For the people who didnt see the first leg, TT vs Bermuda last week, if you all watched the holland - russia game yesterday, that was almost a carbon copy of what transpired at Macoya.
To start with, we went in as overwhelming favourites, just as Holland. But we met up with a team that was willing to run more than us for 90 mins.
Bermuda essentially had 3 good attacking players, while russia showed class all around. But the 3 bermuda players, Khano Smith on the left wing, Ming on the right, and the centre forward Nusum, all ran T&T ragged. Our defense were made to look flat and amateurish whenever these 3 men counter-attacked us. Yes we spent the majority of the game in their half playing shit, but when they counter-attacked, it was real worries, like when russia was running at Holland. They played with pace and an energy level above our players, just like russia did to holland.
Just like Ruud gave HOlland some hope, so to did Stern whe we equalised.
But it is the same, plat looking display the dutch put out that was the exact same thing T&T looked like.
Russia ran holland off the turn, and to an extent, bermuda 3 players did the same to our jaded, listless, national team.
So the big question for today, what type of game will suit T&T to reverse the result.
We know for sure that it will either be a tit-for-tat attacking open game, or a defensive minded Bermuda soaking up pressure and looking to hit us on the counter. I strongly suspect it will be the latter. If that is the case, i am worried, cause this team has not shown the class to play against a set, defensive, half field team. We dont have the patience, we dont have the fitness to keep running off the ball and open the defense, and we sure as hell dont have the shooting mentality and technique that will unsettle defenses and cause defenses to open up. I wont even talk about the fact that we dont have a clue about what to do on set plays - we had like 15 corners and free kicks in very dangerous positions last week, and not once did we threaten their goal. Why carlos continues to take free kicks on the edge of the box when we have keon daniel still mystifies me.
Plus, bermuda seem to be the classic english FA cup team from the conference who loves to play on the counter and sting big teams. They are VERY capable of scoring on us again today if they play on the break.
I still believe that we are a better team, for all that crap we played, we should have still won. And i believe that once we neutralise their 3 attacking players, we will score the 2 goals in 90 mins. I just hope we up to date on penalties, just in case, plus the fact that a penalty might be the only way we score on their packed defense.
So if we were to look at our display last week, and also the holland-russia game yesterday, we can see as clear as day why we lost - energy and intensity.
Amazing how similar the games were...