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Fri, Mar

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In today's football world there are not many teams that can be considered walkovers, but the teams that Trinidad and Tobago beat in the first round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers they were expected to beat.


Even then, however, questions were raised about the team's overall quality, with the questions becoming more pointed in the face of Mexico's relatively easy victories over us, first here at home and then away in Mexico.

In fact, thoughts now are turning to back to four years ago, when Trinidad and Tobago came through the semi-final stages only to collapse in the crucial final qualifying round and crush the hopes of the thousands of football fans who have been hoping, at least since 1973, that this country's football would be paraded on the world stage.

On the road to Korea/ Japan, Trinidad and Tobago had some impressive results at the penultimate qualifying stage, which included a 1-0 win over Mexico and wins over Panama and Canada. But, like Bertille St Clair's current squad, Ian Potterfield's team was not playing well in mid-field, despite the positive results, and this country's football die, as it were, was cast.

If that is the bad news, the good news is that St Clair has some time to work on his team's weaknesses and to make the necessary improvements. The final stage will not begin until February 9 next year and continues until November. Already, the United States, Mexico and Guatemala have booked their places, and since St Vincent and the Grenadines are not expected to beat T&T-by the eight or so goals they require when the teams meet in the final semi-final qualifier on November 17 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium-we are almost certain of a final round place as well, with the final places being filled by any of Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras and Jamaica.

What this means is that there will be a lot of tough football next year, with Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup qualifiers to be played as well. Still, this country may never get a better chance to play football at the premium level, so the aim must be to finish among the top three or, failing that, then at least among the top four, and force a play-off game against an Asian qualifier.

Between now and then, Trinidad and Tobago's entire football management will have to find the means to acquire all the ingredients for a successful bid. This challenge cannot be underestimated since, on the evidence of the recent past, it will involve, as a start, the unearthing of or, at least, the recognition of new talent.

On this score, it says something-negative at that-about the progress made in Trinidad and Tobago's football over the years, in that we should still be wistfully yearning for mid-fielders of the calibre of Russell Latapy and, before him, of Everald "Gally" Cummings and the incomparable Leroy de Leon. In the face of this, consider, then, the odds against a bright and successful football future that this country has to come together to beat.