Beenie’s Selection: The Reactions

Trinbagonians love an argument. It took less than 24 hours before the first steups of discontent over Beenie’s selection was heard. Here are some differing views on who should have been chosen - and what Beenie had to say about his decisions.

The Chief has marshalled his Warriors (+1).

But not everyone is happy - and we’re not just talking about the ones that didn’t make it (like Jason Norville, for instance).

No, we’re talking about Alvin Corneal. Now, Corneal knows a lot about football. He is a former T&T national player and coach, and is currently a member of the FIFA technical team and CONCACAF sports consultant. He is thus - and this is important - a member of the ‘old guard’ in T&T football administration. He has been around for a long, long time, and has not enjoyed the numerous changes which Beenhakker’s arrival caused (except, hopefully, for the fact that when Beenie arrived T&T had one point in our group and now we’re in the World Cup.) He and Beenie crossed horns over the selection of Birchall, of whom Corneal was generally dismissive. Corneal has also made it clear that he thinks T&T should use more ‘local’ players - and coaches. Need I mention that Beenie is Dutch?

It’s not at all surprising that he has weighed on Beenie’s selection. The highlights:

Corneal (my commentary in brackets)

“pointed to striker Cornell Glen who he said has done nothing to deserve a pick after being left out for so long. Corneal also charged that David Atiba Charles, Brent Sancho and Anthony Rougier would not be on his team for the World Cup Finals.” (Brent Sancho saved Gillingham from relegation virtually single-handedly…er, footedly. And Anthony Rougier is a veteran.)

“said that CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh midfielder Kerry Baptiste and United States-based Osei Telesford whom he described as better than any defender on the TT team [had been unfairly overlooked]” (Telesford is not better than Sancho or Rougier. He might be in future - he’s 22 - but now is not his time. Speed and youth do not trump skill and experience - especially not for a team that has never been to the World Cup before)

“is confused with the selection of the team one month before the FIFAdeadline of May 15. ” (the French agree)

[All quotes from the Trinidad Newsday (except mine, of course)]

And now, the General:

Beenhakker -

“named the team early to put arrangements in place for a pre-World Cup tour which includes camps in Manchester, England and Austria…also felt it important to ease the anxiety on his players by declaring their standing in his team.” (Note that Manchester isn’t in England. I think he’s being a bit disingenuous with that last bit - 24 players named for a 23 man shortlist. Beenie knows full well every single person is going to up his game. No one wants to risk being the odd man out)

“[on Rougier]. there were no players in his squad with Rougier’s characteristics. With that, a he informed the player that to have a possibility of being selected he needed to be physically fit. Beenhakker now feels Rougier has done enough fitness-wise, over the last few months to be included in the squad.” (Damn right)

“In making his final selection, Beenhakker said he first had to protect the players who actually got Trinidad and Tobago to the World Cup Finals. He then had to reach a balance, by selecting players with various talents. Cornell Glen, for instance, was selected because his speed makes him a dangerous weapon on the counter-attack.” (Glen was picked ahead of Sealy, who went to Bahrain.)

[All quotes from the Trinidad Express]