Former national goalkeeper and ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop was in town on business and was scheduled to fly out earlier in the week but opted to reschedule his flight in order to take in the 2018 World Cup qualifier with the United States on Tuesday night.
And it’s a decision he had no second thoughts about as he expressed his satisfaction with the way Stephen Hart’s team has progressed.
Hislop spoke of his feelings on the ten-year 2006 World Cup qualification anniversary which was marked on Monday.
“It is an emotional time especially to be back here in the National Stadium. You remember how it all came about. You remember the relative disappointment in the first game here in the stadium and then how it all changed.
It seems so fresh in the memory and then to all recognise and realise that it was ten years ago. It brings back a lot of emotion,” said the former Newcastle United goalkeeper, who made 26 appearances for T&T including two 2006 World Cup appearances against Sweden and Paraguay.
Hislop said he continues to be impressed by the current senior team as he witnessed the 0-0 draw with United States. To him, what makes the progress even more striking all things considered with the downslide which followed with the “Soca Warriors” after the 2006 World Cup experience and what the team has had to endure since.
“I have to say the more I see this team the more I am impressed with it. As much as we talk about a ten-year spell or a ten-year evolution to have this team to what is today, we have to remember what happened immediately after our qualification and our performance at the World Cup.
I thought we had taken a more gigantic step forward in participating in a World Cup but that was quickly followed by two giant steps backwards.
“And now to have this team back to where it is and playing as we are, to see someone like Kenwyne Jones who played in 2006 as one of the younger players to take on a lot of the lessons and the experiences of not just what happened ten years ago but also what happened with him and to be the leader that he is in this team.
This makes it all the more impressive when you consider not just where we were in 2006 but how far we had fallen by in 2007 and 2008 and not to see where the team is at the moment.”
Hoyte happy to be back
English-born defender Justin Hoyte is back in the mix and he couldn’t be happier about being reunited with his teammates on the national senior team.
Hoyte entered the match against the United States in the second half and settled in quickly and proved to be a solid option for Stephen Hart off the bench.
“I think it was a great performance by the team and by the squad over the two games. Tonight was great the fans were fantastic as well. It’s really been a good week for us,” Hoyte said.
“But for me, I have to thank the coach and his staff for getting be back involved in the team again. It’s been a long summer for me.
I didn’t; have a club, trying to find one, just battling and training on my own and spending time with the family. I’m just happy to be back in the squad and among the great players we have in there.”
He described the mood on the team bench during the match before he took the field.
“It was a great atmosphere on the bench. We were all talking and jumping up and down when we could. It was fantastic and I just wanted to get on. I went for the warm up and then the manager called for me. I was over the moon when he called me and it was just a great feeling,” said the former England national youth team player.
He spoke about some of the factors that have made the team the strong unit that it is at the moment.
“I think the togetherness that we have is a big thing. We are fighting for each other and there is a great union. That’s going to push us forward. We’ve been playing with each other for a long time now. Whoever is playing on the pitch has been doing great and fighting for the team and whoever comes on is doing the same. These are all good qualities in the team that I think could really make this a successful campaign for us.”
Boucaud: We matched them every step
Andre Boucaud has been wearing national team colours for a long time. The English-based midfielder made his debut against Iraq in West Bromwich in 2004 before appearing against Scotland seven days later. His baptism of fire in World Cup qualification came in a 3-1 loss to Mexico in the second match of the 2006 World Cup qualification back in 2004.
He remembers as if it were yesterday.
“I’ve been in the national team for a long time but I remember it like yesterday. When we went to Guatemala for the game last week and I saw the way the stands were build like cages it reminded me a lot of when we also traveled to play Mexico in 2004 after we had played them in Port of Spain. Of course I had a layoff from the team for a few years but now I couldn’t be more thrilled to be involved with this team that is doing so well at the moment. Sometimes I just miss being around the squad when don’t have training camps or matches.
“And the way we played in these last two qualifiers, all things considered with what we’ve been through at some times, I won’t give up the chance for anything. I’m just really proud of the squad and the staff and then when we get results it tops it all off,” the former Reading FC player said.
“I thought we all pulled our weight, especially against the US. They never got away from us. Okay maybe there was a part in the second half when they had a good spell but we matched them right through and I think we were unfortunate not to score.
Had we gone ahead in the first minute, that would have been fireworks for the match and who knows what would have gone on to happen. But in the end I think we’re pleased with the start and now it’s just to look forward to these two games in March and off course the Haiti game in January because it would be massive for us to qualify for the Copa America.”
•Shaun Fuentes is the director of communications for the TTFA – shaunfuentes@yahoo.com