Messages

31

Football / Re: If this doesn't motivate us.........

« on: October 16, 2017, 02:12:28 PM »

Congo....

I believe that there is a misconception which insinuates  that if the US best athletes switched to football, the world will have to watch out...

Last time I checked being a super human athlete didn't equate to one being superior on the football field.

Messi, Neyamar, and Ronaldo are not the biggest or most physical athletes to play this game but they are all dominant.

This is akin to the suggestion that size of a country should equate to overall dominance in a sport, in this case football.

I agree that  the US have made significant inroads in the sport, but they are still light years away  from being
a major player.
Not saying it is impossible, but I don't think we will see any major status changes in our life time.

We on the other hand have the 'potential' to surpass them if and only if the stakeholders/public come together.

They may not be the "biggest" athletes but what they benefit from is the fact that football/soccer is the most popular sport in their countries.

That is all that I am saying. What would happen if America becomes soccer mad and really make significant investments in football/soccer?

 Right now, soccer is a 'rich kids" sport in America compared to the sport in other countries where it's really the poor and downtrodden who see it as a way to get out of poverty etc.

In America, the sports of choice to get out of poverty/inner cities are football(nfl) and Basketball. That is what I am alluding too.

The average youth involved in soccer in America is way more privileged that the average kid in Brazil for example.

Most American soccer players probably came from middle class backgrounds etc. Ronaldo's dad swept the streets for a living. Sanchez worked in a salt mine in his teens. Tonnes of Brazilian players came from the favelas.

32

Football / Re: U.S. World Cup hopes end after shambolic loss to T&T.

« on: October 14, 2017, 10:31:50 AM »

The real scary thing is if our "best" players are from the MLS....where does that really leave us?

Another thing, we can in no way shape or form rely on the US Colleges League to further our players development etc.

Is a pro league or bust at that age.

We have so much work to do..Sighhhhh

33

Football / Re: U.S. World Cup hopes end after shambolic loss to T&T.

« on: October 14, 2017, 10:28:47 AM »

Their own player, Jermaine Jones don't rate MLS or the players in it.

Some highlights:

– Jones reiterated multiple times that he has nothing against MLS. After all, he plays there. It’s just that the European leagues push players to improve.

– “The national team coach, you have 12 days. In these 12 days, you play two games. You need players who you can pick, and you can throw in, and you don’t have to teach them where they have to run. And that was what Jurgen said. … It’s tough to bring some players in from MLS, and you have to teach them the easy soccer thinking. That’s the problem. … If you take a 25-, 26-[year-old] player in MLS and you compare him to a 19-, 20-[year-old] player in Europe, the Europe player is, in his head, farther already. And that’s not good.”

– The one specific story Jones tells is the best part. He says Klinsmann asked him to call Jordan Morris, who was deciding between going to Germany to play with Werder Bremen and staying at home with the Seattle Sounders. Jones says he called Morris and encouraged him to go to the Bundesliga. But he says that Morris told him, “I want to go home, my dad is a doctor in Seattle, and my mom, they bought me and my girlfriend a dog.” Jones looks into the camera dumbfounded at this point. “Really? Why you go the easy way when you have the chance?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=607&v=_zYLi0jPwFc

don't know how to embed.

34

Football / Re: If this doesn't motivate us.........

« on: October 13, 2017, 08:59:21 PM »

But aren't singing our team praises right now. The same exact thing that you criticizing them about, you doing right now. Nice, they win...well done. They beat the mighty US of A down in Couva. A game that basically means less than a friendly to us they won. Slow  With nothing to lose, they manage to beat a USA team that is considered one of the oldest and worst performing teams in a while. Only a handful of their players even play outside of the USA.

Pal, as much as I happy for the victory and taking it. TTFA still can't tell us who we playing for the next international break. That's where our football is. USMNT probably have their schedule mapped out for the next 18 months. I was in England for the game when we beat Iceland 2-0. I thought WC2006 was going to be a turning point. A time when teams would come to POS and not expect an easy ride etc. We all know how that turn out.

We need to stop looking for outside validation and just put in work. The plaudits will come with the results. Stop worrying about how they view us. The fact remains that we are ranked 99th in the world. The narrative will always be that the USA played poorly. There can be no other narrative. Not when you are ranked 99th.

Syria almost made it to the world cup. Iraq has a team in the u17 world cup. What really is our excuse again?

We have teams in the middle of war still making progress.

We need to look inward to solve our problems. A next one on the board think it have some conspiracy to "keep us down". Never mind the indiscipline players who ducking curfew to go boat cruise etc. Never mind the administrative cuck ups....A conspiracy.
We need to stop looking for outside validation and just put in work. The plaudits will come with the results. Stop worrying about how they view us. The fact remains that we are ranked 99th in the world. The narrative will always be that the USA played poorly. There can be no other narrative.

35

Football / Re: If this doesn't motivate us.........

« on: October 13, 2017, 04:50:00 PM »

Ammmm were they outplayed or did they just not play good? What is it you really trying to say?

You talking like we played some boss game or something. I think they alluding to the fact that their entire campaign has been shambles for a while. That is where the youth development talk comes from. Let's be honest, all they have to show for their youth development is Pulisic etc. That is not good returns for all that they invest. You can't even count the players that mls developing because american players overseas haven't really stood the test of times (Donavon etc). I think you may be reading too much into what they are saying. We are the minnows and we are the automatic 3 points for teams. We lament here about not even making gold cup and not winning caribbean cup for years but vex because american commentators "talking down" to us. The same commentators we want looking at us favorably so that our players can get a "bligh" in mls or usl. You want them to admit that we were better on the day, after a defeat that ended in them failing to qualify for a world cup? In a match where they fielded players from the English Premier League and German Bundesliga?

We have too much false pride. Just take the victory and be happy. We have sooo much work to do here. Let's focus on us.

PS.....It so scary the kinda animosity that trinis have towards the USA etc yet that is the first country they run to for any sort of betterment. Trinis have soo much animosity towards America yet starbucks always full

Trinis

36

Football / Re: If this doesn't motivate us.........

« on: October 13, 2017, 03:27:06 PM »

Newsflash, Europe looks down on the USA/Mexico etc.....Comes with the territory....America is unique because it is a global sporting superpower that dominates every other sport except "soccer/football". They still haven't cracked the code and they have actually invested in their programs and infrastructure. They have a right to feel short changed. They weren't operating on vaps. We operate on vaps.

Another fact is that MLS as a footballing product is nothing to be admired yet our players are begging to reach and play there. We need to start looking inward for solutions. America has less to fix than us and more resources to do so with. I pray that the day when the best american athletes start looking towards soccer for a future never comes. That would be a game changer. Let's hope that their best athletes keep gravitating towards basketball/nfl football. Could you imagine a Lebron James in goal etc. He's taller and more athletic than Peter Crouch will ever be.

The victory was good but let's be honest...Americans only reacting exactly like we react when we lost to teams such as Bermuda etc. Guys let's be honest with ourselves. We could do well to get off our high horses.

37

Football / Re: Pro League

« on: October 13, 2017, 02:56:26 PM »

I just think it would make more sense at this point to develop "locally".

I think the football has gotten to far away from the grassroots and clubs have become too "commercialized" and "national" instead of growing with the community.

Imagine clubs suffering for sponsorship and can't even get a couple of cases of water and bags of ice from a local supermarket etc.

That making any sense?

Clubs need to go back to the community and not just play games at the local grounds etc.

Play against local teams. That's how the pl clubs etc got their starts. That's why Everton v Liverpool is rivalry. That's why Qrc v CiC is rivalry up to today.

Imagine an East league with multiple games taking place in the velodrome, larry gomes stadium and Centre of excellence(not sure of the legal ownership etc).

Imagine Arima Ball Masters(not sure if they still around) vs Santa Rosa fc. Pt Fortin CC vs W Connection.

Imagine the decrease in operational costs and logistics due to less travelling. The players from the area and the games taking place within the region. Not to mention the opportunity for local sponsorship(Hardwares, supermarkets etc).

38

Football / Pro League Questions/Suggestions.

« on: October 13, 2017, 03:04:52 AM »

Should we structure our "pro-league" in such a way that each football region(north, east, west, south) consist of about 8-12 teams in each individual league.

The top 4 teams of each division should play against each other for national honours in a knockout competition.

The bottom four teams could also have a lesser cup to play for etc

The top team in each league(4 teams) could play each other for a national title as well. To extend the league we can also add the top 4 teams of each league to play each other when season done to see who accumulate most points and emerge league victor as well as add more games to the schedule.

Scottish Premier League manage 38 games with 12 teams I believe. They split into top  6 and bottom 6 after 33 games have been played and each club play a further 5 games against teams in their region.

I'm just thinking about ways to bring it closer to the people and help build rivalries, crowd support and local sponsorship etc. Also may have costs advantages by using the various stadiums/grounds for double headers etc. Would also help develop local players etc

Just a thought

39

Football / Re: Dennis Lawrence Thread

« on: October 13, 2017, 02:48:52 AM »

Why we insist to go to people like Gally etc for an opinion. His time has long passed. Time the country move on and move forward. Steupsss

Would Maradona's opinion be rejected because he is from the bygone days.

This was actually posted in the wrong foreign. Was supposed to be for an article where he spoke about an all local team or something so.

What has Gally ever achieved as a manager/coach? That game back in 89 was over 26 years ago. We also qualified back in 2006 rendering his  1 point miss irrelevant. The man is almost 70 years. No spring chicken by today's standards. What's next? Bertille to tell us about youth football? Give some young upcoming coaches some airtime too nah...Everything Gally say MUST make news, be printed and reproduced for wider viewing? Steups.
The way this country going he might even get a state funeral when he passes. As a country we continue to grasp at straws.

40

Football / Re: Dennis Lawrence Thread

« on: October 12, 2017, 02:26:08 PM »

Why we insist to go to people like Gally etc for an opinion. His time has long passed. Time the country move on and move forward. Steupsss

41

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (10-Oct-2017)

« on: October 11, 2017, 12:52:05 PM »

All who talking about arrogance... same way we does react when Bermuda beat we. Same expectations we does have when facing St Vincent. That eh arrogance. Realistically, US eh have no right losing that game. That eh even we B team. Man right to vex. It all relative.

Boi.....I eh know how ppl does never see this inno. The difference is we have no right to be arrogant. We are not a powerhouse in any shape or form. So we might actually be more mad than the rest.

42

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (10-Oct-2017)

« on: October 10, 2017, 11:10:39 AM »

Dude, rain is a natural occurrence also.

Rain is....but flooding after a "lil" rain is man made...There is no flooding outside the stadium. Why is there flooding on the running truck. This is a maintenance and drainage issue. Stop making excuses for incompetence.

43

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (10-Oct-2017)

« on: October 09, 2017, 04:01:47 PM »

So what if it floods. Not that I on DJW side. The US played CR a couple years ago in a snow storm. Their media never called the USSF any dumb names. We have had one of the wettest rainy season in the the hemisphere. Not to mention all the hurricanes. All those in the US who talk about us in contempt, suffer from convenient amnesia. f--k them. The TT women's team flew all the way to Hawaii to play the US team. The field was f--ked up. Anybody called the US a 3rd world nation?

Deeks a snow storm is a natural disaster. Stadium flooding after a couple minutes of rain is poor infrastructure and maintenance. They can't be compared.

44

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (10-Oct-2017)

« on: October 09, 2017, 02:39:41 PM »

I wonder if our players even listen to the way how these other countries in concacaf belittle and marginalize them and toss them aside like rubbish, where is their pride I wonder? I know I would play like a man on steroids if I knew my opponents took me that lightly. they had the chance to beat mexico in mexico and blew it let me see if they do the same vs the usa, and if they do then they don't ever deserve the support of the local fan base because it's high time they give the public something to cheer about other than that 1-0 nail bitter vs panama.

We in the same football region as the most powerful country in the world. It's the same way ppl here talk about "small islanders". We have to acknowledge how small we really are in this game and work towards changing that. A lot of people in our society have an inflated sense of self. We are no where close to being taken seriously in football.

45

Football / Re: Thread for the T&T vs USA Game (10-Oct-2017)

« on: October 09, 2017, 02:36:24 PM »

Where Contro? Look the stadium flooding breds....Another conspiracy to "keep black man down"....


Hahaha....Ya don't have to plot against incompetence breds.

46

Football / Re: Trinidad and Tobago Football is the fall guy in CONCACAF

« on: October 06, 2017, 10:02:18 PM »

Or maybe we just not good enough and have never been good enough.

Maybe we punching way above our weight with our limited resources etc.

What exactly is the country known for anyway? What defines us?

We celebrate and promote carnival but maybe our "carnival mentality" makes us indisciplined and unproductive?

Not everything is a conspiracy.

47

Football / Re: Lester Peltier Thread.

« on: September 30, 2017, 10:46:56 PM »

I honestly thought that after WC2006, the days of our players playing their trade all over the world in nondescript leagues was over. Sigh

48

Football / Re: Jamaica pulls off 2-1 win as T&T made to rue missed efforts.

« on: September 27, 2017, 09:53:45 PM »

Remember Asylum, we not trying to win the gold as yet. We  just seeing if what is on offer there is better than what is on offer in TnT and USA at the same age group. We just want players who in a competitive professional environment so that when they reach trinidad we won't have to keep teaching them the same basics. We want educated ballers i should say

49

Football / Re: Jamaica pulls off 2-1 win as T&T made to rue missed efforts.

« on: September 27, 2017, 06:12:23 PM »

No I meant in terms of competitive level and the player's ability.

Our problem is not players. It's getting players who can play/ have played 30+ games a season in a "ggod" league.

Our players have been proven time and time again not to be up to standard.

Remember we are in a weak federation. Concacaf isn't viewed as world beaters by anyone in the football world so we are literally at the bottom of the totem pole. If we can get players accustomed to competition at a high level that would be great.

We are literally begging Bostock to come and play but realistically right now he doesn't have a chance in hell of making an England top 100 players for national team selection. He probably can't even get selected before English league 1 players right now. That's how bad it is for us.

We are not just trying to recruit rejects we are trying to recruit the discarded and forgotten.

I think this is a good level to aim at recruiting. I think we should aim at the reserve and lower league players. They wouldn't necessarily be near national team selection. We simply can't offer them the prospect of qualification though. It is crucial that we offer them Olympics and Gold Cup competition.

Arsenal's Alex Iwobi was a sure England call up in the future but switched to Nigeria. They can offer him serious world cup qualifcation/competition and of course the African Cup of Nations.

We can't offer World Cup qualifications so it has to be Olympics to begin with. Maybe when it switches to 48 teams in the World Cup we would have a better chance at convincing them. The scary thing is if we still can't make it to a 48 team world cup then we truly would be a disgrace.

50

Football / Re: Jamaica pulls off 2-1 win as T&T made to rue missed efforts.

« on: September 27, 2017, 04:57:12 PM »

Asylumseeker, but would any one of those players on display be able to play a part in our u23 teams aiming to qualify and play in the olympics?

51

Football / Re: 2017 SSFL & Inter-Col Thread.

« on: September 27, 2017, 02:19:06 PM »

Noticed that B moble is the sponsor of one of the teams.

How can a state company be so selective in choosing who it wants to sponsor in the league?

How can state money be used so selectively when it is taxpayers' monies? That is BS to the highest.

They may as well sponsor every team in the league or just sponsor the league.

To sponsor a team or a few teams is irresponsible for a state company.

Steups

52

Football / Re: Dwight Yorke Official Thread

« on: September 25, 2017, 04:58:41 PM »

Let's hope the goodies reach the intended and not the kids of MoS employees etc.

Funny enough, I'm sure they are also the intended. People underestimate just how much suffering really taking place in Trinidad.

Somebody needs to advise Dwight. This should have been collected and distributed by his representatives on behalf of his foundation(if he has one). MOS don't need to be involved. This is a private venture. Again, why does Government has to be involved in everything?

53

Football / Re: Marvin Phillip Thread

« on: September 20, 2017, 12:54:18 PM »

But ammmmm.......Sheldon Bateau playing at the highest level of our national players....he's playing in the Russian Premier League(well he's on loan elsewhere but still)

I think he is our next captain as long as he become consistent and remains in a top league.
 
I would get him to pair with Ryan Innis though....Ryan seems to be a traditional center half....when last we had someone like that Marvin Andrews?

54

Football / Re: Marvin Phillip Thread

« on: September 18, 2017, 07:48:06 PM »

I imagine, you have in mind a slew of unproven yet better replacements, just waiting to be called ?

as a matter of fact I do.

Greg ranjitsingh, yohan welch.

Shannon gomez, noah powder, ryran innis, Robert primus.

Levi garcia, neval hackshaw, atulla guerra,

Jonathan glenn, Che benny, Andre fortune.

Full support Pull. We have an entire league of "professionals"...finding players for the national team should never be a problem. I agree that it's time to cut ALL the dead wood from the team. The scary thing is that the players that you called shouldn't even be getting a look at national team selection based on ability. That's just to show you how dire the situation really is. We going around in circles. It eh making sense.

Marvin Phillips is 33 going on 34....what outside contract he looking for? He probably want a contract to be the outside man for some gyal...Definetely not a professional playing contract. I wonder if these guys have a firm grip on reality and if there are people around to offer proper advice. They really need a quick wake up call in this country. Some people heads really in the clouds.

55

Football / Re: 2017 SSFL & Inter-Col Thread.

« on: September 18, 2017, 07:43:45 PM »

I thought the whole 'zonal" things was done and it is just 16 teams in a league now?

56

Football / Re: FIFA Ranking Thread.

« on: September 15, 2017, 01:29:41 PM »

In 2010, Iceland was ranked 112th in the world....Today they are ranked 22nd.

Iceland is a country with less than 350,000 people and where the head coach works on the side as a dentist.

Whatever lies we keep feeding ourselves seriously need to end.

57

Football / Re: Fire Dennis Lawrence Thread.

« on: September 13, 2017, 10:13:28 PM »

Funding will always be difficult because we simply lack the funds, will and commercial innovatory to make things happen. Our priorities and interests are different and even our consumption habits are weird in this country. People would happily pay 8000 tt for a new phone but never have money on their phone etc. Add to that the difficult economic times and you realise that funding football is simply not a priority for the state at this point of time or even in the future.

What we need to focus on in the short term is getting as much of our youth exposed to overseas academies and possibly retained by those academies. So we should focus on "developing" our youth to successfully make the transition necessary to gain entry to overseas academies. That may mean changing how we teach our youth. Scouts look for certain traits that identify a footballer's intelligence such as positioning and off the ball play etc. They are never looking for the finished product under the age of 16.

You still not getting it. A simple comparison is the MLS....Those guys getting good money...Some even on multi million dollar contracts etc but they are still not world beaters. It's not just about paying players better etc..If that was the case then the middle eastern owners would have just developed clubs in their own countries rather than purchase PSG and Man City etc. Competition occurs on a global scale. You need to test yourself against the best in the world.

Talent alone is nothing. Europe has a lot. I have watched a lot of football at all levels. I've visited different academies including Man City, Arsenal etc and I could tell you first hand that there is "talent" in those places. The reality is out of a class of 20, only 2 may be offered terms. The other 18 can easily end up in semi-pros and "sunday league" football within 2 years. That is the reality. Football is no jokey business.

58

Football / Re: Fire Dennis Lawrence Thread.

« on: September 11, 2017, 08:11:10 PM »

Contro, you are crazy if you think that the Pro League, Super League players etc have any special talent that could make them world beaters.
 
Listen bro, this thing is about development. Development is a science. You need to accept the scientific approach in ensuring results. It hasn't been about "talent" for a long while. It's all about development. No one coming out of Trinidad and unto the National team experienced any major development. They just "played football".

SSFL can't develop anyone either. Not now, not never.

Our entire model needs to change but that is for the long run. In the short run we need to get TTFA commercially viable. We do that by putting butts in the stands. We do this by having players that are marketable and are of quality (John Bostock, Ryan Innis etc). Let Europe develop them and we utilise them. It really is that simple. A foreign born team can challenge for the Gold Cup etc. We need to recruit these players early.

Our next mission is to improve the u21-23 team/teams....Our assistant national mens coach should be the head coach of those teams. Let the philosophy go down the line. That coach should also be younger/youthful so that he's learning from the national mens coach etc. The other 23 team should always make up the bulk of your next round of qualification teams. Remember that players such as Gabriel Jesus playing for Brazil etc since 18 etc so u23 is already too old. People play at the world cup at 17-18 etc....But we need to place emphasis on this team because outside of the world cup, the olympics is the next big event. Our football needs that competition as well. 

The world doesn't want what we have to offer. We have players in India for goodness sake. India...Let that sink in.

We still using the National Team to "showcase" players. That is not what the National Team is for. It's up to the National player to showcase himself. The national team is to have players who possess the final product. Some of our players appear to be overweight whilst on national duty. Some are out of breath by the 70th minute. This is unacceptable.

59

Football / Re: John Bostock Thread

« on: September 11, 2017, 02:55:51 PM »

Dinner Mints

We begging...If alluh not begging then I begging for alluh as well.

We need help. Serious help

 

Have a look
https://www.sportskeeda.com/slideshow/10-active-footballers-who-changed-nationality-played-international-football?end=1

http://www.thesportster.com/soccer/top-20-soccer-players-who-didnt-play-for-their-native-country/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/1259132/euro-2016-83-players-born-abroad-raheem-sterling-roman-neustadter-neil-ashton-column/

60

Football / Re: John Bostock Thread

« on: September 11, 2017, 02:54:58 PM »

Got to give JB some preps here...he see and smelled that dead Rat from a long way

5 JB's and we have a shot at WC qualification. We could get that.