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 Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Aurtis Whitley’s return to action could be an anticipated boost to the National Team for its next 2010 World Cup Qualifier against Guatemala in Guatemala City on October 11.
Whitley missed T&T’s three matches in the ongoing semi-final round because of a foot drop problem originating back to the week prior to T&T’s friendly international against Haiti in Port-Au-Prince last month. T&T team doctor Terence Babwah explained that foot drop is the term given to the injury where there is a nerve problem in the ankle originating from the side of the knee.
It presents a limp-like, weak foot that causes difficulty when walking or running. Causes of foot drop are numerous, but the most common cause is an injury to the peroneal nerve at the top of the calf behind the knee.
Babwah said that proper treatment could result in a return to full fitness in three weeks time.
“I have started back light training at W Connection but I still cannot execute movement of the leg at full range,” Whitley told TTFF Media on Tuesday.
“It’s coming along. I still need some more treatment but I am expecting to be ready to rejoin the national team and be available for selection for the game against Guatemala.”
Whitley has his hopes pinned on the “Soca Warriors” being boosted by the return of some of the regular faces who were out through suspension or injury .
“Guatemala will be tough in Guatemala but I see no reason why we cannot beat them there. All things aside we will have to go there with a strong team and hopefully we will pull of the kind of performance that will bring home three points.”
“I looked at the game in Trinidad and I felt we had enough chances to put away the game and we have to finish well when we play them away. Against the USA though I thought we didn’t have good structure and we showed them too much respect. We weren’t moving the ball around like we did against Guatemala and we left a lot of gaps for them to go through. I am sure too that the situation with Dwight Yorke had a negative effect on some of the players. It played on their minds because the USA game was too close to the previous one and they would have been looking forward to have him there in Chicago. But that’s a thing of the past now and our focus has to be the next three matches,” Whitley added.
Babwah also mentioned that defender Seon Power should be able to be in training again after seeing out the five-month recovery period since the leg injury earlier this year. But the former T&T U-17 player has not been in the Joe Public team of late.
Meantime, midfielder Khaleem Hyland is currently back in England trying to sort out his contract with Portsmouth. Efforts are being made to ensure the 19-year-old becomes a member of the Premiership club and manager Harry Redknapp said this week that he remains hopeful of having the player in his squad this season.
And according to fifa.com, Sven Goran-Eriksson's Mexico, despite being drawn in a much-feared Group B, have had precious little trouble roaring out to a nearly unassailable lead. El Tri struggled in their opener with Honduras, needing a comeback at the Azteca and two goals from Pavel Pardo to seal a 2-1 win, but they followed that up with a convincing 3-0 defeat of Jamaica and a 2-1 victory over Canada last week, Rafa Marquez scoring the winner.
"We have won our three home games which was our goal," Mexico's Swedish coach remarked after the Canada win in Chiapas, after which Cuauhtemoc Blanco hung up his international boots. "We played some good football and some bad football too, but in the next three road games our opponents will have to come after us, and we will have more space to create chances."
USA, current champions of CONCACAF after beating Mexico in the Gold Cup final last summer, are in even higher spirits with nine points from away wins over Guatemala and Cuba and a victory in Chicago against an under-strength Trinidad and Tobago. Bob Bradley's charges have scored five goals while conceding none.
“That's always been what this team is about; getting results away from home and at home, but I think we're doing it playing better soccer at the moment.”
USA defender Steve Cherundolo is pleased with the way his side are winning in style.
"We're getting better and better," said defender Steve Cherundolo. "We've always won games. That's always been what this team is about; getting results away from home and at home, but I think we're doing it playing better soccer at the moment."
Central American champions Costa Rica, who qualified for the last two FIFA World Cups and are aiming for a fourth overall, overcame their poor start to qualifying with three straight wins under new coach Rodrigo Kenton. After a draw in the previous round with minnows Grenada, and the subsequent sacking of Hernan Medford, Kenton seems to have righted the ship with consecutive home wins over El Salvador and Suriname, 1-0 and 7-0 respectively, and one away in Haiti. "I hope these triumphs can clarify the real power of Costa Rica and silence one for all the criticism," said Kenton with three games to go.
Although they have not quite matched the heroics of the aforementioned trio, Honduras have established themselves as a side with a strong chance of reaching the final group of six. They are currently on six points, three behind Mexico in the pitfall-laden Group B. Ramon Nunez has scored three goals in the Catrachos' three games so far, while group rivals Canada and Jamaica are in deep trouble and looking like needing a miracle with only one point apiece.
The Canucks head coach Dale Mitchell resigned on Tuesday while Jamaica have opted to sack Rene Simoes, the Brazilian who guided the Reggae Boyz to France 1998.
Behind USA in Group 1 are Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago, both tangled on four points each and in a dead heat for a place in the final round, while Cuba are all but eliminated with zero points from their games. (Sept 16,2008)
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