Interim tag removed from Latapy’s title

March 3, 2010

Former Trinidad international Russell Latapy has had the interim tag removed from his title as manager of the Soca Warriors, agreeing to a two-year contract to coach the side.

Latapy, who replaced Francisco Maturana on a temporary basis in April after three of 10 matches in the final round of World Cup qualifying, was one of several announcements made by the Trinidad federation, including technical director Lincoln Phillips taking over as goalkeeping coach of all TTFF teams, particularly the senior and under-23 teams.

Other announcements included the retention of David Muhammad as senior team manager, and Zoran Vranes and Cheryl Abrams remaining in their posts as head coach and manager of the under-23 and under-21 teams.

“It is indeed a pleasure to stand before you today as the newly reappointed coach of our national football team,” Latapy said. “This is a task that I again accept with a great sense of pride, honor, gratitude and humility. ”

Trinidad won only one of seven World Cup qualifying matches under Latapy, a 1-0 victory over El Salvador on August 12, and finished last in the six-team “hexagonal”. It’s only other victory was a 3-2 friendly victory over St. Kitts and Nevis on July 12.

The Soca Warriors became the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup when it accomplished the feat in 2006, but failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2009.

Latapy played 22 years as midfielder before retiring as a player last year, including stints with clubs in his native Trinidad, Portugal and Scotland. He is one of three players to participate in six World Cup qualifying efforts along with compatriot Dwight Yorke and Northern Ireland goalkeeper.

He was an assistant coach at Falkirk, where he played for six years, as well as under Maturana before taking over as interim manager.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad

Concacaf

Tags: assistant coach, compatriot, concacaf gold cup, David Muhammad, dwight yorke, El Salvador, Falkirk, francisco maturana, interim manager, Lincoln, lincoln phillips, national football team, Northern Ireland, other announcements, port of spain, port of spain trinidad, portugal, russell latapy, scotland, smallest nation, soca warriors, st kitts and nevis, vranes, world cup qualifying matches, zoran

Mexico ends skid, beats Trinidad 2-1 on Rojas goal

June 11, 2009

MEXICO CITY – Oscar Rojas scored with a 35-yard blast three minutes into the second half and gave Mexico a 2-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday that revived El Tri’s World Cup hopes.

The win was Mexico’s second in five games in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, and climbed it past El Salvador into fourth place with six points at the midpoint of the “hexagonal”. Trinidad remained winless with two points and in last, further damaging its chances of returning to the World Cup after becoming the smallest nation to qualify in 2006.

Three teams from CONCACAF will qualify automatically for the 32-team field in South Africa, while the fourth-placed team will earn a second chance in a two-leg playoff with the fifth-placed team from South America.

Mexico had won only three of its previous 11 games, and two of those were friendlies. It was playing its second match since Javier Aguirre replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager and saw the return of Chicago Fire forward Cuatehmoc Blanco to the starting lineup since he announced his retirement from international play in September.

Rojas scored by volleying a ball dropped back into the midfield, running onto and striking a right-footed shot that just cleared under the crossbar and right post.

El Tri pressed from the opening kickoff and scored after only 59 seconds. Francisco Rodriguez sent a ball out of midfield to Nery Castillo just outside the area. Castillo turned and fed a pass between and behind Trinidad defenders Carlos Edwards and Martin Edwards to a streaking Guillermo Franco, who chipped it over sprawled goalkeeper Clayton Ince.

Mexico continued to dominate Trinidad for the next 10 minutes, forcing Ince to come off his line twice to thwart Israel Castro and blocking Franco on another foray in the area. Trinidad remained on the defensive for nearly the entire half, rarely creating anything dangerous and not getting a shot on goal until Hayden Tinto managed a slow rolling effort from distance in the 26th minute.

El Tri had another period of repeated danger late in the half, forcing Ince into a series of saves and having him watch Franco put an unmarked header just wide in the 39th.

But Tinto gave Trinidad life 21 seconds into injury time, intercepting a poor backpass from Andres Guardado at the top of Mexico’s defensive third and taking two touches before unleashing a right-footed blast one stride inside the 18 that eluded goalkeeper Oscar Perez into the upper right corner.

Mexico continued to be the far more dangerous team in the second half, creating numerous chances including a run by Blanco that Ince frustrated with a reaction save in the 78th minute.

Trinidad has three of its remaining five matches at home, but trails fifth-placed El Salvador by three points. It’s only win in seven games since the Caribbean Championship in December was a 1-0 friendly victory over Panama in March. It next will play El Salvador at home on August 12.

Mexico heads to next month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup before resuming World Cup qualifying on August 12 at home against arch-rival the United States.

Go to Source

Tags: Andres Guardado, Caribbean, Carlos Edwards, Chicago, chicago fire, Clayton Ince, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, El Salvador, el tri, five games, foray, francisco rodriguez, goran eriksson, Guillermo Franco, Hayden Tinto, ince, Javier Aguirre, martin edwards, Mexico, mexico city, midfield, midpoint, nery castillo, opening kickoff, Oscar Perez, oscar rojas, Panama, six points, smallest nation, South Africa, South America, starting lineup, Sven Goran Eriksson, Tobago, Tri, Trinidad, United States, yard blast

Latapy replaces Maturana as manager of Trinidad & Tobago

April 9, 2009

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Forty-year-old midfielder Russell Latapy assumed the job as interim manager of Trinidad & Tobago’s national team on Wednesday, replacing Francisco Maturana who resigned from the position, the Trinidad federation said.

Latapy, who has more than 70 caps for the Soca Warriors, will work as a player-coach and be assisted by Zoran Vranes, who qualified the country’s junior team in March for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup later this year in Egypt.

Maturana resigned “due to differences in opinions regarding the way forward in the FIFA 2010 World Cup qualification campaign for South Africa,” the Trinidad federation said in a statement on its Web site.

The change comes a week after Trinidad was beaten 3-0 by the United States in Nashville, Tennessee, leaving the Soca Warriors with two points after three of 10 games in the final round of World Cup qualifying, last in the six-team “hexagonal”.

Latapy, who has played professionally in Scotland since 1998, has participated in Trinidad’s last six World Cup qualifying campaigns, scoring nine goals in 40 games. He also played in the 2006 World Cup finals, when Trinidad became the smallest nation to qualify for the quadrennial championship.

“I’m absolutely delighted with being given opportunity to be coach of my country’s national team,” Latapy said in a statement on the Trinidad Web site. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and the people who’ve been involved with me in football and from a family standpoint over the years all know this.

“The task ahead of us is by no means an easy one but I think once we can get everything together, and with the support of the nation, we can achieve our goal which right now is qualifying for the next World Cup and continuing to take the country’s football forward.”

Trinidad, which failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, will play its next World Cup qualifier on June 6 at home against Costa Rica, followed four days later with a match at Mexico.

Go to Source