It was evident that if Sweden had to win it had to outperform the fighting spirit displayed by Trinidad & Tobago.

Although in the beginning they seem to be a bit confused with their strategy and going haywire a bit but later as the game progressed they went on to control their nerves as well as defense effectively against the Swedes. “Sweden had the better chances, but it was a great performance by us,” said the Dutchman, whose team played with 10 men for nearly all the second half. “The way they fought and stayed alive during the game was fantastic. Captain Dwight Yorke added: “It’s brilliant; this is what footballing dreams are all about.”Trinidad and Tobago, the twin-island Caribbean nation with a population of just 1.3 million, is the smallest country ever to reach the World Cup finals.

Yorke, the former Aston Villa and Manchester United striker, was named FIFA man of the match after playing in a deeper midfield role. “To come up against a mighty footballing country of Sweden’s status with obviously a tiny country like ours, it’s a massive result for us,” said the 34-year-old, who is now with Australian side Sydney FC. It was a great achievement all round for Trinidad and Tobago’s more experienced players.   “They (Sweden) have a little bit more talent than we have but we never stopped fighting and stayed alive until the end,” said Beenhakker. “I recognise the better chances went to Sweden. If you see their front line they have guys who play for Juventus, Anderlecht and Arsenal. We have guys who play for the smaller clubs in England.” Despite being down to 10 men, Beenhakker caused a surprise by bringing on Cornell Glen for fellow striker Collin Samuel after 63 minutes. “When a defender is sent off everyone expects you to bring on another defender. It was amazing it worked,” he said. “They worked very hard. Everyone was more than 100 per cent focused on the game. We are very proud and happy.”

Yorke said: “We have put ourselves in a situation where we have given ourselves half a chance. Football is full of surprises.” As we have seen Senegal went to play quarter finals this might be another one to do so. It was inspiring to see the ten men army fighting to make a difference and did it with flair. These things and this spirit make FIFA World Cup not just an event but a way to celebrate the fighting spirit of humans.