Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: Tallman on September 13, 2009, 06:55:15 AM
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Where it all went wrong
By Marlon Miller (T&T Express)
I'VE TRIED to look for some consolation amidst the bitter reality, but there isn't any. Not the fact that Argentina are in trouble and may be reduced to the ignominy of a playoff, or that Portugal, with the world's most expensive player in their line-up, probably won't even make it into a playoff.
None of that can temper the disappointment that Trinidad and Tobago's Soca Warriors won't be going to South Africa next year and our supporters have been denied the opportunity to add their unique presence to the greatest sporting contest on the planet.
Just three years after the Warriors and T&T nationals from all around the globe dressed in red, white and black lit up the World Cup in Germany and made a lasting impact on everyone they came into contact with, we couldn't repeat the trick and now we'll be confined to taking it all in on television.
Our football remained at a standstill-or even went backwards-while our main regional opponents-USA, Mexico and Costa Rica-stepped up a gear, with Honduras filling the breach we left behind. And halfway around the world, Bahrain, at whose expense we became the smallest-ever nation to qualify for a Copa Mundial, are still alive after getting past neighbours Saudi Arabia on away goals and next face New Zealand for another chance to make it to football's biggest stage.
Since the Soca Warriors returned from Deutschland, a supposedly non-existent blacklist temporarily parked up some key players, while others who had the temerity to continue to demand their fair share of all the financial gains they generated on the road to Germany never got a look-in; the game's head honcho, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's special adviser, better known as Jack Warner, hired a coach who most of the time looked like he'd rather be back home in Colombia; and then at the 11th hour Warner threw one of our finest sons into the fire, hoping against hope that he could work some magic.
The only problem was that Russell Latapy was no longer in the starting XI and instead was calling the shots from the bench and not even the Little Magician could transfer his skill to those under his command.
Just to drive home how Warner got things all wrong was the fact that after our only victory to date in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying for South Africa 2010, against El Salvador at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on August 12, there was a 50 per cent increase in the price of tickets for the next home game, which was last Wednesday's clash with the United States.
The only problem for greedy Jack was that four days before we welcomed Uncle Sam's Army, we got hammered in Honduras, which left us hanging by an even slender thread.
So instead of the Warrior Nation coming out in their numbers at the last chance saloon on Wednesday, the fair-weather fans stayed away, while other regular supporters, who would have still paid the previous ticket price of $200, felt it hard to part with $300 for a seat in the uncovered section and kept their wallets in their pockets and used scarce funds for their children's school fees or some other necessity. So the stadium was less than half-full, not exactly the near full-house that should have been in attendance to rally the Warriors in what was already a desperate situation.
And now it's all over and we have failed to maintain the momentum generated by our appearance in Germany 2006.
That's because we, or rather Warner, still hasn't learnt that this is a four-year programme-as so many pundits have preached over the course of so many previous failed qualifying campaigns-that should have kicked off from the time the T&T team stepped off the plane from Germany. And you can't shut out good players and import nondescript coaches, and then when things aren't going good expect to pull some magician out of a hat to wave his wand and all will be well again.
I have to admit that Warner got it right four years ago when he recruited Leo Beenhakker, a coach with a proven track record in international football, a brilliant man manager who got the absolute best out of the players at his disposal. And, of course, back then Beenhakker had Latapy and Dwight Yorke to call on, with Stern John banging in vital goals.
But hiring Beenhakker was a one-off lucky strike for our boy Jack, who the next time around brought in a man who couldn't even talk English and still couldn't speak the language up to the time he resigned or got the golden handshake or whatever last April, when so many crucial points had already gone down the drain.
Italians Fabio Capello and Giovanni Trapattoni went to England and Ireland, respectively, to take up the post of national team manager and the first thing they did was learn to speak English. Not Francisco Maturana, the Warner-appointed ex-coach of T&T.
And now it is left to be seen what Warner will do with Latapy, who tried his best with his back against the wall when the cause was already as good as lost.
In an ideal world, Latas, if he is prepared for the long haul and is looking ahead to Brazil 2014, will remain in the post and start planning now for the many battles to come.
He has some bright young talent to work with like Hayden Tinto, Radanfah Abu Bakr and members of the current national Under-20 squad, along with Kenwyne Jones, Silvio Spann, Chris Birchall and Keyeno Thomas, as well as grizzled veterans who still have some life left in their legs like John, Carlos Edwards, Jlloyd Samuel and Cornell Glen.
But with Warner calling the shots you never know what's next-the money he throws around may dry up and he won't be able to pay the coaching staff, unless he and the Minister of Tickets Delayed by Traffic and Rain, sorry I mean the Minister of Sport, can come to some sort of agreement.
So we'll just have to hope for the best and keep our fingers crossed that we can dance in the streets of Rio five years hence. Stay tuned.
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:applause: :applause: Well said.....very well said!!
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graspin at straws.
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I fell dem journalists does read dis board for material oui....the timing of they articles does be so suspect with the rash of threads discussing the same damn ting, damn near verbatim too
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nice article ... :applause: :applause:
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I fell dem journalists does read dis board for material oui....the timing of they articles does be so suspect with the rash of threads discussing the same damn ting, damn near verbatim too
Exactly. Down to "So instead of the Warrior Nation coming out in their numbers". Hope he ain't gonna claim in the next campaign he originated the term...
Good article though. At least teh influence coming form the correct source.
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I fell dem journalists does read dis board for material oui....the timing of they articles does be so suspect with the rash of threads discussing the same damn ting, damn near verbatim too
tru that
plenty ppl in Trinbago dont know the situation like how we on this board know it....but it funny how it all seems to come out now....Get Rid of Jack.
nice article :beermug:
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Yuh need more than a 4 year plan.
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Good to see Marlon reading this site and condensing it into an article.
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Royal,
we need less than 4 years. 2012 qualifying for Brazil starts.
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Nice article ...but i'll call this journalist a waggonist just like the many that stayed away fro m the TT v USA game.
Where was he and his plethora or articles earlier in the campaign....... we only know to talk bout it after the fact ..... when the relevance matters not.
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Nice article ...but i'll call this journalist a waggonist just like the many that stayed away fro m the TT v USA game.
Where was he and his plethora or articles earlier in the campaign....... we only know to talk bout it after the fact ..... when the relevance matters not.
Just because he only writing about it now doesn't mean he hasn't been supporting the team all along... the "waggonist" charge is curious.
...that aside, just because the article shares opinions posted on this site that doesn't mean that the author took the points from opinions posted here. This isn't rocket science... anybody who has been paying attention to our national set up could properly diagnose what it is that has been ailing us the past three years.
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Nice article ...but i'll call this journalist a waggonist just like the many that stayed away fro m the TT v USA game.
Where was he and his plethora or articles earlier in the campaign....... we only know to talk bout it after the fact ..... when the relevance matters not.
Just because he only writing about it now doesn't mean he hasn't been supporting the team all along... the "waggonist" charge is curious.
...that aside, just because the article shares opinions posted on this site that doesn't mean that the author took the points from opinions posted here. This isn't rocket science... anybody who has been paying attention to our national set up could properly diagnose what it is that has been ailing us the past three years.
Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
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Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I honestly don't know... and would rather not speculate.
Quite possibly the article is intended as an endcap to the campaign. So now that the campaign is in the rear view mirror, this presents the perfect opportunity for reflection rather than join the chorus of baying hounds micro-analyzing each move (or non-move) made by the coaching staff. I know that I for one got tired of all the over-analysis and second-guessing that shadowed the team.
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Nice article ...but i'll call this journalist a waggonist just like the many that stayed away fro m the TT v USA game.
Where was he and his plethora or articles earlier in the campaign....... we only know to talk bout it after the fact ..... when the relevance matters not.
Just because he only writing about it now doesn't mean he hasn't been supporting the team all along... the "waggonist" charge is curious.
...that aside, just because the article shares opinions posted on this site that doesn't mean that the author took the points from opinions posted here. This isn't rocket science... anybody who has been paying attention to our national set up could properly diagnose what it is that has been ailing us the past three years.
Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I agree bro. they waited until crunch time to rock the boat when nothing more could be done, it would've been better if these articles were written in the middle of the crisis.
the media need tuh enlighten the uninformed public about the way our federation is mutilating the progression of football on the twin islands, before the fact that is! not when the campaign over.
like i said before, trinbagonians are extremely inactive, and no amount of sour grapes will awaken them to the cause/ struggle. they need full fledged education and a hard working federation who is prepared to compromise whatever it takes or even operate @ a loss if needs be to create a footballing awareness amongst the masses for the game to move forward on the islands.
on ah lesser note. i glad we not going to SA! that would've set us back even more. i would like latas to stay on BC he has shown that he have what it takes to organize ah team , and the players seem to respect him and is willing to do battle for him.
i only hope he could get through to the local pro league bosses incouraging them to lift the bar on the pro league standards, that is extremely vital to the progress and future of the local game. until then, expect more of the same. positive.
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I fell dem journalists does read dis board for material oui....the timing of they articles does be so suspect with the rash of threads discussing the same damn ting, damn near verbatim too
no doubt, thats why we have to ensure we keep a standard to our information. Just a thought.
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Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I honestly don't know... and would rather not speculate.
Quite possibly the article is intended as an endcap to the campaign. So now that the campaign is in the rear view mirror, this presents the perfect opportunity for reflection rather than join the chorus of baying hounds micro-analyzing each move (or non-move) made by the coaching staff. I know that I for one got tired of all the over-analysis and second-guessing that shadowed the team.
.....actually back in '06 he wrote an article criticising Warner for increasing the price for Latapy's "farewell" game against Peru. I'll never forget the title of the article..."Greedy kill Iguana"...
He writes every now and then, but not as often as say Lasana.....he's the guy we had to complain to about getting the image of our flag mixed up with the Powder Posse crew last year.....
*sigh* I miss Lasana....oh where art thou Lasana??.... :( :-\
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Marlon is the Sports Editor of the Express so he doesn't write often any more and from what i gather it's mostly OpEd type pieces when he does.
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Nice article ...but i'll call this journalist a waggonist just like the many that stayed away fro m the TT v USA game.
Where was he and his plethora or articles earlier in the campaign....... we only know to talk bout it after the fact ..... when the relevance matters not.
Just because he only writing about it now doesn't mean he hasn't been supporting the team all along... the "waggonist" charge is curious.
...that aside, just because the article shares opinions posted on this site that doesn't mean that the author took the points from opinions posted here. This isn't rocket science... anybody who has been paying attention to our national set up could properly diagnose what it is that has been ailing us the past three years.
What has been ailing T&T Football has been ailing us for a whole lot more than the past three years. We made it to Germany in spite of our ailments and unless we fix what really ails us we wouldn't see another "Germany" for a very, very long time.....if ever again.
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Marlon is the Sports Editor of the Express so he doesn't write often any more and from what i gather it's mostly OpEd type pieces when he does.
So because he doh write d express minus Lasana is like every other media house blind or dumb 2 d goings on in d football. Writin dat now serves what purpose?
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"There has been the obvious disappointment of us not making it to South Africa in 2010 but all is not lost and our continuing aspirations towards future World Cup begins now,” Warner added.
That is where it started. It is either this man is ignorant or arrogant or maybe both.
As I said before "shit rolls down hill".
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"There has been the obvious disappointment of us not making it to South Africa in 2010 but all is not lost and our continuing aspirations towards future World Cup begins now,” Warner added.
That is where it started. It is either this man is ignorant or arrogant or maybe both.
As I said before "shit rolls down hill".
Wit dem fellas it does roll up d hill.
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The day Olivia Gums allow Jakula to dictate to him and the feeble federation. By the way, for those of you who believe that Jakula should continue to own the feeble federation let me just enlighten you a little bit.
The Board of Directors of U.S. Soccer is the governing board of the Federation in accordance with the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. Consisting of elected members representing all facets of soccer in the United States, the Board administers the affairs of the Federation between meetings of the National Council.
Board Of Directors
President
Sunil K. Gulati
Executive Vice President
Mike Edwards
Immediate Past President (non-voting)
Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia
Athlete RepresentativesAmanda Cromwell, Jon McCullough, Peter Vermes
Pro Council Representatives
Don Garber, Kevin Payne
Adult Council Representatives
Brooks McCormick, Jim Hamilton
Youth Council Representatives
Larry Monaco, Bob Palmeiro
At Large Representative
Francisco Marcos
Independent Directors
Carlos Cordeiro, Fabian Núñez, Donna E. Shalala
CEO/Secretary General (non-voting)
Dan Flynn
Let me repeat: U.S. Soccer is governed by Bylaws and Policies adopted by a Board of Directors and the National Council.
In addition to the above: Measuring the Future: The development of the U.S. Soccer Federation
as the governing body of soccer in all its forms in the United States, U.S. Soccer has helped chart the course for the sport in the USA for more than 90 years. In this time, the Federation’s mission statement has been very simple and very clear: to make soccer, in all its forms, a preeminent sport in the United States and to continue the development of soccer at all recreational and competitive levels.
To that end, the sports growth in the past two decades has been nothing short of remarkable.
Professionally, Major League Soccer recently celebrated its tenth season of play and continues to further the development of the American player, along with the three-tiered developmental league, the United Soccer Leagues. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, no fewer than five major soccer specific stadiums are in place now coast-to-coast with more facilities en route.
By the way I don't see Chuck Blazer advising the USSF on what to do and who to do.
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Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I honestly don't know... and would rather not speculate.
Quite possibly the article is intended as an endcap to the campaign. So now that the campaign is in the rear view mirror, this presents the perfect opportunity for reflection rather than join the chorus of baying hounds micro-analyzing each move (or non-move) made by the coaching staff. I know that I for one got tired of all the over-analysis and second-guessing that shadowed the team.
.....actually back in '06 he wrote an article criticising Warner for increasing the price for Latapy's "farewell" game against Peru. I'll never forget the title of the article..."Greedy kill Iguana"...
He writes every now and then, but not as often as say Lasana.....he's the guy we had to complain to about getting the image of our flag mixed up with the Powder Posse crew last year.....
*sigh* I miss Lasana....oh where art thou Lasana??.... :( :-\
Give him ah call nah, yuh ent have his email or phone no.?
He ent working anyway now? Maybe he working for Jenkins now!
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Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I honestly don't know... and would rather not speculate.
Quite possibly the article is intended as an endcap to the campaign. So now that the campaign is in the rear view mirror, this presents the perfect opportunity for reflection rather than join the chorus of baying hounds micro-analyzing each move (or non-move) made by the coaching staff. I know that I for one got tired of all the over-analysis and second-guessing that shadowed the team.
.....actually back in '06 he wrote an article criticising Warner for increasing the price for Latapy's "farewell" game against Peru. I'll never forget the title of the article..."Greedy kill Iguana"...
He writes every now and then, but not as often as say Lasana.....he's the guy we had to complain to about getting the image of our flag mixed up with the Powder Posse crew last year.....
*sigh* I miss Lasana....oh where art thou Lasana??.... :( :-\
Give him ah call nah, yuh ent have his email or phone no.?
He ent working anyway now? Maybe he working for Jenkins now!
He will b back
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Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I honestly don't know... and would rather not speculate.
Quite possibly the article is intended as an endcap to the campaign. So now that the campaign is in the rear view mirror, this presents the perfect opportunity for reflection rather than join the chorus of baying hounds micro-analyzing each move (or non-move) made by the coaching staff. I know that I for one got tired of all the over-analysis and second-guessing that shadowed the team.
.....actually back in '06 he wrote an article criticising Warner for increasing the price for Latapy's "farewell" game against Peru. I'll never forget the title of the article..."Greedy kill Iguana"...
He writes every now and then, but not as often as say Lasana.....he's the guy we had to complain to about getting the image of our flag mixed up with the Powder Posse crew last year.....
*sigh* I miss Lasana....oh where art thou Lasana??.... :( :-\
Give him ah call nah, yuh ent have his email or phone no.?
He ent working anyway now? Maybe he working for Jenkins now!
He will b back
Like the Terminator! ;)
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Granted .... but why speak of it now. Didn't the journalist feel it necessary to comment on questionable team selections, less than spectacular team administration, and the non-existant blacklist (as he said) before our premature exit.
I honestly don't know... and would rather not speculate.
Quite possibly the article is intended as an endcap to the campaign. So now that the campaign is in the rear view mirror, this presents the perfect opportunity for reflection rather than join the chorus of baying hounds micro-analyzing each move (or non-move) made by the coaching staff. I know that I for one got tired of all the over-analysis and second-guessing that shadowed the team.
.....actually back in '06 he wrote an article criticising Warner for increasing the price for Latapy's "farewell" game against Peru. I'll never forget the title of the article..."Greedy kill Iguana"...
He writes every now and then, but not as often as say Lasana.....he's the guy we had to complain to about getting the image of our flag mixed up with the Powder Posse crew last year.....
*sigh* I miss Lasana....oh where art thou Lasana??.... :( :-\
Give him ah call nah, yuh ent have his email or phone no.?
He ent working anyway now? Maybe he working for Jenkins now!
He will b back
Like the Terminator! ;)
Hopefully more potent than d Terminator
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lasana was in the press box for the USA match...
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Marlon is the Sports Editor of the Express so he doesn't write often any more and from what i gather it's mostly OpEd type pieces when he does.
So because he doh write d express minus Lasana is like every other media house blind or dumb 2 d goings on in d football. Writin dat now serves what purpose?
Every journalist has their role. Some write the everyday stories and some write the OpEd pieces. Weary is not like you doh know the story with the media in this country. Lacking bad. But that doesn't mean Keith Smith should be writing the everyday crime story. That's not his role. Lasana around. And soon to be publishing again.
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Marlon is the Sports Editor of the Express so he doesn't write often any more and from what i gather it's mostly OpEd type pieces when he does.
So because he doh write d express minus Lasana is like every other media house blind or dumb 2 d goings on in d football. Writin dat now serves what purpose?
Every journalist has their role. Some write the everyday stories and some write the OpEd pieces. Weary is not like you doh know the story with the media in this country. Lacking bad. But that doesn't mean Keith Smith should be writing the everyday crime story. That's not his role. Lasana around. And soon to be publishing again.
U cyah b d editor and u eh coverin d story. U cyah leave it 2 d freelance man then all of a sudden u doin an article on d story. As u say d press is a joke a bad joke.
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Lasana around. And soon to be publishing again.
*sigh* I cyar wait for he return....
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Lasana around. And soon to be publishing again.
*sigh* I cyar wait for he return....
Ent! I missed his articles read bad!