Dwight Yorke's FIFA Ban: Blessing in Disguise?

Usually when a football player nears 35 years of age, they start thinking about retirement and contributing to the game in a different way. This apparently is not the norm when it comes to Trinidad and Tobago football. We believe in letting players play until they break a leg or literally can’t run anymore.

The next FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa will take place in 2010, that’s one year away for those of us that weren’t really counting. The Soca Warriors are into the 2^nd round of qualifying action with their next fixture being against Honduras on the 28^th of March. We will be without our captain for the next four matches though due a ban that was handed down by FIFA. I’m just wondering if this is a blessing in disguise.

Dwight Eversley Yorke is by far, one of the most celebrated footballers that this tiny twin republic has ever produced. The downside to this is that he will never be allowed to retire. He has 59 official International Caps, scoring 26 goals along the way, but has played over 100 matches for T&T that were not recognized as international friendlies. In all fairness to Dwight, he tried to retire from international football in 2007, but was recalled to the national fold in 2008.

His best footballing days are clearly behind him having played 3 times for Sunderland in the 2008-2009 season having netted 0 times. His only goals in international play come from penalties these days, which complements his deployment as a defensive midfielder for the Soca Warriors. Having watched all of the Warriors’ qualifiers thus far, I think it is fair to say, that his contributions have been minimal to say the least. Far too often he has been caught in possession when we needed quick releases, and in that position that can be detrimental.

Again to be fair to him, what he does bring to the team is an immeasurable amount of experience and confidence that rubs off on the younger players. It has long been my opinion though that this would be better transmitted to the said younger players, if he was a coach or even an assistant coach (case in point Russel Latapy). Everyone from Dwight’s generation has either retired from the game or taken yup managerial positions (Roy Keane and Russell Latapy being the two names that instantly jump to mind).

After T&T’s last game against El Salvador on February 11^th, Dwight apparently got red carded after the final whistle. The statement from FIFA issued by the Deputy Secretary to the Disciplinary Committee, Wilma Ritter, read: "The referee and the match commissioner reported that the player was sent off for using abusive language against the referee.” Translated this means that Trinidad will be without its ‘influential’ captain for the next four qualifiers. This just might be a good thing. It would give Trinis a change to properly evaluate the contribution made by the captain, and it would give us the chance to give some of the youth a chance. We have an abundance of talent in these two islands and all they need is the chance to show it (as well as the right mentorship of course).

A wise man once said “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Maybe, just maybe, this was the catalyst that we needed. I just hope that whoever takes his place steps up to the plate.