Trinidad and Tobago

Introduction: Just a few months ago, few would have been willing to bet on Trinidad and Tobago reaching their first FIFA World Cup™. But that didn't stop the small Caribbean country of just 1.1 million people from overcoming difficulties and the weight of history to win an important seat in football's VIP table. After defeating the Dominican team in the first round of the group match, the Caribbean team in the next stage is composed of strong Mexicans. They may have lost both games against tougher opponents, but they can still advance to the final qualifying stage of the "Hexagon" thanks to wins over neighbors St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Despite these valuable victories, few expected T&T to win against the likes of the United States, Panama, Costa Rica or Guatemala (who they played against in the final round). In the final qualifying stage, things started off badly. The Trinidad and Tobago team only scored one point in the first three games, and the total score was negligible. The fans were even more frightened, and the morale of the camp dropped rapidly to a new low. However, the arrival of experienced Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker on the Caribbean shores breathed new life into T&T's game, saving the team's fortunes and launching the race for a FIFA World Cup™ finals berth. Under the guidance of the new coach, the team performed very well from the beginning, defeating Panama 2-0, and then in the game against Mexico, the players he led performed amazingly. The match ended in a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, but the result heralded new responsibilities for Beenhakker. After defeating their direct rival Guatemala 3-2, they lost to the United States 0-1. Another 0-2 loss to Costa Rica in San José meant that T&T entered the final against CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico and could be credited with a historic victory. Overcoming all difficulties, they got three valuable points (2-1) in Port of Spain and will compete with Bahrain for a place in the play-offs. Back in 1989, Trinidad and Tobago were one game away from glory, only to watch the opportunity slip away. The victory for the United States (0-1) ended the country's dream of reaching the 1990 World Cup in Italy, and the islanders have no intention of letting that happen again. Still, two games against Asian opponents couldn't be more compelling. In Port of Spain, Bahrain shocked the home crowd when they took the lead in the 72nd minute through Husein Salman, before Christopher Birchall equalized five minutes later and kept the scoreline throughout. In the return match, the odds were once again not in their favour, and Trinidad and Tobago refused to achieve anything, winning 1-0 and returning to their homeland in high spirits. They may be the last team in Germany to secure a spot, but T&T can still make waves next summer. Qualifying means coach Leo Benhak will establish himself as a legend among fans and produce one of the country's finest athletes, Dwight Yorke, who is expected to play in a FIFA World Cup final before retiring. Yorke won the Europa League trophy with Manchester United and is not prepared to retire without "fighting". The same goes for power forward Stern John, who currently plays for British Championship team Derby, and the return of the extremely talented Russell Latapy, who returns to the national team at the age of 37, to improve the national team's form. Any team that underestimates Trinidad and Tobago will be shocked given their respective talents. Established 1908 Affiliated 1963 Number of World Cup participations None World Cup wins None Continental championship None Other facts Trinidad and Tobago are facing their 11th FIFA World Cup since 1966. They missed qualifying in 1974 and almost qualified for Italy in 1990, but lost 0:1 to the United States in the final qualifying match. The most famous football player from Trinidad and Tobago is Dwight Yorke, who plays for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League. The Caribbean island country with a population of just over 1 million scored its biggest victory more than 30 years ago, beating Antigua and Barbuda 11:1. This national team has suffered its worst defeat recently. In 2000, they lost to Mexico 0:7 at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City.