First off, let me ask that this not be merged right away please.
Right well ah reach late but the parking wasn't too bad. A good crowd for football in Tobago, although I was expecting more. I walked straight in and sat with the first familar face I saw, no time to waste finding no 'good seat'. it was 2nd half in the first game, Cuba already up 4-nil. The truth be told Suriname wasn't looking too bad at this point, it took me a while to realize who was the side on top. Anyway 5-nil, game done.
A watch round the crowd and barely 1/3 of "us" wearing Red..... The place quiet till you could hear a pin drop.
WE started with Jorsling up front, Hector on the left and Carter on the right, Guerra in the middle with Theolbald and Leon in front of the back four. Jones on the left and Mitchell and Power in the middle, Wasn't sure who was the right back. With Theobald sometimes dropping to make it two holding midfielders(this is how it looked to me)
So game start and we midfield start to pressure from the get go. WE throw away one and had a free kick right on top the box all before we scored in the 4th minute. Then a nice knock down the right and Jorsling throw away. Things looking good. St Vincent looking good for about 10. SO we continue to dominate, until about the 20th minute and man start to lapse in the middle. St Vincent all of a sudden start to find space to pass the ball to foot. One miss, two misses, three misses then "BAM" goal in we tail.
Everybody want to know what the hell just happened, this side wasn't playing nothing !!!!!
Well at this point Charles made some changes and put Huton Hector in the middle and move Atullah Guerra to the left. Good Tactical change and we start to play again. Men start back dropping off in midfield and crowding them out and we start to win the ball again, and we start to pressure them. Guerra drags a man in the box, mash up the stadium, then tried to do too much instead of chooking it across the box.This action was repeated again before the half was done.
Half time 1 all but the side still looking good for some goals in the 2nd half. I looked around the section where I was sitting(on the left end of the stands close to the goal post) and you know what... I know almost everybody there by name. It was either coaches, players, former players and school boy players, with parents.......... only diehards, we were not able to get the non traditional supporters(band waggonists). But really what can you expect when the football in the state that it is.
Right 2nd half... St Vincent has now arrived at the party with their two strikers.....Poison is the only way that i can describe them. When them two get the ball on their feet is pure pressure. They playing like twins. Movement off the call and their connection was almost impossible to contain in the 2nd Half. Hats off to Carlyle Mitchell and "Man Of the Match" Seon Power. Power is a beast, I give him a player rating of 9.75... only because when he was sent up in the closing stages as we were looking for the win... he did everything but score.
Charles brought on Jagdeosingh and Edwards for the now ineffectual Guerra, who by that time was being called off by the fans. Jaggy on the left and Edwards playing central for Leon. Jorsling had by this time also had been taken out of the game due to a combination of rough tackles and poor refereeing, that frustrated our no. 9 right out of the match. Poor Jorsling could not get a call from the ref. for nothing, and the crybaby that he is got frustrated and had to be replaced. Most people looking on thought that Edwards was not very good, I myself thought that he was a more attacking and goal scoring midfielder, not sure what his instructions were. Jagdeosingh made a few speedy threatening runs, one of which ended in a collision with the St Vincent goal keeper.... the next run that he made after that his hamstring went. This meant that we effectively finished the game with 10 men as he was just left up front on his own to do what ever he could if the ball came his way.
All this happening and football still playing.... Hasim Arca also came on and was on of the culprits of the glaring misses that we had coming down to the death after we had ridden out the steam of the St Vincent "spin twins" up front, partly to some heavy tackles that lead to one being replaced(
)
We, even with this weakened side should of had no trouble totally dismantling this side. Given the defense that we put up and the misses in front of goal..... easy 3 points. Not sure what happened to the St Vincent side that most were expecting to be the toughest team in the group. The only time that they played any constructive ball was when our midfield back off and gave them space to play. They looked poor at times really.
Let us hope that this is not an indication of things to come. What should have been an easy 3 points we turned into 1. Don't let anybody fool you, they talking bot poor first touch and all kinda thing bout the players...... we were still better than St Vincent
Most import to this side going forward will be match practice. The only way to improve on the finishing and to minimize some of the simple errors that they made is with this side training together and playing together. There were no major technical problems with the side. I have seen some of these players play in the Pro League and on National Teams before and they can do it.
Got in after midnight from Trini and could do with some rest but I will be there tonight...in my RED !!!!