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Offline Tallman

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Shabazz sees opportunity for Senior Women to make a statement
« Reply #540 on: March 20, 2018, 05:33:06 PM »
Shabazz sees opportunity for Senior Women to make a statement
TTFA Media


National Women’s Senior Team head coach Jamaal Shabazz says that the upcoming period for the current Women footballers is a critical one as skipper Tasha St Louis are beginning to understand the importance of their roles as ambassadors and leaders in society as women.

Shabazz was speaking ahead of a training session at the Ato Boldon Stadium, the TTFA Home of Football on Tuesday as the team prepares for Thursday’s International Friendly against Panama at the Couva venue at 6:30pm.

“I think the senior women’s national team players are seeing more and more how important it is for them to step up individually and collectively. They have seen the appointment of a Woman President, first ever in our country and the whole of domestic violence that pervades the society now, I think sport allows females that opportunity to make a statement on the pitch and by whatever little they can do.

“They are not police officers or lawyers. They are football players and they can perform and excel, it gives them that added credence to make statements that can be very powerful,” Shabazz told TTFA Media.

In relation to Thursday’s first of two friendlies, Shabazz added, “It’s a squad that is one that is rebuilding so these matches will certainly test us and answer a lot of questions as to where we are presently. There is new blood in this team. We brought in five players from the Under 20s and two from the Under 17s.

“I think we are at a stage where we need to widen the pool and friendly matches allows the coaches to give caps to players that are not as experience and to play alongside players who have experience. Tasha St Louis and Karyn Forbes are two of the more experienced players that will be on the pitch but then you have youngsters like Shenelle Arjoon and Naomie Guerra who just came back from scholarship to join the squad and you have even younger players like Aliyah Prince, Kedie Johnson and Natisha John from the Under 20s and Under 17s who are also eager to play in matches like these,”

Arjoon added that she was definitely anticipating a senior team appearance in either of the two games,

“I think it would be beneficial to the team in terms of getting the necessary preparation. I don’t think the games would be easy at all so we just have to try to win and give our best effort” she said.

“I think we’d do really well considering the amount of work we have been putting in from early, we usually start like two weeks before. ” Arjoon continued.

Tickets cost $20 for each match and will be on sale at the venues on both game days.

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Offline Tallman

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Trinidad and Tobago Women tangle with Panama at Ato Boldon Stadium
« Reply #541 on: March 21, 2018, 06:52:47 PM »
Trinidad and Tobago Women tangle with Panama at Ato Boldon Stadium
TTFA Media


Trinidad and Tobago Women’s head coach is hoping for a fairly sizeable crowd at the Ato Boldon Stadium tomorrow evening when this country’s national team take on Panama in the first of two international friendlies at 6:30pm.

For a cost of $20, fans will be able to see the Tasha St Louis skippered team kickstart their 2018 campaign as they continue their preparation towards the start of the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s World Cup qualifiers for France 2019. Both teams also meet on Saturday at Manny Ramjohn Stadium at 4pm.

According to Shabazz, apart from looking to see how well his team adapts to the physical demands of the match, he wants them to show up with a strong mental attitude in front of their home fans.

“What we are looking for from this game on Thursday is to see the girls put down the boogie of playing at home, the nervousness, as it’s going to be a tough opponent. We’ve got to get them accustomed to playing in front of their home crowd and being able to take that tension and that type of pressure,” Shabazz told TTFA Media.

“We are looking to see how they try to play in the game and implement some of the things we’ve done in training.

“Of course it’s everybody wish and dream for us to qualify for the World Cup.But more importantly these games are also to help us widen our pool and to show how have they adapted tactically and physically to the demand of international football,” Shabazz added.

Janine Francois, one of the surviving members the 2014 squad that narrowly missed out on qualification for the last Women’s World Cup, is excited about the team’s upcoming campaign.

“I’m excited and all the girls are really looking forward to these two games and then the two tournaments coming up. We’ve been working constantly over an extended period and now it’s up to us to show it on the pitch. I think these games will give us a very good test to see where we’re at and hopefully the exercise will turn out to be beneficial for us,” Francois said.

The Panama team trained at around 4pm at the venue prior to T&T’s late evening session at the TTFA Home of Football. Panama’s best showing in regional competition was a quarter-final finish at the 2006 Women’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Panama head coach Victor Suarez is also looking forward to the encounter saying “It’s a good opportunity for us to be in Trinidad and Tobago for the match. It’s a good practice for us for our preparations and we are looking forward to two well contested matches.”

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Offline Flex

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #542 on: March 22, 2018, 02:11:05 AM »
Shabazz concerned over depth in T&T women’s football.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


JAMAAL SHABAZZ, coach of the Trinidad and Tobago women’s football team, is concerned over the depth of quality players available for selection, as the squad prepare for the start of their 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign.

The national team will play Panama in a pair of friendly internationals, at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva tomorrow and at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella on Saturday.

The women’s team are also scheduled to feature in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Challenge Series, from April 18-29, before the World Cup qualifiers kick off in March.

Shabazz, speaking before a training session at the aforementioned Couva venue yesterday, expressed his immediate concern over the future crop of T&T women’s players.

“We’ve got to build, not just a team for the next (qualifiers) but build the programme so we could be able to turn out more players,” said Shabazz. “Right now, the amount of players graduating to the (women’s team) is frightening.”

Asked to elaborate, Shabazz replied, “We’re not seeing the immediate replacements for the Tasha St Louis, Maylee Attin-Johnson, Ahkeela Mollon. We have the elite programme but that’s still four (to) five years down the road. We’ve seen talent but what will bring that talent to the readiness to say, ‘this is a senior national player’.”

However, Shabazz’s immediate focus is ensuring that the women’s team gain adequate preparations ahead of their World Cup Qualifiers.

“It’s just what the doctor ordered before you go into (the Qualifiers), against a Central American opponent,” said the T&T coach. “This is really good for us because Central Americans teams are usually (better than) the Caribbean teams. We’ll look to answer a lot of questions about how our preparations have been going.”

Trinidad and Tobago failed in three attempts to book a spot in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

A few players from that squad will be involved in the Panama matches.

Shabazz admitted, “We have a couple players like Tasha St Louis, Ayanna Russell, Patrice Superville who are coming to the evening of their careers. We’ve tried to re-introduce some of the players like Karyn Forbes (and) Mariah Shade who still have something in them.

“But we’re also using this as an opportunity to integrate some of the U-20s who have shown the ability to step up to the other level,” he continued. “It gives us time to integrate the players and to widen the pool so that, if for some reason the veterans (are) unable to participate, we can call on some of the younger ones.”

Shabazz also stated that plans are afoot to get another pair of friendly matches, against Costa Rica, within the next few weeks.

Shabazz, who was in charge of the national Under-20 women’s team during their ill-fated CONCACAF Championships, which were staged at the Ato Boldon Stadium, hopes that some of those selected on the ‘senior’ team will be able to cope with the pressure of playing at home.

“The friendly matches provide an opportunity for them playing at home and to better deal with the psychological pressure,” said Shabazz. “Playing in front the home crowd provides a different type of pressure for the younger ones. The more we can do it and the more successful the results, we expect their confidence to build.”

Concerning the players who are either born/resident or based in North America, Shabazz said, “We’ve been in contact with every single player who is eligible to play for the national team. We’ve even started to identify new ones.

“The response has been decent,” he added. “We’ve brought in four for these matches and, for the matches to come, we intend to mix it up a bit, and as they become available, invite more and more.”

Referring to the friendly games, as well as the Challenge Series, the ex-national and Guyana men’s team coach said, “It’s a great opportunity to start widening the pool and becoming more competitive.”

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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #543 on: March 22, 2018, 04:36:32 PM »
No streaming I suppose ...



« Last Edit: March 22, 2018, 06:26:30 PM by Tallman »

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #544 on: March 22, 2018, 05:10:08 PM »
We're leading 1-0. About 15 minutes left in the first half.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2018, 05:29:06 PM by asylumseeker »

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #545 on: March 22, 2018, 05:19:13 PM »
1-1. Equalising goal by Natalia Mills (PAN) on her birthday.

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #546 on: March 22, 2018, 05:26:50 PM »
Panama has taken the lead courtesy Laurie Batista. 2-1.

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #547 on: March 22, 2018, 05:40:21 PM »
HALF TIME SCORE: 2-1.



« Last Edit: March 22, 2018, 06:26:43 PM by Tallman »

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #548 on: March 22, 2018, 06:31:02 PM »
FULL TIME SCORE: 2-1.

« Last Edit: March 22, 2018, 06:36:18 PM by Tallman »

Offline Tallman

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #549 on: March 22, 2018, 06:36:36 PM »
FINAL: Trinidad and Tobago Women 1-2 Panama Women. T&T’s goal was scored by Shanelle Arjoon (31’). Goals for Panama by Natalia Mills (36’) and Laurie Batista (41’).

Continuation of a theme set by the U-20s. Take the lead, but can't hold it.

T&T Women fall 2-1 to Panama.
TTFA Media.


Trinidad and Tobago gave up a first half lead to Panama, being turned away 2-1 losers in the first of two friendlies at the Ato Boldon Stadium on Thursday night.

Both teams came together for a much needed warm-up and the stage was set for an interesting encounter with T&T fielding a team inclusive of a few of its experienced players led by captain Tasha St Louis and youngsters such as Shenelle Arjoon and Naomie Guerra.

T&T struck first in fine fashion when Arjoon clinically headed home in the 31st minute, following a proper right-side delivery by former France-based pro Mariah Shade. T&T’s lead which came against the run of play as Panama settled earlier, lasted just over five minutes  as Panama captain Natalia Mills tied t up with comfortable finish

And three minutes before the break, Laurie Batista scored what turned out to be the winning item.

T&T were without the injured duo of goalkeeper Kimika Forbes and Arin King.

Both teams will meet again from 4pm on Saturday at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella. Tickets cost $20 and will be on sale at the venue.

Shabazz remarks following T&T Women's 2-1 loss to Panama

Results

Trinidad and Tobago 1 (Shanelle Arjoon 31) v Panama 2 (Natalia Mills 37, Laurie Batista 42) at Ato Boldon Stadium.

(Teams - by Wired868)

Trinidad and Tobago (4-2-3-1): 1.Nicolette Craig (GK); 8.Patrice Superville, 2.Ayana Russell (3.Anastasia Prescott 83), 5.Jenelle Cunningham (6.Natasha St Louis 74), 7.Jonelle Cato; 14.Karyn Forbes, 10.Tasha St Louis (captain); 9.Mariah Shade (15.Kedie Johnson 84), 11.Janine Francois (13.Shenieka Paul 83), 12.Shanelle Arjoon; 17.Andrea Young (18.Naomie Guerra 46).

Unused substitutes: 21.Tenesha Palmer (GK), 16.Nathifa Hackshaw.

Coach: Jamaal Shabazz

Panama (4-2-2-2): 1.Yenith Bailey (GK); 16.Katherine Lineth, 4.Hilary Jaen, 5.Yomira Pinzon, 3.Maria Murillo; 2.Laurie Batista (7.Yasil Atencio 84), 14.Aldrith Quintero; 6.Kenia Rangel, 19.Natalia Mills (captain) (11.Maria Guevara 69); 9.Karla Riley (10.Schiandra Gonzales 84), 15.Lineth Cedeno (18.Erika Hernandez 68).

Unused substitutes: 12.Sasha Fabrega (GK), 8.Rebeca Espinoza, 13.Onelys Alvarado, 17.Anuvis Angulo.

Coach: Victor Suarez

Referee: Crystal Sobers

Type: Friendly international

« Last Edit: March 23, 2018, 06:17:05 PM by Flex »
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Offline Flex

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #550 on: March 24, 2018, 04:46:42 AM »
T&T women beaten by Panama 2-1 in friendly.
By Nickolai Madray (Newsday).


Shabazz says lack of fitness,matches caused defeat

Trinidad and Tobago’s senior women lost in their international friendly match against Panama 2-1 as the visitors came-back at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, on Thursday night.

T&T women started on the attack as they looked for the opener in the early minutes of the game. T&T’s skipper, Tasha St Louis, tried to supply the local team as she whipped in a corner in the 12th minute, however, Jenelle Cunningham’s shot from inside the box skied over the crossbar.

Panama’s Laurie Lopez tried an audacious effort from outside the 18-yard box, in the 22nd minute, but her shot also sailed just over the bar. T&T women had a terrific opportunity in the 25th minute when St Louis picked out Janine Francois in the penalty area. The captain wonderfully found her team-mate, however, despite Francois turning her defender exquisitely, the forward’s trickling shot was cleared off the line by Panama’s last defender.

T&T managed to break the deadlock in the 33rd minute when Shanelle Arjoon got her powerful header past Panama’s custodian, Yenith Bailey De La Cruz. The local attacker made her way into the box and timed her jump to perfection when she made contact with Mariah Shade’s cross.

In the 36th minute, Panama’s captain, Natalia Urrunaga, pulled her team back level when she was played in, behind T&Ts defence and curled her shot past T&T’s goalkeeper, Nicolette Craig. Panama then took the lead just before the half, via Lopez, as the Panamanian’s pried open TT’s defence once again and the attacker got her toe on the ball to poke it past the onrushing Craig.

T&T came out the tunnel as the stronger side, creating two quick chances soon after the resumption. The ball fell kindly for Francois in the 47th minute, however, the striker went for power and mistimed her connection as the chance went flying away. Shade then tried to find the bottom corner of the goal with her shot from outside the penalty area, but the opponent’s custodian got down in time to make the fingertip save in the 49th minute.

Kayrn Forbes also tested Bailey De La Cruz in the 52nd minute with her effort from a long distance free kick. The scores remained the same as chances were limited by both defences where Panama managed to hold on to the 2-1 lead.

Speaking after the match, T&T’s head coach, Jamal Shabazz, expressed that a lack of fitness and international matches were the causes of his team not being able to walk away with a victory.

During the post-match press conference, Shabazz stated, “I saw a bit of rust falling off some of them after being out of international matches. It was a good exercise for us, and after not being on the field since March last year, this was the kind of game that wakes up the team and gets us reactivated.” He continued, “Inexperience in terms of the back four not being cohesive enough was also a factor as the players were not accustomed to the playing with each other.”

Both teams will face each other again this evening in another friendly at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella. Admission to the venue costs TT $20.

Line-ups:

Trinidad and Tobago – Nicolette Craig (GK), Ayana Russell (Anastasia Prescott), Jenelle Cunningham (Natasha St. Louis), Jonelle Cato, Patrice Superville, Mariah Shade (Kedie Johnson), Tasha St. Louis (C), Janine Francois (Shenieka Paul), Shanelle Arjoon, Karyn Forbes, Andrea Young (Naomie Guerra).

Panama – Yenith Bailey De La Cruz (GK), Laurie Lopez (Yasli Rios), Maria Murillo, Hilary Rodriguez, Yomira Rios, Kenia Villareal, Karla Serracin (Anuvis Castillo), Aldrith Humphries, Lineth Valderrama, Kathrine Marcias (Schiandra Jurado), Natalia Urrunaga (C) (Maria Sanchez).

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Offline Tallman

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #551 on: March 24, 2018, 04:12:37 PM »
FINAL: Trinidad and Tobago Women 1-1 Panama Women. T&T’s goal scored by Patrice Superville (56'). Panama’s goal by Yomira Pinzón (83’).
« Last Edit: March 24, 2018, 05:02:11 PM by Tallman »
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Offline Tallman

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #552 on: March 24, 2018, 04:16:29 PM »
WATCH: Highlights of Trinidad and Tobago Women’s 2-1 loss to Panama

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« Last Edit: March 25, 2018, 08:22:49 AM by Tallman »
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Offline Socapro

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #553 on: March 24, 2018, 06:04:14 PM »
At least they did not lose the 2nd game which shows signs of improvement. Pity they couldn't hold on for the win!
De higher a monkey climbs is de less his ass is on de line, if he works for FIFA that is! ;-)

Offline Flex

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #554 on: March 25, 2018, 01:50:35 AM »
Soca Princesses draw 1-1.
T&T Guardian Reports.


A thunderous shot from overlapping Panama defender Yomira Pinzon in the 87th minute assured her team a share of the points against T&T in the teams second International Friendly clash at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, yesterday.

The host thought it had gotten revenge for Thursday's 2-1 loss when Patrice Superville scored in the 57th minute, but then the stocky defender stepped up from a free-kick and unleashed a powerful shot that struck the underside of the crossbar before going in for the equalizer.

Earlier, the visitors though they had scored when captain Natalia Mills' low shot seem heading to goal, but goalkeeper Tenesha Palmer, who came into the team as a replacement for Nicolette Craig, tipped the ball wide.

After being beaten on Thursday the home team dominated the opening session and had only themselves to blame for the amount of missed chances.

Superville was the architect of an opening goal but after her right side cross fell nicely for captain Tasha St Louis, the veteran player dragged it too wide before her eventual shot went into the side netting.

But for all the T&T dominance it was the Panamanians who got the best chance at goal in the first half. Mills put Anuvis Angulo on a one-on-one with Palmer, and with the goal at her mercy she shot straight to the out stretched arms of the custodian.

After the break T&T got the goal it was hoping for when St Louis skillfully threaded a pass to Superville, who toe-poke the ball past the onrushing Yenith Bailey in the 57th.

But the visitors never gave up and were rewarded in the 87th item to end the two game and their tour with a victory and a draw.

T&T TEAM - Ayana Russell, Jinelle Cato, Patrice Superville, Mariah Shade, Tasha St Louis, Janine François, Shenelle Arjoon. Karyn Forbes, Kedie Johnson, Naomie Guerra, Tenesha Palmer.

RELATED NEWS

T&T Senior Women battle to 1-1 draw with Panama.
TTFA Media.


Trinidad and Tobago’s Senior Women and Panama battled to a 1-1 draw in the second of two friendlies at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium on Saturday.

Patrice Superville gave the hosts a 57th minute lead when she timed her run to perfection to get on the end of Shenieka Paul’s reverse pass and slotted the ball into the back of the net

However, an 82nd minute free-kick by Kenia Villareal was enough to give the visitors an equaliser as the match ended 1-1 with both teams having a strong go in search of a late winner.

T&T  kept the early pressure on the visitors when Kedie Johnson’s eighth minute free-kick from the left flank forced a near-post save from Panama’s goalkeeper, Sasha Bosquez.

Chances kept presenting themselves for the hosts but Naomi Guerra’s shot went well over the cross-bar in the 12th minute while, two minutes later, a scramble for a loose ball in the six-yard box was only snuffed out by Bosquez.

Panama had their first real opportunity in the 19th minute but it was wonderfully intercepted by T&T’s defender, Ayana Russell. Panama had another golden chance in the 32th minute when their captain Natalia Urrunaga played an exquisite through ball for her teammate Rebeca Justavino, to be one on one with TT’s custodian Tenesha Palmer. But Palmer got her hand up in time to stop Justavino’s shot with her outstretched fingertips.

The second half saw the Panamanians piling on the pressure as they made a couple changes and tried to create chances of their own. Substitute, Kenia Villareal, danced her way through the middle of the field and unleashed a shot that was destined for the corner of the net in the 50th. Palmer got her fingertips on the ball and looked as though it would take something special to get the ball past her.

Superville gave the hosts a lead in the 57th minute after she timed her run to perfection and got on the end of Shenieka Paul’s reverse pass and slotted the ball into the back of the net. The goal opened up the game but both defences remained resilient.

Panama were then awarded a free-kick in the 75th where another substitute, Yasli Rios, smashed the ball straight into the wall. Yomira Rios took the responsibility moments later when the visitors were given another free-kick in the 82nd minute. The elder sister made no mistake when she rifled the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and the ball ricocheted past the line, into the back of the net.

T&T next scheduled set of matches are in April in the CFU Challenge Series where they will face Suriname on April 25th, Grenada April 28th and and Guyana on April 30th.

Teams

Trinidad and Tobago: 21.Tenesha Palmer (GK); 7.Jonelle Cato, 2.Ayana Russell, 14.Karyn Forbes (3.Anastasia Prescott), 15.Kedie Johnson(13.Shenieka Paul); 8.Patrice Superville, 18.Naomie Guerra, 11.Janine Francois (6.Natasha St Louis), 12.Shanelle Arjoon (17.Andrea Young); 10.Tasha St Louis (captain), 9.Mariah Shade.

Subs not used: 1.Nicolette Craig (GK), 16.Nathifa Hackshaw.

Head Coach: Jamaal Shabazz

Panama: 12.Sasha Fabrega (GK) (1.Yenith Bailey); 13.Onelys Alvarado (7.Yasil Atencio), 8.Rebeca Espinoza (16.Katherine Castillo), 5.Yomira Pinzon, 3.Maria Murillo (4.Hilary Jaen); 2.Laurie Batista (11.Maria Guevara),14.Aldrith Quintero; 6.Kenia Rangel, 9.Karla Riley (10.Schiandra Gonzales); 19.Natalia Mills (captain), 17.Anuvis Angulo (15.Lineth Cedeno)

Subs not used: 18.Erika Hernandez

Head Coach: Victor Suarez

Referee: Crystal Sobers

Shabazz: Arjoon ready for senior football; St Louis experiment pays dividends in Panama tie.
By Amiel Mohammed (Wired868).


The Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team ended their two-match exhibition series against Panama with a 1-1 draw at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella on Saturday, after again conceding a late goal.

The result continued an odd sequence for coach Jamaal Shabazz, whose Under-20 and Senior teams have led in five straight matches without once holding on for a win. Today, though, they did contrive to stave off defeat for the first time in this calendar year.

In this latest encounter, however, many, including Shabazz, will argue that the Women Soca Warriors were a bit unlucky.

“We did well, scored again as usual,” Shabazz told the assembled media, “but that was a brilliant equaliser by them. I don’t think our goalkeeper, even if she had two rods, could have gotten that one.

“I thought in the last game the quality of the passing wasn’t as it was today. We had more ball movement and created some decent chances.”

After Trinidad and Tobago full-back Patrice Superville opened the scoring in the 57th minute off a brilliant reverse pass from captain Tasha St Louis, Panama midfielder Yomira Pinzón managed a spectacular equaliser for the Central American outfit in the 87th minute with a 25-yard free kick that went in off the underside of the bar.

It was a goal worthy of winning any contest and was a sucker punch for starting goalkeeper Teneisha Palmer, who had hardly put a foot wrong during the contest.

One of three changes to the line-up, Palmer, replacing Nicolette Craig in the line-up for Thursday’s first game, conjured two excellent saves to deny the visitors. Midfielder Naomie Guerra and teenaged winger Kedie Johnson were the other changes, replacing Jenelle Cunningham and Andrea Young respectively.

In contrast, Panama, currently unranked by FIFA owing to inactivity over the past 18 months, made six changes to their starting team and gave virtually their entire bench a run-out in the second half.

“It was important for us that some of our youngsters got to play,” said Shabazz. “Finding out how best we can use the players, in different roles, in different positions, I think was a bigger concern (than the result). I need to know these players; these are new players for me.”

As in the first encounter, Shabazz shuffled his players around the pitch and, in some cases, deployed them in completely different positions from in Thursday’s game.

Superville started the game on the right wing with Karyn Forbes pushed to centre-back and young attacker Johnson sent to cut her teeth at left-back.

Captain St Louis was allowed the free role up top, which Shabazz has previously stated may be the best use of the veteran attacker in the future. The tactic paid dividends as it was she who produced the magic that created the opener.

After a first half in which the hosts had been unable to capitalise on their dominance, St Louis picked up the ball in the centre circle and began advancing to the right flank where Mariah Shade remained unmarked. The crowd cried out for her to pass to the advancing Shade but the 34-year-old attacker had other plans.

Leaving at least four Panamanian defenders statuesque, she executed a superb, pin-point reverse pass that scythed through them like a knife through butter to find the overlapping Superville inside the 18-yard box. Superville, who had by then been switched to left-back, put the finishing touch to poke home beyond the onrushing Fabrega in the Panamian goal.

It was a moment of rare class from St Louis on a day when the player who shone brightest was one of the newbies, who confirmed that she belonged on the Senior Team stage.

Picking up where she left off after Thursday’s goal-scoring performance, Shanelle Arjoon was a constant bag of tricks and a persistent thorn in the visitors’ side.

“She is certainly showing that she is ready for senior football,” a pleased Shabazz told the media. “Even in the training sessions, she did the highest in the yoyo test… We are very happy with her graduation into the Senior Team.”

Young Arjoon, MVP in the Women’s Under-17 Caribbean tournament in 2013, was shifted into various positions on the pitch by Shabazz, seeking to ascertain how she would adapt. She did have a few nervous moments but her coach was pleased with her overall output.

“We have got to get her to do things a little different,” he explained. “I think at times she tries to do some magic in positions that she doesn’t need to try and it gets scary at times but, you know, culturally, it’s good… It adds that this young girl from Central/South Trinidad could go on scholarship and come back and thrill the crowd.

“These games give us that opportunity without the pressure of a tournament, the pressure of having to get a result […] to have younger players on the pitch so that the pool could be wider.”

Despite Shabazz’s philosophising, the fact is that his Women Soca Warriors have now gone five matches without a win—just the last two of those results were under Shabazz—in a barren run that started with a 5-0 Olympic qualifying loss to USA on 20 February, 2016.

“Overall, yes, we want the results,” he attempted to console himself and the fans, “but we are at the building phase. When the house is now building and we are focusing on the foundation, the foundation does not look so good. So when you are finished building the house, then we can say this is good, etc.

“After the hardship will come the ease. Keep the focus.”

The Women Warriors’ next taste of action will come in the CFU Challenge Series when they play Suriname (25 April), Grenada (28 April) and Guyana (30 April).

« Last Edit: April 03, 2018, 05:00:34 AM by Flex »
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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #555 on: March 26, 2018, 02:11:20 PM »
WATCH: Comments from Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz after Trinidad and Tobago Women’s 1-1 draw with Panama.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Z3dAPk7O3LY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Z3dAPk7O3LY</a>

WATCH: Shanelle Arjoon talks about her debut for the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s team in the recently concluded two-match series against Panama.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/ityWILeeMRA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/ityWILeeMRA</a>
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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #556 on: March 27, 2018, 08:56:47 AM »

Saw the first game.

Liked what I saw from Arjoon...she played all out and aggressive.
Missed a chance to score a 2nd (1st game) when the ball fell to her in the box but rushed the shot I think on her right foot.

St Louis stood out as well.

Keeper looked technically sound though not the tallest. 

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Draw determined for Women’s CONCACAF Caribbean World Cup qualifiers
« Reply #557 on: March 27, 2018, 08:06:22 PM »
Draw determined for Women’s CONCACAF Caribbean World Cup qualifiers
TTFA Media


The groupings have been determined for the CONCACAF Caribbean Caribbean Women’s Qualifier towards the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

The competition kicks off in May with Trinidad and Tobago hosting one of the five qualifying groups. It was determined at the draw at CONCACAF Offices in Miami today that T&T will host Group C which will include the hosts, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts/Nevis and US Virgin Islands. The group winners will take part in the final round scheduled for July 2018. The top three finishers of the final round will qualify for the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

The CONCACAF Final Women’s Championship will take place in the United States from October 4th 17th from which the top three teams will qualify for the World Cup in France, while the fourth-placed team will advance to a play-off against the third-placed team from CONMEBOL. A total of eight teams will play in the tournament.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Women’ head coach Jamaal Shabazz in an immediate reaction to the draw, said that his team will by no means underestimate any of its four opponents in the opening round.

“Where we are now in the women’s game is not where we were in 2014,” Shabazz told TTFA Media.

“Therefore with the utmost respect we treat this draw and the opponents that we must face. It’s good that we played Panama in these two games and it answered some questions for us with regards to the team and its preparations,” he added.

“ Of course we are confident but we will by no means be cocky going forward into this competition, The preparation and approach will reflect that,” Shabazz stated.

T&T will have the CFU Women’s Challenge Series as further preparation in April. One of the groups will be hosted here. Twenty teams from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) will be in the hunt for top honors in the CFU Women’s Challenge Series. The competition will be played across five venues, namely Warner Park Sporting Complex in St. Kitts; UWI JFF Captain Horace Burrell Center of Excellence in Jamaica; Stade Sylvia Cator in Haiti; Antigua Recreation Grounds in Antigua; and Ato Boldon Stadium in Trinidad.

T&T’s Group includes  Suriname (April 25th), Grenada (April 27th) and Guyana (April 30th).
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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #558 on: April 03, 2018, 04:58:39 AM »
Shabazz: We’re not where we were in 2014; Women Warriors start W/Cup campaign in May.
Wired868.com.


Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Senior Team head coach Jamaal Shabazz has again tried to tone down expectations of the Women Soca Warriors as they prepare to kick off their France 2019 World Cup campaign.

The qualifying series begins on 5 May when Trinidad and Tobago host Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts/Nevis and the US Virgin Islands in Group C.

All five group winners advance to the final Caribbean qualifying round scheduled for 18-26 August, with the top three finishers going on to the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship from 4-17 October in the United States.

CONCACAF’s top three women’s teams will qualify automatically for the France tournament while the fourth-placed nation will enter an intercontinental play-off.

The Women Warriors have been together for 13 months, under former coach Carolina Morace and then Shabazz, and, during that period, they have played four international friendlies.

However, Shabazz pointed out that the team does not have the player personnel it once did and is unlikely to top its performances in the 2015 qualifying series under coach Randy Waldrum, when they came within one result of the Canada World Cup.

“Where we are now in the women’s game is not where we were in 2014,” Shabazz told TTFA Media. “Therefore, with the utmost respect, we treat this draw and the opponents that we must face. It’s good that we played Panama in these two games and it answered some questions for us with regards to the team and its preparations.

“Of course, we are confident but we will by no means be cocky going forward into this competition. The preparation and approach will reflect that.”

The National Team will get additional warm-up action next month when they host Suriname (25 April), Grenada (27 April) and Guyana (30 April) in the CFU Challenge Series competition at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Trinidad.

The exhibition tournament should help ensure that the Women Warriors are in good shape when the World Cup qualifying series kicks off the following month.

2018 Concacaf Caribbean Women’s Qualifiers

Round One
[Host nation named first]

(Group A)

Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Anguilla, Aruba;

(Group B)

Haiti, Martinique, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos Islands, Guadeloupe;

(Group C)

Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica, US Virgin Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada;

(Group D)

Antigua & Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Curaçao;

(Group E)

Guyana, Bermuda, Barbados, Suriname.

« Last Edit: April 03, 2018, 05:06:54 AM by Flex »
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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #559 on: July 31, 2018, 05:15:12 AM »
This article has echoes of the Italian.

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #560 on: August 08, 2018, 06:45:14 PM »
Jamaal Shabazz has resigned from his role as Head Coach of the T&T WNT.

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #561 on: August 08, 2018, 07:59:51 PM »
Jamaal Shabazz has resigned from his role as Head Coach of the T&T WNT.
Never a dull moment. The sad thing is who ever comes in next will be set up for failure.

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #562 on: August 16, 2018, 12:08:22 PM »
Anton is de interim coach.
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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #563 on: August 18, 2018, 06:45:44 AM »
Anton is de interim coach.    :banginghead: :banginghead: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #564 on: August 19, 2018, 04:08:17 AM »
Cordner to rejoin T&T women’s football team.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


VETERAN WINGER Kennya “Ya Ya” Cordner will rejoin the national women’s football team, ahead of the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship Qualification Caribbean Zone final round, which will take place from August 25 to September 2 in Kingston, Jamaica.

The 29-year-old, who plays for IL Sandviken in Norway, has not represented the T&T team since February 2016, during their failed campaign at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship in the United States.

That team was handled by current coach of Police FC Pro League’s outfit Richard Hood.

On her Instagram page, Cordner wrote yesterday, “God is the boss. I’ve made the decision to rejoin the T&T (women’s team) when God speak to you because He gave you a talent to help yourself.

She continued, “Despite what (happened) in the past and all the stuff I’ve been (through) I’m still making that decision to help my country qualify for a World (Cup).

“With the guidance of God always (I) would be back and joining the team in Jamaica God spare life,” Cordner ended.

Last year Italian-born Carolina Morace, during her brief tenure as national team coach, exiled the trio of Cordner, fellow winger Ahkeela Mollon and midfielder/striker Maylee Attin-Johnson from the squad.

For varying reasons, the trio did not play under Jamaal Shabazz, who replaced Morace in July 2017.

Shabazz resigned as T&T coach a fortnight ago, after disappointing results at last month’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Cordner has suffered a few injuries within the past year. In a video posted on her Facebook page on July 26, Cordner said, “Being out for 3 months was hard but with God I stayed strong and healed because His timing was the best timing. (I am) healed and ready to continue to allow God to fight her battles. Easy we do things trust God and His process.”

The national team, under interim coach Anton Corneal, is expected to leave for Jamaica on Wednesday.

At the CFU final round, T&T will join Antigua/Barbuda, Bermuda, Cuba and hosts Jamaica in the round-robin competition, with the top three teams progressing to the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in the United States, which will run from October 4-17.

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #565 on: August 21, 2018, 03:30:13 AM »
Corneal maintains hope ahead of CONCACAF Caribbean Final Round.
TTFA Media.


Trinidad and Tobago Senior Women’s Team caretaker coach Anton Corneal spoke to the Press on Monday as he looked ahead to the this country’s upcoming campaign at the CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s final round of World Cup qualifying in Kingston Jamaica from August 25th-September 2nd.

T&T faces Cuba on Saturday at the National Stadium and Corneal relayed that his final squad will be disclosed in a couple days as he attempts to find replacements for the injured Mariah Shade and Rhea Belgrave. He added that Kennya Cordner will join the team in time for it’s second game in Kingston.

“Of course it is one of hope. We are going to play in a tournament. We still have a couple experienced players in the team and we have some younger players who will be pushing now to prove themselves. We have to remember that Trinidad and Tobago is still one of the more accomplished teams in the Caribbean and we have to go prove ourselves. It is a tournament where three teams will advance out of five. We are hoping that we can advance first, what position on the table we advance that is up to the tournament. But once we can get through in those three teams it gives us a chance to regroup,” Corneal stated.

Corneal talks about Women's Team preparations ahead of Caribbean Final Round Qualifiers

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #566 on: December 12, 2018, 01:54:42 AM »
Waldrum can save T&T women’s football.
By Joel Bailey (Newsday).


Aftermath of failed World Cup campaign…

TWO MEMBERS of the TT women football team have thrown their support behind American-born Randy Waldrum, who recently expressed his desire to return as the team coach for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers.

The pair, who spoke under condition of anonymity, were scathing in their views of the failed 2019 World Cup campaign, which featured three persons (Jamaal Shabazz, Anton Corneal and Shawn Cooper) holding the positions as team coach during this calendar year.

They also condemned the lack of support from the local governing body TTFA (TT Football Association) in the lead-up to the CONCACAF Women’s Championship in the United States in October.

Defenders Lauryn Hutchinson and Arin King took to social media to call for support for the T&T women programme, as well as assistance for a pre-tournament camp in Richmond, Virginia.

In September, Waldrum sent an email to the TTFA hierarchy in which he wrote, “I love your country and more importantly the players in the programme, so I would certainly entertain the possibility of returning to coach the team again.”

Waldrum noted, “I’m not so concerned about my personal financial compensation. However, I would expect a stipend while working for the team.”

Waldrum, with his son Ben as his assistant, coached the T&T women team to within one win of reaching the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada.

According to one T&T player, “Randy Waldrum and Ben Waldrum speak for themselves. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those men. They entered a foreign territory and culture and took upon themselves and their hearts to do anything for the women of TT.”

The player added, “Randy sacrificed everything for us, showed us a level of professionalism and, if he had the chance to implement his plan, we would not be a national embarrassment. And the (team) from the U-15s up, would have a stable pool.”

Another T&T stand-out noted, “We have barely any talent from our youth in Trinidad, but if Randy came back, the programme would be revived. I want Randy and Ben.

“Foreign-based players who are good would come back, he would cast a wider net and he would develop our youth. Just let Randy do his thing and we will get back to where we should be.

“Randy and Ben have had nothing but positive things to say about the Trini girls they have coached, they have helped girls go pro and play in the States.”

A lack of marketing and a lack of concern from the TTFA have been blamed for the shortage of players getting professional contracts abroad.

“Ask yourself why do national team members not have pro contracts?” one player asked. “No one markets us and no one cares.”

The players were critical of the technical staff during their disastrous CONCACAF Championships stint. T&T were beaten 3-0 by Panama (October 4), 4-1 by Mexico (October 7) and 7-0 to the hosts US (October 10).

“We did not practice at a field with goal (posts) (during) the last two practices when CONCACAF provides fields,” one player revealed. “Didn’t do set pieces until the day before the USA game on a field with no goals.”

The players added they've yet to get any payment – or even encouragement – from the TTFA, which is led by president David John-Williams.

“If you can’t sustain a women’s programme, (you) don’t have one,” one player declared. “We get no stipend, no match fee, no food money. I took a loss playing for the national team.”

The other player commented, “We were not good in CAC Games, we were not good in Jamaica (for the Caribbean Football Union final round), so how were we ever going to be good for the most important tournament we had, for (the) CONCACAF Championships.

“Over the course of April-October the team did not get better, but how did you expect to get better with three different coaches, players struggling to get to practice, and players foreign-based expected to drop everything and go into a mess of a situation in Trinidad.

“But we still sacrificed to go play for the national team because we cared.”

Italian-born Carolina Morace was named as T&T women coach in January 2017, but she resigned in June of that year, owing to unpaid salaries and differences with the TTFA.

One player pointed out, “I never had Carolina as a coach but everyone said she had a plan in place before practice, was out there early to set up, and was professional in every set of the way and players saw improvement.

“Randy Waldrum got the most out of players, had organised structure and professionalism. He always had a plan in place and could get more out of the girls than any coach in Trinidad could because he demanded respect in a professional manner.”

An issue that is prevalent they concurred was the lack of respect for foreign-based players by coaches and the local governing body.

“There has been this thing where foreign-based players get treated weirdly because they think (the players are) spoiled and entitled. No, we just see how things at home are run, and when we come to Trinidad it’s always one thing after another in how bad sessions are run, barely having treatment, paying for everything out of pocket to be on a national team I’m sorry, the women’s programme deserves more.”

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #567 on: December 12, 2018, 02:47:56 AM »
Baron: “DJW wanted us to fail, so he could be done with us!” Reviewing T&T Women’s W/Cup campaign.
Wired868.com.


“I want real, lasting, impactful change for women’s football. David John-Williams ran his campaign on the premise of bringing women’s football to the forefront of his candidacy to lead the TTFA. Why is the Women’s National Team used a sacrificial piece to enhance these men and their chauvinistic values?

“There is no need for nice words anymore; this is the truth. There is no more being silent.”

The following is Part One of a review of Trinidad and Tobago’s unsuccessful France 2019 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign by goalkeeper Saundra Baron:

I waited to give Wired868 this document, because I am entrusting you to give a true and honest story on the state of women’s football. I don’t care about Shawn Cooper, I don’t care about the Kennya “YaYa” Cordner drama, I don’t care about Lauryn Hutchinson’s video. I care about creating change for respect in our women’s football.

I hope you can help me create an open dialogue, so that the next Caribbean team that qualifies for a major women’s international football tournament is Trinidad and Tobago.

There are so many problems that are bigger than what happened in the CONCACAF tournament, and, yes, as embarrassing that campaign was, we must be proactive in creating a positive path forward for Trinidad and Tobago women’s football.

I have highlighted some injustices I have faced personally and opinions on decisions that have affected the growth of the women’s game. I spoke to team manager Jinelle James last week and she said no one has been paid from September or gotten their money from the last Concacaf Championship.

How do you expect to get more players to play for Trinidad when we cannot even depend on getting paid on time?

The last game against the USA was going to be boycotted but we eventually decided to play. Personally I wanted to play.

Being a foreign-based player, I do not have a first hand look at the inner workings of football in the country, and I never get to to see the good that those who care and value football in the country put forth to enhance the game from the grassroots level, secondary schools and beyond.

I can only speak on being a 12-year member of Trinidad and Tobago women’s football setup. I want real, lasting, impactful change for women’s football.

David John-Williams ran his campaign on the premise of bringing women’s football to the forefront of his candidacy to lead the TTFA. Why is the Women’s National Team used a sacrificial piece to enhance these men and their chauvinistic values?

There is no need for nice words anymore; this is the truth. There is no more being silent.

If anyone in the TTFA truly cared about women’s football that 2015 World Cup campaign would have been built upon, and sustained success would have come from women’s football in the country. That starts with the shortcomings of the last president and the one we have now. Nothing but corruption in our country is destroying the beautiful game.

First, I want to the address our pre-tournament training camp in North Carolina. The mood going into camp was always going to be one of uncertainty and under-preparedness; one that the TTFA helped create.

Right after the CAC Games no one had a plan in place, so we were barely prepared and apparently had to beg to even get our players flown into Jamaica [for the 2018 Caribbean Championship]. We barely had a full 11 for our first game [against Cuba]—we had 13 players with two goalkeepers—and that is on the TTFA. Kayla Taylor and YaYa came later to help strengthen the lineup; but we needed more depth and our bench was not going to cut it.

I believe we did not play our best in Jamaica and change needed to be made to our line-up and player pool to truly compete in the CONCACAF championships. But everything that happened after Jamaica was frantic.

We were told we were going to have a camp in the States. So a week goes by and we heard nothing. I asked our manager what was going on and she said she would provide updates but still days would go by and we heard nothing.

As a player in another country preparing for the final round of World Cup qualifying with no updates, what do you expect us to do? Sit there and be happy about being underprepared?

I am way too much of a competitor to sit there and be happy about the TTFA’s bullshit. I personally had four different goalkeeper coaches from local club teams in my hometown of Rochester volunteer their time to help prepare me for the Concacaf tournament. Then I joined the other foreign-based girls in Richmond, Virginia at local teams there, which Lauryn arranged to help us.

I lifted weights on my own and did conditioning work on my own, because the TTFA effectively told the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team: “You do not matter to us. We cannot wait until you all fail so we can be done pretending to give a shit about women’s football.”

I am not the only one who believes that football president David John-Williams was rooting for the women’s team to fail. I have not an ounce of respect for a man who does nothing to enhance his country’s game, which so many sacrifice for.

I am convinced that DJW was ready for the women’s team to just fail so he could be done with us.

I have never properly met the man. He showed up randomly to one practice I was at. There were no introductions, no gathering the team around to show support for us or to share words as we prepared for the summer tournaments we had to compete in.

Not a word from our president? It was disgraceful. He is not a leader.

Many girls on this team quit paying jobs and turned down coaching positions to wear the red, white and black; and we still were treated with absolute disrespect from DJW and the TTFA. As much as it is an absolute honour to play for your national team, you cannot hold national team athletes hostage with inequality and a standard-less environment, that is clearly corrupted on all sides.

Ultimately it got to a point where Jinelle James had no answers or updates to provide for anyone.

It was honestly strange to us that before the CFU Challenge tournament [which was an exhibition series], they were flying in all the all the girls from North America to prepare. Yet for the most important Concacaf Championship tournament, they was no effort to get the team together to train; and foreign-based players were left in the dark as to what was going on while we heard that between five to seven girls were training in Trinidad under a different coach.

There was no damn stability at all.

We are worse off than we were four years ago in not only women’s football but in all football! Trinidad and Tobago should have been the first Caribbean women’s team to qualify for a World Cup; that’s why I came back!

I love football. It saved my life when I felt I had nothing and no one. I love the country I get to represent; it is my country too, no matter where I was born.

I am the daughter of Joffre Baron, a professional geologist from Belmont, and the late, Dr Shirley-Anne Haye-Baron—God bless her soul—a PhD bioinorganic chemist from Port of Spain.

If she was alive today, I know my mother would be standing next to me fighting for women’s equality in the country she loved and that she called home.

The following sentence describes our pre-tournament camp in Raleigh in a nutshell. If Concacaf gives you regulation fields to practice on with nets and goals, why would you choose to have the team walk to a recreation ground near our hotel that didn’t have field lines or goals—because they were chained up—to train on multiple occasions?

It was just one example of the unprofessional approach to our preparation. How do you expect a goalkeeper to train without a goal behind them?

And that’s not to mention the fact that we didn’t go over set pieces once until the day before the USA game—and again we used the recreation field with no goals or lines. I wish I was making this stuff up, but unfortunately I’m not.

Our camp in Raleigh was insanity. It was basically a whole new staff. Our goalkeeper coach had changed, Cooper was in charge and Dernelle Mascall was the assistant. Cooper had changed completely from the person he was at the Caribbean Championship in Jamaica. Two words: power trip.

First off, I understand our usual goalkeeper coach, Ross Russell, has a commitment to the men’s programme; but I wasn’t even notified that he wasn’t coming. He was the only one who I had trained with since April.

They brought in Jason Sheppard, who had never worked with me and had only worked with Kimika for two weeks prior. So why was the women’s team not assigned a goalkeeper coach for the duration of our campaign, who would then be able to train, coach and evaluate us properly?

By the end of the tournament, I had genuine respect for Coach Sheppard; but he had never coached at the national team level and the way it was handled was unfair to everyone. But once again, this is Trinidad and Tobago football; nothing can operate professionally and consistently.

Mascall had not been on staff for any tournament prior to our most important one and all of a sudden she was on the bench. I personally like Mascall a lot; she was my teammate and is on track to be an amazing coach for our country. But that was the wrong timing for such a drastic move to happen and the excuse that she knew the players was not a good enough reason to do that.

We should have never been in a position where we had three different head coaches and in such a short space in time. I don’t believe we put anyone in a position to succeed when things like that happen.

Cooper wasn’t in a position to succeed either—let’s be honest—but that has a lot to do with line-up decisions, the strength of our player pool, and I think grudges. Also the player/coach situation was baffling. What credible national team programme has a player coach?!

That was laughable and unprofessional. Who is going to respect that structure?

The excuse that those decisions were to assist Cooper in identifying talent on the team is totally unacceptable—because favouritism was immediately a factor.

I think if any of our opponents found out we had a player/coach, they would have laughed in our faces. Does our Men’s Senior Team have a player/coach? But we had an active player/coach who played with us and then sat down with the coaches.

How would that ever sit right with the rest of the team?!

Let me set the record straight, I have nothing against Ayana Russell. I respect her always and forever will. She is also a mother and she dedicated years of service to this national team. But the decision to name her as a player/coach created a circus within our team.

Cooper also set a poor tone when he introduced himself to the camp. It was brash and cold. He basically made everything about him and what he went through in Trinidad; and then he tried to flip a story on Randy Waldrum.

No player reached out to Randy Waldrum to get him to coach us. We actually were on board with Cooper coaching us, after having him in Jamaica. If we couldn’t have Anton Corneal, we preferred to have someone who at least was with us; and Cooper was actively involved in sessions in Jamaica and brought a good, uplifting attitude to our games and practices.

Sure when girls found out Randy had applied for the job for the future, we were excited and stoked to have back the man who cared for us dearly and who cared dearly about the development of the game in our country. But Cooper lost the respect of a lot of the team on day one with his selfish speech and digs at Randy.

I was shocked at his rant. I couldn’t believe this was the same man from Jamaica. That whole introductory speech was: “let me puff my chest out and show who is the boss.”

Look I understand he was thrown in a mess of a situation surrounding his status as our coach, and with no camp either to prepare us; but I just wished he came off differently. I don’t know what he went through but he made everything more difficult.

I give him credit in one regard. He said he was a different type of ‘leader’ to Anton—and he was. But that was such an off-putting way to start an already tumultuous campaign.

I don’t want coaches to baby players. I have been a coach for three years and I am hard on my players as well. I am a very intense individual who wants realness and facts; but I have had coaches who captured that without the stance Cooper took.

I will never know and understand how that video Lauryn released might have affected him and our local-based teammates, so I must have empathy towards that.

I can never put myself in their shoes, and releasing that video was debated. The foreign-based girls—Jo Cato was born in Trinidad but now lives in America—were in a group chat just trying to get answers on how to prepare for this important Concacaf Championship. As time went by and we were two weeks away from the tournament and knew nothing about the status of our pre-tournament camp or coach and were pissed off about embarrassing ourselves at the tournament, Lauryn released the video.

I had made the social media posts about ‘Equality, Respect, and Unity’ a couple days before the video went out but we wanted to wait to see if we heard anything about a camp.

In the end, we pulled the trigger and asked for help to get a camp and bring the team to Richmond; and we demanded respect from the TTFA. I created the hashtag #IStandWithTTWSW and sent images to the full team in a group chat, and most players shared them on their social media platforms.

I was so proud of my Trinidad and Tobago teammates for joining that fight because they had been abused for so long by the national team structure. I was so proud that they wanted to fight publicly because, as you know, when you fight publicly in Trinidad you get blackballed.

The girls and women in the country deserve so much better, and it shouldn’t have to come to social media videos for us to get the respect and preparation a national team deserves.

Of course some did not want to share the materials; but, hey, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. I felt I was allowed to be pissed off at the TTFA, pissed off at the board nonsense about who was going to be our coach, pissed off at how the TTFA takes no blame or accountability for destroying the beautiful game in our beautiful country.

Let’s be honest, nothing was going to happen for our women’s team if Lauryn didn’t release the video. We would have been flown into North Carolina with nothing. But then that happened anyway.

We got to our first practice session in taxis, which was so embarrassing. How unprofessional is it that we can’t arrange proper team transportation.

Everything is always so last minute and never done with any respect for the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s National Team.


Editor’s Note: Click HERE for Part Two of our 2019 Women’s World Cup qualifying campaign review with Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Saundra Baron, where she discusses the inter-team politics and compares the Women Soca Warriors setup to Jamaica’s “Reggae Girlz.”

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline maxg

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #568 on: December 12, 2018, 01:02:34 PM »
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Offline soccerman

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Re: Women Warriors Thread
« Reply #569 on: December 13, 2018, 08:53:40 PM »

 

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