Hector and Plaza return to Vietnam but Cyrus stays


Trinidad and Tobago national senior team footballers Hughtun Hector, 28, and Willis Plaza, 25, will spend 2013 in Vietnam after agreeing terms with V-League outfit Song Lam Nghe last week.

However, 22-year-old national defender Daneil Cyrus will remain in Trinidad with local outfit, DIRECTV W Connection, for the remainder of the 2012/13 Digicel Pro League season.

The trio were part of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2012 Caribbean Cup finals team, which qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time in five years.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago defender Seon Power (centre) sprints in to share the love as the “Soca Warriors” celebrate their Caribbean Cup semifinal triumph over Martinique.
(Courtesy Allan V. Crane/ Wired868)

However, the Vietnamese club made it clear that the players were only welcome if they agreed to snub any invitation to play in the Gold Cup finals, which will be held in the United States this July in the middle of the V-League.

FIFA rules obliges all clubs to release players for any international duty that falls during its approved calendar and, as such, Song Lam Nghe would be powerless to prevent Hector and Plaza from leaving and cannot officially punish them either.

But the Vietnamese team had insisted on an unwritten agreement with the pair before they were offered contracts. Cyrus, an athletic, utility player, was not offered a deal in the end while Hector and Plaza both agreed to return to the Asian nation.

Hector and Plaza played in Vietnam last season with Song Lam Nghe and Navibank Saigon respectively while it would have been Cyrus’ first stint in that part of the world.

Trinidad and Tobago players can earn as much as $65,000 per month in Vietnam whereas Pro League salaries generally range between $4,000 and $10,000 per month.

The national coaching staff might be relieved to have spared itself from a wrangle for Cyrus’ services this July as the defender is likely to be in the first team once he maintains his form.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago defender Daneil Cyrus (right) tries to get a grip on Cuban attacker Marcel Hernandez during the 2012 Caribbean Cup finals.
(Courtesy Allan V. Crane/ Wired868)

Plaza has started just once for the Warriors but has been a useful addition off the substitutes’ bench. The clever Hector, who can operate through the centre or on either flank, will be a big miss if he indeed turns down an expected international call-up.

There are expected to be some tense long-distance calls from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) headquarters when the July Gold Cup nears.

More from Wired868
T&T mis-Fortune for WCQ campaign; Atlanta midfielder requires surgery

Midfielder Ajani ‘Jay’ Fortune will miss the remainder of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign as well as Read more

Yorke says T&T can compete—but can Warriors get to 2026 World Cup?

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dwight Yorke said the Soca Warriors proved that they belong among Read more

Sealy scores stunner; but T&T eliminated after 1-1 tie with Saudi Arabia in tense affair

The Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team are out of the Concacaf Gold Cup tournament. But it came down Read more

‘Still in with a shout!’ Yorke said T&T deserved point against Haiti but knocked team’s mentality

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team head coach Dwight Yorke said his troops deserved a point against Haiti last Read more

‘Shiggy’ rescues point for T&T; Warriors still alive after 1-1 draw with 10-man Haiti

Trinidad and Tobago are still alive in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup but they could only take a point from Read more

Keep supporting us! Yorke promises response against Haiti in crucial G/Cup clash

Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team coach Dwight Yorke is confident of a response from his players against Haiti Read more

Check Also

T&T mis-Fortune for WCQ campaign; Atlanta midfielder requires surgery

Midfielder Ajani ‘Jay’ Fortune will miss the remainder of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2026 World Cup …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.