Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 18/Nov 04:38

Yorke: I take full responsibilty for the team

HEAD coach of the Trinidad and Tobago men's senior football team Dwight Yorke is taking full responsibility for the performance of the team after his players fell short of their goal to qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. TT played to a 1-1 draw with Jamaica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on November 13, which was not enough to stay in contention for a spot at the World Cup next year, which will be held in the US, Canada and Mexico. Jamaica and Curacao will battle for an automatic spot at the World Cup in the final round of Group B qualification on November 18. Jamaica must win, while Curacao only need a draw. Simultaneously, TT will face Bermuda in a match for pride at the Hasely Crawford Stadium at 9 pm on November 18. Yorke, who was hired in November 2024 with the aim of qualifying for the World Cup, is not putting the blame on anybody else. Speaking at a media conference ahead of the TT-Bermuda contest, Yorke said, "In hindsight, I am sure there are things in there somewhere you could have done differently. I always look at myself first rather than pointing the fingers at anyone else. I take full responsibility for the team, for how we play, how we go about (matches), what we try to do, our style of play. I am the one who makes those final decisions. I always tend to look at myself first." Yorke said he was satisfied with the effort of his players during the campaign. "Overall, I am proud of what we tried to achieve and the way we did it in such a short space of time." The former Manchester United star, who has six months left on his contract, knows his record as a coach will be examined in the coming weeks and months. "I am not delusional to the fact that results keep you in the job, results get you success and everybody wants a winning team in a short period of time, I can understand that." He felt he prepared the players as best as possible. "I felt I got everything out of this team that I possibly can. We just came up a little bit short...we were maybe a win away (from qualifying). We had too many draws and not enough wins in the campaign and that possibly cost us a spot at the World Cup." The TT coach asked the public to continue rallying behind the national team, especially with so many new players. "I think you can see this is the new era of TT football. There are a lot of names and faces that a lot of people in TT are not familiar with. I am very proud of the recruitment. The backroom staff has been able to come up with these names that the TT public can now identify themselves with." Yorke and his coaching staff discovered many players with TT heritage who were willing to play for the national team. US-based Kobi Henry and Dutch-based Deron Payne both formed part of the backline against Jamaica, while other players like English-based Rio Cardines and US-based Dante Sealy have settled down quickly into the team. Despite having no chance of qualifying for the World Cup, Yorke said his players are ready to compete against Bermuda. "I don't think I need to motivate my players...although there is a huge disappointment in the Jamaica game, my players spoke about it in length and we spoke about the standards that we try to set ourselves." Yorke said he will not make too many changes to his starting XI for the Bermuda clash. TT squad: Goalkeepers: Jabari Brice, Marvin Phillip, Denzil Smith. Defenders: Isaiah Garcia, Justin Garcia, Kobi Henry, Deron Payne, Noah Powder, Andre Raymond, Josiah Trimmingham. Midfielders: Kaile Auvray, Daniel David, Wayne Frederick II, Real Gill, Jerrin Jackie, Kevin Molino, Daniel Phillips, Andre Rampersad, Dante Sealy, Tyrese Spicer, Lindell Sween, Steffen Yeates. Forwards: Levi Garcia, Nathaniel James, Roald Mitchell, Ryan Telfer. The post Yorke: I take full responsibilty for the team appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.