Sidebar

28
Thu, Mar
28 New Articles

Typography

 “Soca Warriors” coach Otto Pfister speaks with Densill Theobald.“YOU HAVE to pick yourself up and go again.”

These were the words of consolation offered by “Soca Warriors” coach Otto Pfister after the national team’s stunning 2-1 loss to Guyana on Friday in their FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Providence National Stadium in Guyana.

The loss effectively ended the “Soca Warriors” hopes of qualification for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil.

According to Pfister the campaign may have been over well before the Friday game.

“When you look back now, for me this campaign was lost when we lost to Bermuda. If you look back at the round, that result made it difficult for us and we did not come back as we should,” said Pfister.

TT assistant coach Anton Corneal praise hosts on their victory and likened the game to the apparent work ethic of Guyanese immigrants in TT.

“When I think about the situation now it reminds me of two Guyanese workmen at my home,” said Corneal. He went on to say that these workmen did jobs Trinidadian workmen did not want. He said the performance on Friday night showed how much more the Guyanese wanted the win, with an attitude and desire that TT “lacked”.

Corneal said the players, staff and administrators needed to “take a deeper look at what we have been doing and where we went wrong and how much we have to do to be better than where we are right now.”

He said those involved cannot operate as if the loss never happened, but learn from it and prevent it from happening again.

While the TT dressing room was described as “melancholy” a wall away was the celebration by the Guyanese nationals who described the victory as “fantastic” and “wonderful.”

Speaking after the game, Guyana midfielder Ricky Shakes, who opened the goal scoring in the 11th minute said “we dreamt about this moment and we came here tonight and made it a reality.”

Guyana’s coach Jamaal Shabazz endorsed Shakes comment, adding, “this is history for Guyana and we created it tonight by showing what belief, determination and a will to accomplish something can do for our lives and our country. This is a moment we dreamt about and we worked together and made it happen”.

The TT team returned home yesterday and will have one game to be played against Guyana on Tuesday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

Although the game is of little significance as a qualifier, it remains a chance at retaining some dignity for the “Soca Warriors”.

Guyana advance to the next round of qualification with 13 points and will now face El Salvador, Mexico and Costa Rica.