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Thu, Mar

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KENT WELCH is a Trinidad soccer coach based in Florida, USA. He has created his own brand of soccer, which he called "Error Free Soccer", based on education and what he terms "motion of offence and defence".


"Error Free" is a system Welch hopes to introduce to the Colleges Football League if and when he secures a six-month coaching assignment this year at El Dorado Senior Comprehensive.

"Error Free" soccer, he says, is not something a player inherits. He has to be drilled and taught for weeks before he fully comprehends what it is all about, and then it takes about nine months, before it becomes a way of life for him."

This system works and I have achieved a lot," said Welch, emphasising that it is based on discipline and education...with no excuses whatsoever for those who "foul up"...it is zero tolerance. Welch is confident that such a system should be introduce by national coach BERTILLE ST CLAIR. Welch was at the Queen's Park Oval on Ash Wednesday when the USA played Trinidad and Tobago in the World Cup qualifier and here he gives his impressions of the match.

I HATE saying I told you all so, but I certainly did. David Nakhid is not the answer to our midfield problem and it was evident in the Trinidad and Tobago versus USA match on Ash Wednesday which ended in a 2-1 win for the Americans.

It was a waste of time to have Nakhid on the field. The man for the crucial midfield position is not even Dwight Yorke because he does not have that type of touch suited for a midfielder. Ex-players and those who study the game would know what I mean.

Yorke tried his best, but it was not enough. I had a long talk with national coach Bertille St Clair and I told him these things. I also told him about Eddie Jones (USA player) and his capabilities. And he eventually saw for himself.

My observation is very simple. You just cannot give your opposing team space to knock the ball around when they have possession of the ball most of the time. Trinidad and Tobago only looked like a team in the final 15 minutes of the game. When Angus Eve scored on Kasey Keller it was in a way a "fluke goal".

The chances of such a shot scoring on Keller again is about one in a thousand. The ball just slipped out of his hands. It was one of those things. I am not taking anything away from Eve. After all if you don't shoot, you don't know if you are going to score.

But the team did not show the sense of urgency and professionalism one would have expected of a team hoping to go to a World Cup.

I did not see a professional attitude. Even while they (T&T) were warming up they appeared to be facing problems. The defensive backs were not concentrating on what they were suppose to do. They did not strike Eddie Johnson (USA) out of the game. Somebody should have been assigned to perform that chore. But it was not done.

The USA on the other had no respect for Yorke. Nobody was marking Yorke because he was not a threat...how could he be as a threat in midfield?

I also believe that he (Bertille St Clair) should not have started with Stern John. In general, it appears as if the European-based players on the team are playing their own brand or soccer, and are not conforming with St Clair's system, or orders.

On many occasions I saw the T&T players looking on as spectators when the USA had the ball, as if they were wondering who should go and tackle.

And when they (T&T) did get the ball, there was no one to pass it to in midfield.

It was very clear the Americans were the smarter players.

I am now sure that T&T will not qualify for the World Cup Finals unless there are serious changes. The USA team demonstrated discipline and professionalism. We did not!

The team lost to Cuba and Jamaica in the Digicel series in Barbados and again all we are given are more excuses. Apparently one can see the writing on the wall-what I have been saying all along they are not playing to a plan.

I must point out again that they have no one in midfield. We need someone there with the ability to create openings. I have also observed that the defence is more suspect than ever.

There must be drastic changes before it's to late. I offered my assistance to Bertille, now it is up to him to call me. I know I can help fix that midfield problem with my system because it works.

Let me give you another example. Last weekend I loaned two of my players to another club to play in a showcase tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. The players were my youngest son, Bradley (Welch), the midfielder and one of my strikers, Michael Marin.

And you know what. They helped the team to play my system and they were so successful that the team made it to the finals only to lose on penalty kicks. Just imagine that on such short notice they were able to use the system successfully.

The motion of offence and defence definitely works.

I will be back home later this month and I intend to see all the home-based matches. I will also be at the return game between T&T and USA in the USA. Again I am 100 per cent Trinidadian and I want to help in any capacity.