport would remember that was the year T&T scored five goals in a qualifier against Haiti and lost 2-1, four of the goals being disallowed by a referee who was subsequently banned from the game for life.
Of course, Haiti went on to win the group and qualified from the Concacaf region for the finals, with T&T finishing second.
In 1990, the number of available spots had increased to two and, as fate would have it, T&T’s ill-fated “Strike Squad” finished third in the group and was again edged out of a place in Italy by the US and Costa Rica.
This time around, 3.5 spots are available.
And everything points to a most competitive eight months of football starting on Ash Wednesday, during which T&T will play ten matches—five at home.
It would be fair to say that the local lads failed to inspire confidence in their ability to get to Germany during the recently completed semi-final rounds of the qualifiers.
Fans who took time off to support the Soca Warriors could not have been satisfied when St Vincent and the Grenadines, a team that has limited appeal in Caribbean football, took the lead and held it well into the final ten minutes of their Concacaf semi-final qualifier.
It took an 84th minute goal from Hector Sam and an Angus Eve last-minute free-kick to save face for Bertille St Clair’s team.
Nevertheless, plans are feverishly being pursued to ensure that the Warriors are up to the task at this final hurdle.
New players with greater experience, additional technical staffing and a continuous appraisal of what is needed for success have informed much of the focus.
Unfortunately, officials of the T&T Football Federation continue to lament the absence of meaningful support for the team, both from government and corporate T&T.
Mr Warner, in a frantic appeal on the weekend, reminded that this is the country’s national football team and any success can relieve some of the negativity that pervades the society and bring great joy to all.
It would seem that for most of the year, calls for financial assistance to the team have resulted in minimal returns.
In this season of sharing and giving, it might be useful to consider the benefits that can be generated from putting aside a little for the efforts of the Soca Warriors as they travel the road to Germany 2006.