Dear Forumites,
Let us just say this was a training exercise that showed our strengths and weaknesses. The Warriors were lackluster but the mood and vibe in the stands especially after unveiling the Giant Flag more than made up for the performance on the field. I must start with this 60 x 30 Flag......Thank you Warrior Nation for bringing this to the Citizens of T&T, the players on the field and for the world to see come next month in Germany.
When I tell you excitment, we look like the Bernabeau, We look like one of them big side....we look like real fans and it was real fun. If you see the excitment and joy in big grown adult faces, standing and lifting that flag. It was simply priceless!
Now I left work and by extension home a bit later than expected and headed down to the game around 4pm.
Clad in my new Adidas Latapy jersey I stepped out onto Saddle Road Maraval and eagerly awaited a taxi to drop me near to the Stadium.
It is then I realised how this country has changed......Imagine full cars filled with T&T fans, blowing horns and cheering me on for wearing a Latapy jersey, sending right and giving me thumbs up signs and yet...not one of them would stop to offer me a drop.... I couldn't get a ride in a pick-up tray self.....its not to say I was smelling bad...and I dont consider myself a bad or intimidating looking fella. But anyway to make a long story short you musn't pass fellow SocaWarrior fans in the road when you going to the same place.
Now after meeting Disgruntled Trini on Arapita Ave....we started to stroll into the stadium. Apparently tickets were being scalped for the mere price of $100-$150 dollars outside and if anybody really wanted to go $$$ was not that much of a problem.
There was plenty eye-food upon entering the stadium and entry was painless and hassel free.
Lines were non-existant and the atmosphere was extremely festive. The area by St Johns ambulance had two rows of people checking tickets and bags, but I walked through with ease. To the left was a group of people beating pan and iron. A set of Bmobile confetti flying in the air. The Warrior Village selling merchandise to the right. Busta with paraphanelia to the left. Hawkers trying to peddle the World Cup books and match programs and then there were the freebies..........yes they handed out Warrior Nation car banners, flyers, books/magazines, bmobile Tshirts and finally Clico gave out some rattles.
After using the bmobile service I found Oconnorg at the back of a line with a pressure look on his face but we quickly entered the stadium with no pushing, no hassel and all within 5 minutes.......Good job Stadium organizers.
The only drawback was the stench of Horse Manure....why they bring these animals to football? Geez man...they serve no purpose.
Anyway walked in and the Warrior Nation set up camp on the corner flag.
All and sundry were "primed up" since the shakers lime and everyone was in good spirits, Girl Warrior, Cowen, Andre, Tallman, Freakazoid, Jefferz, Brej, Kandi TT, Met little Jodie P, Reaper2000 and lastly TI and Hardest were there together liming as good bretherins should....all who had doubts about TI and if he was legit, yes he and Hardest are really good partners.
The flag served a dual purpose as it helped mark off a section of seats....The QRC brass band was on the side, everyone had their rattles in hand and we just rock back and waited for the game to start.
Two chutney performances, a Colin Lucas and Sherwayne Winchester later the teams came out on the field.
By then it was around 5:15 and I found the T&T team looked a bit disappointed at the turn out at that time....The Stadium was only half full but it was still early and by kick off time I would estimate 18-20,000 people came to give Latas his farewell.
T&T warmed up in the area near movietown...keeper Jack and Ince doing their thing with brow, the rest of the team doing a positional warm up. With each man in his position on the field doing specific exercises and warm ups....e.g The wing men were doing shuttles up and down the flank. Center men were doing lateral shuffles in a area while interchanging passes. The attacking midfielders were spreading long balls and the fwds were playing a small touch passing game.
In the keeper warm up I was sure Ince was starting as Brow was working feverishly with him, while Jack was just jogging slowly in a line. The funny thing is Jack has a visible limp and looks to be in some sort of discomfort when running...the injury looks like the right knee. Anyway Jack also didn't look too hot as compared to Ince in the Warm up.
The Peruvians had a circle warm up doing shuttles, stretches etc.
After the teams came back out we listened to the Peru anthem...unfurled the flag for the second time...but we get the shake...WI anthem start to play and the WHOLE stadium was confused....then we stood proud and sang our lungs out while standing under the Giant flag.
The Starting line up was a 4-5-1 as follows.
----------------------Jack
Cyd-----Sancho----Lawrence------Avery
Edwards----Birchall---------Whitley-----Latapy
-------------------------Yorke
-------------------------Stern
Opening 5 min Total T&T and we are on the attack. Latapy sets up John who taps down the ball and the Magician lets fly a bullet from the top of the box. Really I thought he should have scored. After that Peru settled and the play was more or less even.
Stern thru away a sitter, a floating ball coming in and unmarked he misheads the ball in the six yard box.
The next glaring sitter/miss was a corner that Sancho unmarked hit overbar.
Apart from that the only other exciting things of the half was a roly poly by Whitley.
A run thru and slap by Whitley from 30 yards out causing the keeper to save.
And a Chain up free kick cross that Latapy hit expertly........... swerving and catching the goalie by surprise. It was eventually cleared off the line by a defender with the goalie haplessly beaten.
Other than that we have No attack...nuttin penetrative, very unimaginative and very predicatable.
It was like the Grenada game, move up the ball via the wing back, reach half line, switch the play and then hope for the best. There is No movement off the ball and we are very stagnant.
Also the players were not supporting each other well and many simple plays were shut down.
Latapy did not do that much on the left wing and was a threat when he moved to the center but a gap was created as there was no left midfielder causing pressure on Avery. Hence he did not venture fwd, provide an overlap or any kinda outlet.
The goal that scored by Peru was simply a piece of shit mistake by three players...Cyd, Sancho and Jack....I will not fault Whitley too much because even though he lost the ball there was ample time to clean up.
Ball is lost by Whitley...bounces from a header and a Peru player hits Cyd a cyap near the corner flag. Cyd kinda recovers but he is left out as the fwd heads the ball past him and runs around his body. Sancho full of gusto rushes in......only to swipe Fresh Breeze and is easily skipped past. Jack then charges out the goal dives at the player and misses totally. The result....Peru Man walks into a empty net and Tallest scrambling as he was marking some players inside the area.
Spirits drop but we in the stands try to drum up support.
Then Beenie switched to a 4-4-2. Putting WHitley Left midfield and Latapy up front with Stern.
For the Stern haters.....he purge, not one of his better games, threw away and just didn't look the part tonight.
Three minutes before half time Latapy was subbed to a standing ovation and he made a lap of honour, his replacement for a corbeaux sweat Collin Samuel.
Tweet.......... went the half and down I went to the toilet to break the seal.
Upon the resumption
Stern was subbed for Jones, Scotland for Yorke, Theobold for Birchall, Spann for Cyd and Cox for Sancho.
Forumites, Samuel have pace and speed but the final quality cross or touch just ent there. Scotland looked lively and Jones was just trouble.
I said it vs Alianza Lima and I will say it again....Jones is needed up front and we should partner him with Yorke..... Bench Stern !!! the 4-5-1 not cuttin it at this level.
Peru didn't threaten and I think all credit should be on the midfield which closed down spaces and won tackles effectively.
Honestly we didn't look bad, but we didn't look good and we need to be more imaginative in attack...faster...more pace and less slow and telegraphed.
Possession was good but we did nothing with it. We didn't create anything and when we finally got a momentum with Jones or Scotland the final cross would let us down.
I dont think Marvin Dog Andrews played...Cox was alright, Sancho made a mistake that cost us a goal but was ok nuttin special, Cyd hrrmmm, Avery so so. Carlos was poor. Dennis Tallest Lawrence was good, Yorke was labouring tonight, Latapy look weary, Birchall was quiet but he did the donkey work effectively. The only person who look like they had some purpose and Hungry was Whitley...That man will be the star of our World Cup watch and see. Stern...poor, Latapy average, Jones good, Scotland good, Theobold nuttin special.
The T&T goal came when Samuel burst tru...setta speed and was fouled. Up came Kenwyne who let fly from 30 yards a ground that either curved or passed under the wall...low and hard stringing up the keeper.
After that the game petered out and just slow possession and stroking the ball around the park. We were encouraged to stay on after the final whistle and the players were given medals while we were treated to a fireworks display.
Yeah so that's it for this one...just a step up from the Grenada game, we keeping possession well but we not doing anything with it.
We conceded a goal from a stupid mistake and we did not capitalise on our chances.
Also Jack was forced to make a big save on a few occasions when Peru sprint past Sancho and Lawrence and hit a low shot.
But at the end of the day.....is the Warriors we went to see. Nuttin stood out in the game to say T&T or Peru was better than each other and we have plenty work to do.
We not beating nobody come June with a display like what we put out tonight and I hope in the subsequent games we step up a lil more as a unit.
Until next time....