Dear All,
I know this thread will be merged shortly but I wanted to seperate this from the idle rambling and comparisons with JA, haiti and talent etc that has been going on in the CFU thread.
DisclaimerI would like to make it known that I am being objective as possible. I am fully aware that these are young fellas with much to learn and plenty to develop. I am also fully aware that I must not compare the level of play to WC standard or EPL or what we see from adults. I shall also refrain from harsh critcism of the boys and will not call them shithound, goat or the like.
That said this under 16 team need a good dose of..
and dey need to drink some
Cause if they ent doing some kinda lala, they looking tired and lethargic.
This was my first match and I was severly disappointed. However from those around me the general concensus was that this was the worst they have ever seen the team play and the most uninspiring performance thus far.......Lucky me!
I left town at 4pm and with all the bad weather and traffic made it to Ato Boldon in just under 40 min. The design of that carpark is a real trip...plus it is not properly paved or maintained....Imagine pools of water and small hills in a car park....yes small hills.
Also the organization of the gate was much to be desired......Only ONE gate open....considering there was a crowd of 800-1000 persons.
Now if they were shortstaffed I would have understood but check the kix...two ticket people in the booth....and three people waiting on you to walk tru the turnstile and take yuh ticket to give yuh back yuh stub. Come orn. And only one person doing each function...it come like they hire guards to monitor the workers.They could have gotten one more person and opened up a second gate.
Another thing that was amusing....about 20 people in front of me....admission is 10$.....I hit the woman a $20....she go ask meh if I have anything smaller
........I say is cents alyuh want in dey or wha!
Did the usual....a drink and a pie and I settled down to take in the action
Anyway I saw the last 5 min of the Haiti game and from the little I saw TT will be up against it.
Crowd was good about 800-1000....seats were wet due to the rain so we were all huddled up near the top of the stands. Music was coming from a band called the Gospel Warriors....5 fellas with trombone and horn and a full compliment of drummers and precussionists.
Whim was present, Alvin, Colin Murray all the other tv people and one or two celebs such as Maximus Dan sitting down to take in the action.
Tweett game start and within 10 seconds it was TT GOAL....a man play a ball...fella ketch it on the flank...cross and a youth bundle it home.
Poor Suriname...I say it looking like goal feast and game go be nice.
Eh heh far from.
My company for the afternoon was far more interesting and pleasing to the eye than the action on the field. In fact, had it not been for this welcomed distraction, I would have preferred to be a spectator in my living room tuned in to NCC4.
Formites I cannot help but compare this to the under 15 tournament held last year....looking at some of the same players, and remembering what was done then, the level we were playing at and the level of competition faced.
We are simply not ready for top youth level football and marginally better than the lower ranked teams in the region. Also I think the level has dropped, the promise that was shown with the under 15 team and these fellas who have gotten older...they jest ent improve or maintain the good work that was started.
Suriname always had a chance in this game and if they were a bit serious would have caused us real problems.
I do not know many of the plaayers names...but let me give you the run down of this side.
TT playing a 4-4-2
The Keeper....Fullerton....Shakey....and many in the crowd say he go collect a good dose of goal if he keep up his antics. Or if a serious fwd latch orn to him....I doe know if he under coasting scenes or what but while claiming some air balls well and coming out for crosses his foot skills lacking...he beating and doing some kinda risky things instead of playing a simple knock to the wingbacks and the glaring mistakes were that under NO pressure...none...on a goal kick, he sell guns and give the surinamese fwd a gift, and was guilty of just hoofing the ball out of play. I expected more given I have seen his performances in the last tournament and in Colleges league this year. Decent shot stopper, but was not really tested in the game
The back 4 are all very Tall with the exception of the wingback who have a dougla finish however he is the quickest of the lot. they were all wearing the flourescent red TT adidas boots and didnt slip too much. The are all composed, but they have a problem supporting each other and do not mark well at times. They are good in the tackle and they do not make rash challenges, However any time a long ball is played tru the center....is pure worries and trouble. They were exposed on 4 occasions....It is either a communication problem or a lack of speed.
A tru ball between them resulted in a Surinamese bursting tru and lobbing the Keeper who came off his line...is only because the the lob was feeble and the heroics of one of the stoppers prevented the score from being 1-1. the lil Fella put down a John Terry and run back and clear the ball off the line.
Midfield......Nuttin atall here to trouble anyone. De Silva Started but like he had a off game...totally ineffective, made some bad passes, no kinda penetration. Was subbed in the Second Half.
The big Player leston Paul didnt play....much to the disappointment of the knowledgeable ones in the stands.
TT tried to switch the play and develop a knock but the end result was a ball down the flank....the cross poor, the attacker getting jam by the corner or if he skipped away...had no supporting fwd to pass the ball to. In the end it was a knock amongst the back 4...some movement up the field and then a long hoof ball to the fwd or to the wing.
Just like the senior team...this side have No Clue in the attacking third. There was no point man, no one making any off the ball runs, and no options going fwd. It ended up with a youth getting a ball watching 3 men and saying lemme go for Glory...only to receive a jam at the end.
Now I wouldnt knock them totally as you could see some textbook plays that were simply not executed properly....i.e a player putting a ball into space where a man SHOULD have been, or setting a shot...where a player should be following up.
De Silva got a shot on goal in the first half but other than that our fwds are afraid to shoot.
Our players individually are not bad...you can also see the difference between those who are coached and those who have it natural, in terms of technique, footwork etc. We have the trapping, shielding, beat and dribble down......even the small passes. But the long passing and crosses etc. Heading of the ball...we lacking in this dept.
What this team needs is some more training and we need the killer instinct....It lacking...at least from the game I saw yesterday...also we are playing way too slow...sometimes at walking pace or a moderate jog no setta urgency at all. Maybe it is because Suriname just relaxed or eased us up.
Anytime a Suriname player ran at us it was trouble and they were not out of the game by any means...There was a fella upfront with a flat top who hit a TT youth a spanner on the far side and then belt him after when he caught himself.
the goals that were scored by TT were as follows....early on a cross and scramble home.
Second goal was from a corner...ball played nearpost...TT fwd flicked it on and it hit a defender and into the goal.
Third goal a beauty....... from a free kick a fella jump up and slot a header looping into the far "V" excellent goal.
Fourth Goal a penalty...a youth got pulled down in the area after sharing some beat.
Suriname as I said before had a goal line clearance...they had a free kick that hit the post and one or two chances that they threw away.
TT was guilty as well of poor finishing, men miskicking with the goal at thier mercy or a poor first touch when they were in I V I situations.
But they are lil fellas and hopefully will improve. As far as being contenders in Concacaf not yet...plenty work to do. Alyuh doe get into no verbal slinging match with any of our opponents...the line between each team is very thin.
Lastly just a word of caution...........When exiting the Ato Boldon Stadium Beware of the Crapauds.
They big and they have plenty of them...One Jumbie me and had to receive a Volley easy easy.
Till next time....