This is a small observation of what transpired this evening in the Crawford.
I have an important exam in the morning and after cramming for the entire day I say lemme go and relax lil bit, unfortunately I reach home with a headache that only a TT side could give you.
But on to the first match Canada vs JA.
I arrived with about 35 min in the match to go. Coming in at the same time with me was Mr. Beenhaker and his assistants, they walked tru the side gate and unfortunately I had to proceed to the turnstiles.
Walked in, and to my surprise Stadium Ram...well covered stands at least. A good crowd of about 6000 people present, most of the fans were rooting for Jamaica and Jamaica had a lil section in the middle. The score at that time was 1-1 and Canada had all the possession and was playing some brilliant football. From observing all the teams this evening I can safely say Canada will win this tournament and our boy SH has done a marvellous job with this Canadian team. Canada and Jamaica had by far the biggest, strongest and fittest players in this tournament. I cannot believe them fellas is 14 and 13 years old. All of them close to six feet. Also all the players had muscle on their frame, they were not the Dennis Lawrence types that represented TT this evening.
Canada played a 4-4-2 and Jamaica a 3-5-2. Jamaica's game was take the ball and run at them with skill, no off the ball runs, no passes, no creativity, hard blade and fitness,needless to say they came second. They did have some useful players and they had one little number 10 in the middle but he was roughed up by his bigger and stronger opponents.
Canada has two black fellas up front,speed and skill for days and they were tormenting Jamaica right tru. Canada had an excellent level of fitness, technique, ball control and awareness, it paid off as a player made a run to the flank, another made a dummy run to the corner flag, the center opened up and a tru ball was played to the fwd,......shot Goal JA down 2-1. Then after that a corner produced a header. Canada 3-1. it was over as a contest and then a Sub came on and with his first touch of the ball shot in the far corner for 4-1.
Ja didnt give up and a solo run and scramble gave them a goal on the 90th min. Final score Canada 4 Ja 2.
The commentator didnt know what country was on the field and refered to Jamaica as Guyana twice, once when a substitution was made and another time when a goal was scored. It was quite embarrassing.......Substitution by Guyana, A Wagh off!
Then I went downstairs for the football match diet, two pies and a Stag.
Upon my return to the stands I was greeted by a familiar face or should I say body from the Bermuda Game.
Andre, Cowen and Patriot and for the rest of forumites who remember.........the REDS Cool sit down two rows in front of me and had the entire stand bazodee. The old man next to me mumble something about if he was 30 yrs younger how that woulda dead tonight.
Talk about talent, The girl have more forms dan a junior sec and she was wearing lime green this time and a burning white shorts, she fix up the hair too so now she have a proper Beyonce finish. Anyway back to the game.....
The teams walk out and Guatemala are the same height as our players, but they lil stockier in build.
Anthems start to play and then after the teams lined up the iron started,faintly at first but then the Crawford sounded like the north stand in Panorama. Iron, Drums and riddim for days. We had two iron sections and they were backed by what looked like the QRC brass band. If any of you were there for the Costa Rica match the vibes were about the same. Them fellas beat and play they all and they spurred on the players taking the field.
The man in the middle the ref we love to hate,Peter Prendergast.
TWEEET and the match started.......TT never had a clue in the first half, but through some stroke of luck we got an attack going. The number 14 ran past three men down the flank and whipped in a cross. What should have been a comfortable routine save was blundered by the Guatemalan goalie and when the ball flew up in the air it was headed into the goal by the TT fwd.........GOAL. TT up in the 8th min of play.
After that, the step up in class was evident and TT needs more games at this level. We were outmatched in terms of technique, ball control and marking. Guatemala firmly camped out in the TT half and had 3 one on one chances but thre away. They had a shot crash off the bar and some other near misses.
TT were just floudering and didnt get their game together at all. passes were off, Guatemala were hustling us and TT had no time or space on the ball. The lil fellas were just unaccustommed to having a team play them hard and they started to make plenty mistakes, giving up the ball etc. Sean De Silva,.was properly marked out and put under serious manners by the Guatemalan midfield. he was substituted early in the second half.
Guatemala also were coached at this level about the finer tactics, such as play acting, hitting our opponents off the ball. Some very smart elbows and undetected fouls, time wasting etc. Many tackles after the ref turned away, the Guatemalans would stamp at the player on the ground, mash them on they back or hit them a small cuff easy easy. The thing is the TT players were just dumbfounded and they just were suffering from NOT ACCUSTOMMED.
Guatemala had two players a number 12 who got man of the match and a number 13, who I should say fathered at least 4 children near the half line. In one attempt he make twins......yes it was that bad. He stood up with the ball, did a snakey dance, sent the TT player one way...when the fella shift he roll the ball tru he legs, plaps....collect it on the next side then hit him a Rolly polly ....aka a zidane thru he legs again when he came back for the second helping. The crowd went wild.
Also in the second half at blistering speed he put down the zidane roly poly on two TT players on a counter attack. it was amazing the whole stadium bawl when they see that.
At the half TT lead by 1-0 but the writing was on the wall and we needed to get our act together soon.
Second half they moved de Silva up front as a lone fwd and after 10 min substitued him for De freitas who was just as ineffective.
TT though got a talking to in the locker room and came back in the second half with fire. They started tackling hard, hitting the shoulders and imposing themselves on the Guatemalans. They stopped passing the ball and playing it around. It was long ball down the wings and counter attack running with the ball and hoping for the best.
It wasn't much to look at but the long ball was working and gradually TT got back into the game.
Then a stupid lapse in concentration, ball went out of play a Guatemalan throws it in quickly a player then beats three men dances into the top of the box and fires..........GOAL. Stadium gets quiet, but then the Iron and Chanting starts up again louder than before.
TT then starts to crack. The defence starts to make mistakes in the back, the goalie does a pile on occasion and Guatemal come close. Then with nerves going guatemala run tru cross and a player slaps home.
It was still early 55 min gone and it looked like TT could have come back as Guatemala opted to compact and defend the lead.
Raid after raid but the poor finishing came back to haunt us. We stopped shooting only wanting to walk in the goal and whenever we had a good shot or header on target the Guatemalan keeper would make a spectacular save.
The last 10 minutes of the game were all trinidad and we missed a golden opportunity De freitas ran down a ball hit a shot that came off the keeper. the ball is bubbling infront of an open Goal..two Trinidad players are just standing up and watching and hoping it is going in. the ball trickles in front of the goal line and starts to go out before a player reacts and runs to retrieve it by the corner flag. An open goal missed and a chance to tie the game gone.
The corners keep coming, the shots start flying from TT but Guatemala, start the play acting, falling down and time wasting strategies.
Tweeet Game over and we now have to play our neighbours for the wooden spoon.
Guatemala Deserved to win the game. TT played well but in spurts and Guatemala dominated for extensive periods. if you want a parallel senior team game...TT played like the USA game on Ash Wed. Coulda win it but just didnt have enough.
Canada is by far the best team in this tournament and I think they should beat Guatemala easily.
I saw SH on the bench, but when he came up into the stands I lost him in the crowd. Its a hard luck I didnt get the chance to meet him.
Anyway fellas thats it.....I sacrifice study time to watch these Jr Warriors flop, but if we keep at it we should improve. Right now we suffering from Not Accustommed, and we have to play better teams to make transition.