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« on: August 15, 2008, 08:34:08 AM »
Forumites - I am trying a ting here ...so please doh compare mih to our resident Match Report expert - Sir "Touches" Esq.
With that out of the way, I must open by saying that we need to continue to support OUR team! - I am very proud of what I witnessed last night at RFK Stadium - The fellas made us proud ..for the most part ...some players on display were clearly not of International calibre and are just not ready (we will get into that later)
When I arrived at RFK (~ 7:15p) ... I was shocked to see how badly outnumbered the T&T contingent was by the ES crowd. I thought to myself "Nah! -dis cyar be true..de Trinis must be around de corner or assembled somewhere else ..because dis cyar be it" ...yuh seeing two three red jersey over so ..another two three dong dey...couple flags ..couple bandana ...
Proceed to find a parking spot in lot 8 and all de ES drunk already and carrying on .. so I studying..if / when de Warriors win dis match..how I getting my car out of here ... because I park deep deep in de middle of a ES section. Anyhow ah lock mih doors ...say ah quik prayers ...cause de car lil new still... and proceed to de stadium..nice lil walk but ah reach.....tickets in hand ...warm up jes finish by de time ah reach inside.
Bam - sit down ...pan around de stadium and realize dat yes .... we outnumbered bad bad ...it was like de movie -300- ... it might ironic if it was actually 300 of us out of the reported 28000 people in attendance.... but dat 300 make rell rell noise...and conduct weself properly especially considering dat ES do rell sh_t wit de bottle pelting and runnin on de field and all dat...
The Game:
Trinidad lineup in a 4-1-3-2 - with Leon sitting in front of the back 4 and Theo, Daniel and Hyland in front of him. Glen and Toussaint up front. We looked purposeful in de earlies and were looking to settle in and play some ball. The tactics were made clear within the 1st 10 mins that Trinidad were not going to pressure high and allow ES to knock the ball around in their own half and in midfield - we would retreat and apply ball pressure about 40 yards out - look to win the ball and play counter attacking football. OK ah could live with that ... but not WHOLE game??!!
The defense was organised in that the spacing was good, but the formation allowed for way too much room on the flanks, so the wide ES players were able to serve balls into the box or swtich the field with one pass, under most often, no durress. The left mid (#17) for ES was terrorizing Cyd, who looked either roast, old or injured... this was ES best player on the night and was always going to be the player to score for them. Very comfortable on the ball and always looked dangerous going forward. His goal was well struck and ES executed to perfection.
To our credit we defended well and limited them to only a few clear cut opportunities. The best saves our keeper had to make were from deflected clearances from our defenders. ES players were generally better technically than us...but any player would look good when not under pressure. It would have been good to see Maturana mix things up occasionally, by moving his line of pressure. Because when pressured (late) in the game - the ES back 4 looked shaky. Trinidad's defensive tactics were what you would expect from a team playing a man down - very little risk, compact and limited excessive movement ..which is OK..but it relies on defenders winning their individual battles.
Offensively, I was disappointed by the movement off the ball and the overall movement of our forwards. Toussaint seemed disinterested and never really seemed to get engaged in the game. He did some things well.. but at this level, more is required. The crowd was calling for his sub after 10 minutes... after two poor touches and no defensive effort. He was playing as if his spot is booked in the side when the FB are available. No way! Glen, did not see opportunities to run into space or check back to the outside backs to recieve the ball, he spent most of his time posting up the central defenders..who muscled him off the ball.. his 2nd half was better than the 1st. There always seemed to be too much of a gap between the mids and fwds ..and it was in that gap that ES kept winning the ball.
A point that must be made clear is that is very evident that our players are playing to instructions. They almost look programmed and to be lacking ideas sometimes..but it is clear that they are trying to execute the coaches instructions. Which is not an entirely bad thing..because it breeds discipline ..a trait that we have not always had..HOWEVER..a coach must recognize a players strengths and showcase them as well, while maintaining that discipline.
Our movement off the ball was not there consistently..which says that the players do not understand supporting angles and timing of runs. That is because all 10 field players are not equally proficient technically..so the thinking is.. "I am not going to run off the ball..because WHEN we lose it..the run back will be that much harder..so instead, I will hold my ground here and leave the player on the ball to figure it out" - that is not international football - The coach has to find players that have this understanding and that are technically proficient..which means that they are fundamentally sound (trapping, passing and receiving), can read the game and are physically fit. So from this point on ..if you do not have those attributes..your opportunities to represent the Trinidad & Tobago National team, should be slim to none. A Standard must be established...
Player Evals:
Keeper - 5, Shaky
Cyd - 5 .... something is not right with him..is he injured? ..a speedy winger will mash him up
Edwards - 5 ... seemed too dainty ... his distribution out of the back was poor. Showed his inexperience by giving up the foul that lead to the ES goal...nice late run forward to setup last goal...
Central defenders - 7.5, were strong in the challenge and played to their limitations..never really got caught out..need to work on clearing the ball..in any direction other than on goal!
Hyland - 8, the fella could play..was the best TT player in the 1st half. It only takes a few touches to see the men that have IT and the ones that dont...Hyland does..Toussaint does NOT
Theobald - 7, got better as the game progressed...deserved the full 90... is not going to be our defensive midfield so mid, so as an attacking mid needs to offer more going forward.
Daniel - 7.5, good on the ball and could make the squad when the FB come in. But again, must be more of a threat going forward..but a player to keep.
Leon - 6, did not really have an influence on the game...plugged the middle when he had too..but the flanks were so wide open that ES took advantage of that and never really threatened down the middle. Do not really see him playing ahead of Whitley, Hyland or Birchall.
Toussaint - 5, 45 minutes was plenty - had me convinced that at 34 and 200 lbs... I deserve a call up to this team! - this fella cannot be one of our better local forwards..ah cyar believe dat.
Glen - 7, 2 well taken goals..deserves to be in the squad..but comes off the bench to play up front or play him on the flank in midfield. He is not a target player, and his movement of the ball needs work. Must be trained accordingly. Seems to be on a star boy kinda scene..so must lose that attitude, put his head down and continue to work hard. Did well in the 2nd half.
Subs - 6, OK ..no real contribution... nice goal by Wolfe..a touch was all he needed ..the service from Edwards was top class....
Coaching staff - 6, this is my 1st game seeing Pacho's tactics live...and I was left wondering if he is up to the task. Trinidad players have a flair and pinache that needs to integral to our football - I just did not see that last night. I saw players afraid to make mistakes and to take risks.... gone are the days of attacking football?? ...say it aint so!!!...
We need to find;
2 defensive mids that are pitbulls in the midfield, that would allow the other 4 offensive players the freedom to attack
2 wing backs that can defend, initiate the attack and get forward,
2 wingers with pace and ability to get down the line and around the corner..
a target striker, with a mobile striker playing off of him..both of whom could finish....
Players from ES game that should be in the 18 for Cuba:
Hyland (should start), Daniel (should start), Theobald, Glen, Central Defenders
Bless!
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QuoteIs like yuh blaming d journalist fuh reporting d crime in our country.................and i think he's saying that although we won some games we have not been playing well and against superior opposition we would be punished for some of the rookie mistakes the team is making....spot on.
....I do not consider them to be that great so maybe I should have posed the question - "Do we rate the MLS?" .... so ok for the sake of falling in line with you "experts"...we will say that the players in MLS are.....Foreign based!! - thanks fellas for showing me the light!! - shame on me for rating our local players on the same level of the MLS -- what was I thinking???