Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: SWF Reporter on August 02, 2007, 06:01:24 AM
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Caledonia tame Public.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
… Defending champs flounder.
Neal and Massy Caledonia AIA closed in on present Pro League leaders CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh on Tuesday night with a 1-0 conquest of Joe Public at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar.
The result is likely to increase the pressure on Public, the 2006 Pro League champions, who are yet to get out of first gear this season.
Darryl Warner, the second son of club owner and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, has taken on a bigger role in the operation of the “Eastern Lions” this term but it does not appear to have been a smooth transition of power.
Michael McComie led Public to their first Pro League title last season and was named the “Coach of the Year” before being re-assigned to the national under-23 squad.
Public technical director Keith Look Loy was instrumental in the recruiting of Cubans Domingo Hernandez and Manuel Rodriguez who shared Public’s coaching responsibilities at the start of the season until a 2-0 loss to Defence Force on July 10.
“The Cuban coaches… persisted in their policy of not selecting a number of the senior players who the management had brought into the club to help in our title defence and the Caribbean Club Championship,” Darryl told the TT Pro League website.
McComie was recalled as a caretaker until Darryl’s choice, Walt “Salty” Noriega, completes a coaching course in England . He is expected back in early August.
It is difficult to tell whether the instability has affected Public’s on-field performances but surely there is something amiss.
At the final whistle on Tuesday, there were few outward signs of elation from the Caledonia players or their technical staff. The result, it seemed, was just another step towards the Pro League crown.
If the FIFA bigwig was present, Caledonia ’s casual celebrations alone might have prompted a furious race into his own club’s dressing room.
Darryl might point out that Public are still third and just six points off the summit. But closer scrutiny of their results gives a different story of their 2007 title credentials.
Public have managed just four points from a possible 15 in matches this season against the main title contenders—Vibe CT 105 W Connection (4 points), Jabloteh (0 points) and Caledonia (0 points).
Caledonia have 13 points from a possible 18 and Jabloteh, eight from 15, while Connection have just four after six matches against their top rivals.
No wonder Caledonia started so confidently on Tuesday.
The passage of play was fairly even while neither team looked short on effort. But Caledonia ’s individual players were more charismatic on the night.
Six minutes into the game, midfield maestro Marvin Oliver cheekily flicked the ball over the head of Public’s bullish defender Abassi McPherson.
“That man get cap in a phone booth boy,” shouted one excited patron.
Sheldon Emmanuel, Caledonia’s impressive captain, had a masterful moment too as he chased a loose pass in the second half and stopped the ball with a slide and flick of the booth that, simultaneously, took him past Public pursuer Jason Springer to more yells of appreciation.
Such flashes of skill do not win matches. But they can have an effect on teammates, opponents, spectators and even match officials.
Sometimes, the gods of fate like to be entertained.
Public midfielder Kerry Baptiste should have had a penalty when he was chopped down by Kerry Franklyn in the opposing box, 20 minutes into the match, but failed to get the nod from referee Ishmael Mohammed.
Caledonia again benefited from Mohammed’s leniency in the 36th minute when Kareem Joseph escaped a second yellow card after two aggressive hacks at Public winger Gregory Richardson in the space of five minutes.
And McComie would rue their misfortune when Anthony Abrams, one of a clutch of Guyanese internationals on either outfit, clinically volleyed home with his left boot in the 52nd minute after Oliver cushioned a header into his path. It was similar to his winner against Petrotrin at the same venue on July 21.
Perhaps the god of irony was getting in on the act.
Radanfah Abu Bakr, who was deployed in central midfield, should have doubled Caledonia ’s lead in the 68th minute after a clever slipped pass from Conrad Smith but failed to beat Public custodian Alejandro Figueroa.
Public did have a notable late charge. Twice, striker Nigel Pierre brought the best out of Caledonia goalkeeper Richard Reynolds with crashing strikes while Baptiste rifled one effort off the underside of the bar and poked another wide from close range in the ensuing scrimmages.
Baptiste’s latter effort condemned his teammates fate. The disappointed player bent over and held his own knees. Public were screwed.
The post-mortem between McComie and Darryl should be interesting. Public played well enough and created enough chances for all three points. But Caledonia ’s self-belief was unshakable and, in the end, won approval from the respective gods who go around deciding football matches.
Sometimes playing to win is not enough. The difference between the two teams on Tuesday was that Caledonia, coached by Jerry Moe in the absence of Jamaal Shabazz, played like winners.
Teams:
Joe Public:[/b] — Alejandro Figueroa, Sean Power, Jason Springer, Abassi Mc Pherson, Gregory Richardson, Devon Caseman (Reon Nelson), Dale Saunders (capt), Kerry Baptiste, Lyndon Andrews, Nigel Pierre, Gary Glasgow.
Coach—Michael Mc Comie.
Caledonia AIA: — Richard Reynolds, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Sheldon Emmanuel (capt), Howard Lowe, Dexter Franklyn, Charles Pollard, Stephen David, Kareem Joseph, Marvin Oliver, Anthony Abrams (Carlyle Mitchell), Conrad Smith (Marcus Ambrose).
Coach—Jerry Moe.
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ah big side iz ah big side
jablo we comming
talk done
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DONE KNOW
morvant if u did see dat cap killa rasta man doin it and wim was in the stands so yuh done kno is nuff cali men go get call up
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Joe Public signed plently players for this season and like it affect they team, they better buck up or else they will get nuff licks in de concacaf champion cup later this year.....
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Joe Public coach Mc Comie said he will be bringing back Wolry Wolfe from Jamaica as well as another Jamaican striker, plus striker Kendall Davis and another player from Grenada will be coming on trial. “There is never a crisis at Joe Public because Joe Public can afford any coach and any player, in terms of the transition I don’t think that’s a problem because all the players are accustomed to me, they played with me over three years and I don’t think being away for two weeks or four months will change our relationship.”
Mc Comie added “They (players) understand that it is a business and the monthly payroll for this team can be shocking, having said so spending the money is not a problem but we demand results and productivity for the amount of monies that is being spent on a monthly basis.”
(http://www.ttproleague.com/images/store/magazine_july.jpg)
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Public need a lot more help than that.
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Nice cover.
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BESSSS COVER
cya wait to pick up that issue
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I eh care what McComie say, all dem changes cyah be good. And what was that about firing de coach because he eh picking de players dat management bringing in?? I thought it was de coach and not management supposed to pick de team. Anyways...
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I was now coming to ask how Oliver hasn't gotten a run with the national team yet after seeing highlights of this game. Plus people talking about him a while now.
Commentator calling him Big Dread ;D
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Jack Public will suffer !!!!!!!!!! and McComie will get the axe.....
Jack, you cannot buy success !!!!!!!
Wolry Wolfe ..... :nailbiting: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
It have men like Keyode Legall (Tobago United), not a bad buy.....
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Joe Public will have all the money and big stadium. But they will never get the passionate support that the Tacapuna people use to give TECSA.