Remember when?..My World Cup thoughts

[pecan]

I left T&T in 1972 and have only returned twice since then.  As a part time football fan I have to admit that my interest only picks up during the Eurocup and World Cup.  I do not follow the game-to-game activity of the national teams (including Canada where I live).  When I heard that T&T had qualified, I was thrilled.  In the months preceding the Finals, I began to feel a sense of T&T patriotism that I knew I had never lost but until now, had not realized how strong it was.  I joined this forum recently and began to learn more about the Warriors and was somewhat taken back by many of the nasty comments that were made after the England game.  Nevertheless, this forum allowed me to become part of the T&T football community, something that I never experienced before.

T&T was never given a good chance of playing well against the other teams in Group A, much less getting out of Group A.  But the spirit the team displayed told me that there is much more to the game than winning.  They have my respect and they have my gratitude for helping me remember that Trinidad and Tobago is still a part of me.

"real madness", thanks for staring this thread.  Hopefully, some people will read it and re-evaluate their thoughts.

We was in group B

yuh right -- too much emotion .. ah forget meh alphabeth

[verycute1]

Remember when we got 5 from Guatemala?
Remember when we all cried on Nov 19?
Remember when Haiti robbed us?
Remember when Jamaica made the world cup before us although we use to always win the Shell Cup?
Remember when we had to support another country because our own was not in the big dance?
Remember when this forum was cool and men (and women) use to catch kicks and have ah good time with the small talk?

This post is going to be very long so now is yuh chance to stop reading.

This summer I am working with people from several different countries and we are all big football fans and following the world cup.  These people are from countries such as Brazil, England, France, Argentina, Nigeria, Spain, Ghana, Mexico, China, Jamaica, and Peru just to name a few.  These people from the 11 countries listed above were very impressed by the Soca Warriors.  Three things impressed them
1) Pictures I showed them of our celebrations back home after we qualified and local newspaper articles
2) My excitement over the Sweden result
3) Watching our team of low division players and bench warmers play against big players like Lampard, Gerrard, Larsson, Zlatan, Ljunberg, Cuevas, Ferdinand, Rooney, etc. and hold their own.

Some players impressed more than others.  I am not going to call names and point out men for criticism or compliments.  I firmly believe you win as a team and lose as a team. My biggest and only disappointment in the WC campaign was the qualifier against the US in Connecticut.  Drove all the way to Connecticut, broke as hell, spent money I didn't have and before I could sit down in the stadium, TNT concede a goal and proceeded to play the most amount of shit I have ever seen.  There was one positive thing that...Kelvin Jack. Otherwise the scoreline would have been at least 6-0.

Positives
1) Qualified for the world cup for the first time.
2) Smallest nation to ever qualify.
3) Did not get any blowout defeats in the world cup.
4) Did not lose our first game in the world cup, USA played 9 world cup games in Europe before they finally managed to avoid a defeat.
5) Latapy and Yorke got an opportunity to play on the big stage after they experienced Nov 19.
6) Seeing people from different countries with a big football tradition supporting us and wishing us well.

Negatives
We can all come up with negatives.Brazil won the world cup in 1994 and their fans had a lot of negative comments.  So imagine how much negative stuff we trinis can come up with after 1 draw and 2 defeats.  So I will leave the negative stuff to the ungrateful ignorant people.

In my view, fans are there for 2 reasons..1) To support 2) to offer constructive criticism.  However, some people have gone overboard.  I have played sports at a competitive level, football not being one of them (i am a small goal loafer).  I know about some of you forumites who have played football at intercol level, US college level, national youth level, etc.  So you guys have an idea about playing competitive sports and the pressure it entails.  Then there are some of you couldn't play anything at all, not even chess but here on this forum criticizing players like you have any experience in playing serious sports.  I am not saying don’t offer constructive criticism but think before you post especially when you can’t even trap a ball (referring to certain men I know who surprisingly criticizes the most, the guys I know play serious football are not as critical..very interesting).

My point is none of us have played at World Cup level.  We don't know what it feels like to run out on a field in front of large crowds and play against guys who make more money in a week than you make in a year.
Some of us don't understand what is like to train everyday and play competitive sports and undergo continuous criticism from fans.

Leo Beenhakker has been demoted from genius to a sell out coach.  Personally, I did not agree with several decisions.  Decisions such as not playing Latapy, selecting Theobald, selecting Wise, and replacing Shaka today were a bit strange.  However, he did a few things that no other coach have done for us.  He qualified us for the World Cup and we held Sweden to a draw when most people expected us to get blowout.

Personally looking at that these guys play leading up to the WC, I expected 3 losses and about 9-10 goals conceded.  Not that I didn't believe in them or wasn't supporting them but it was based on what I was seeing and accustom to.  True we did not score but we only conceded 4 goals and got 1 point.  Beenhakker is human, so he must make mistakes.  I am sure he and the players as well wished they had done certain things differently.

Some of you acting like we could have won the WC or even qualify for the second round.  Qualifying for the 2nd round was possible but highly unlikely.  It was nice to play the 3rd game and still have a chance of qualifying but honestly speaking, we didn't have much of a chance before the WC started.  The good thing is these players gave their best and hopefully they will realize that they are capable of competing with the big teams. 

Now we need to build on this.  Maintain the positive stuff (strengths) and improve the negatives (weaknesses). I hope all you local people flood the airport when the team returns home and give them a warm welcome, make them feel they won the world cup.  We need to reestablish our dominance in the Caribbean and challenge Mexico, USA and Costa Rica for Concacaf supremacy.

P.S.  I am taking a hiatus from posting till the dust settles on this forum.  Too much cussing and disrespect going on.  Man talking about people mother and all kinda real madness.  I will just read and try to enjoy.

I feel I just break Alberta Trini record for longest post ever..sorry about that.

Very very well said.....

[Storeboy]

Finally a post with some reason without all the emotional drivel that I have read over the past few days.  Yes I know it has been an emotional time for all of us but let's be realistic - we were not expected to get to the next round and we could and must be proud of our team.  Let bygones be bygones.  We played hard and obtained results beyond the expectations of every expert, commentator and self proclaimed critic.  Now let us converge our energies and support to 2010, when we will have to look for replacements for probably the best four players we have ever produced - Yorke, Shaka, Latapy, and Dog.  So it would not be easy.  Let's celebrate and then begin to prepare.  We have 2 yes 2 short years before qualifications begin.  Go Warriors!  Congratulations!

[in dey pwefen!]

At long last some sanity to the posting. Very well thought of and said. It is filled with the emotion of a man with a heart for the warriors. How simple a point can be made without swearing and abuse. And yes "I remember when..."

[AB.Trini]

Very thoughtful, insightful and clearly articulated. Good to see the positive responses to a lengthy post.

[biciwolf]

Dear Warriors,

i'm a german supporter and have the great pleasure to see TnT for the very first time yesterday in Kaiserslautern.

You must be adviced that mostly the german crowd is absolutely with you and your team.

We are very glad to have you here and enjoyed the contacts to the lovely supporters of the soca warriors.

I think you can be absolutely proud about your team.

regards from germany,
Lothar

Thanks very much Lothar.  You and all Germans we encountered were very gracious and hositable to our team and supporters.

Respeck!

Sounds like you were there ??
You are very welcome

If you are, it will be very interesting for me to hear about your stay:
How you came here, where to live, to move..the whole story

I for one will follow the way of the TRINIS thru next qualifications
 

[Reb]

Excellent!!!!!

[sweetjo]

I am also a newcomer and was a bit disgusted by the amount of rubbish I have been reading. I stayed of for a few days just because of it. Thank you so much for expressing my sentiments exactly, real madness. It is a welcome change.

[sweetjo]

I am also a newcomer and I was disgusted by the amount of negative things people had to say. I couldn't believe that after all that these people have contributed and done for our country, that these were all these ignorant fools could do.I am so happy that this forum has people like you.I may not be an expert in the game but I like football and I support the Soca Warriors all the way.Very well said.

[dyansie]

Excellent post, should try and get it in the newspapers or something. I think everyone who reads this will get a bit teary eyed, because we really got alot of negatie commments and we stood the test of time.
I felt so proud to stand every time I saw our bus and that slogan, “Here comes the Soca Warriors, the fighting spirit of the Caribbean”. Tears came to my eyes when our national anthem played for the whole world to hear. Words cannot explain the joy and pride.
We have made the detractors believe and I hope that this puts more wind in the sails of Trinidad and Tobago to become a reckoning force in the beautiful game we call football.
Our “Soca Warriors” have done their part, and did it well. The TEAM performed well beyond expectation and had some foreign media houses eating their words. We as a nation cannot ask anymore of them. The dashing runs of Carlos Edwards, the confidence and experience of Dwight Yorke, the sure hands of Shaka Hislop, the magic, by none other than our beloved Latapy ,and many many more inspiring performances of the other teammates. They gave so much out there on the pitch; it was worth their weight in gold.
 Now it’s the turn of the Government, Corporate T&T and the citizens of this country to ensure that the dream of 2010 and 2014 does not die. Each and every one of us has a part to play, from supporting our children to supporting our Pro League Teams. T&T’s national team has shown us by example that in order to achieve, it has to be a TEAM effort. We are to use this momentum to catapult this twin island republic into the top ranking teams in the world. It is about time that this government recognizes what sport can do for this country on a whole. We have shown we have the talent to do it, its sad that it has taken so long for it to happen
 Well done T&T, we can only go forward from here, “forward ever, backward NEVER!”   

[Bakes]

Well this is my first time back on the forum in some time, so I guess I missed the fireworks...

Don't know what was said about the team (I'm sure I'll be able to find it... ), but having just come back from Germany a couple days ago, I can only say that I am tremendously proud of the team and tremendously proud to be Trini.  The team, the soca artistes and the fans proved themselves (ourselves) time and time again to be wonderful ambassadors to our beloved country.

I will leave the more technical analysis of the team's performance to those more ably qualified, but from a layman's perspective I can take issue with nothing other than Latas should have played some more, particularly in the Paraguay game.  I have tremendous respect and appreciation of Leo Beenhakker as a coach, tactician and motivator, and I'm greatly appreciative of the sacrifice and effort of the team, but particularly Shaka Hislop, first and foremost...Dwight Yorke...Carlos Edwards (brilliant, brilliant defending) and yes, Brent Sancho. 

It was a very difficult World Cup for Sancho, but the odds were stacked against him and in my humble opinion he rose to the occasion far more often than not.  Many have failed to perform at their best on the biggest stage and some may feel justified to lay such criticism at his feet.  Fault the execution if you will, but not the effort.  Well done Brent...well done Soca Warriors, and thank you all for making this experience one of, if not THE most memorable of my life.

[whistler91]

One word: CLASSIC!

[Dumplingdinho]

Great post.  I feel some people forget this was the same team that struggled to be beat St kitts and St Vincent.