Small report

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Well this was my first time seeing the Warriors in live action since the USA game.  Like most of the reports I've read, I was expecting better and was happy to come away from that match with a point.  Overall the first 25 mins or so were fairly even.  Should have been 1-0 up but Stern decided he didn't feel like troubling the scorers today and shot straight at the keeper from the top of the six yard box.  But a strange thing happened after Birchall scored a beauty from well outside the area, it looked as though we made an early substitution with BSC replacing Beenie Man on the sidelines and we seemed to lose our shape completely for the last 15 mins of the 1st half.  Our midfield was non-existent and we went to our infamous backs and forwards, boom kick formation.  It also was clear to me that we definitely don't practice free kicks in training because not only can we not score them, we can't even set up a proper wall to defend them.  Our entire team of ten men was in the wall or in the box and we still let the ball pass through - goalasso in we asso.  Honduras deserved to be level at that point though.  Our second half performance was better from a ball possession perspective but we didn't create nearly enough goal scoring chances.  We continued to send the ball up long for Stern and later Jones to head on but it wasn't working at all.  Beenie also pulled a BSC in the 2nd half by not using his third substitution and refusing to take off Stern when a hungry Glen must have been itching to have a run at the defense.  Here is my take on the players:

Keeper
Jack did what was asked of him and had a good game.  No chance on the goal, the wall let him down.

Defense
Honduras must have watched tapes of Cyd Gray's debut against Costa Rica because just like in that match they kept picking on him and the majority of their attacks came through his side doing the same play over and over.  I feel Beenie started Cyd to counteract the speed of the #13 left winger (Palos you were right in your report on this man he real dangerous) but speed alone can't make up for poor positioning and was giving him too much space.  Also he eat so much beat I figure he would come out of the match with a belly like Samuel, I just glad he didn't lose his head and get send off.  Lawrence look solid and made some good passes out of the back, even tried a couple forward runs but wasn't getting the return pass this rounds.  Dog struggled a bit, made some poor passes but luckily wasn't made to pay.  Looked good in the air and had a chance on a corner but headed wide.  Avery played ok I think, especially considering that Theobald wasn't helping at all.

Midfield
Birchall impressed me the most, had one or two bad passes but overall his control and touch was top notch, goal was fantastic and had a couple other attempts.  Whitely I think played a bit better than he showed against Mexico but still doesn't look anything like the best midfielder in the PFL.  Spann deserves a chance in his place.  Our wing play was simply pathetic.  Theobald should never set foot on the left side of a football pitch again, but even so I don't think being out of position was everything he seems out of form too - his touch is off and he letting ball pass under his foot to go out for throw and all kinda thing, not tracking back well either.  Rahim play shit first half not getting forward and letting the speedy honduran left winger #13 get behind him on every play.  He improved a bit at half time but still didn't show the ability to get behind the defense and send in any crosses like Edwards can.  Samuel in real life looked like he did in the pictures, but "hamburger" did play decent and made a great run, cutting accross the top of the box from the left and unleashing a bullet which the keeper did well to get a touch to and damaged himself in the process.  Not sure he can last a full 90 though.

Strikers
Not impressive at all. Besides the obvious sitter that Stern missed, we never really got into any good goal scoring positions.  Stern really looked out of form, out of shape and short on confidence in his ability to take on the defense.  At one stage in the 2nd half Stern had a chance to latch on to a through ball but the defender caught up to him like he was standing up.  Man in de stands start to bawl "Stern yuh handbrakes up".  Scotland showed some good control and nice passes but they were mostly back towards midfield instead of towards goal and he never really threatened the Honduras goal.  Expected more hunger from him.  Jones looked ok but had a couple of chances to make a run at the defenders and always seemed to stop and play back the ball to midfield as well.  I don't know what Glen did to piss Beenie off but something is not right there.  He definitely deserves a chance to show what he can do, why not give him a little 10 mins at the end?  He is the only one of our forwards in mid-season form and has the ability to take on defenders running at goal.  If he doesn't get a run against Panama then its clearly a personal issue the coach has with him.

Looking forward to Saturday - hopefully we will have some more support in the stands and we can pull off the victory against Panama to set ourselves up for a quarterfinal place.

[FF]

On a side note... Colombia want licks for not beating Panama... did anybody notice how SLACK Panama marking is?

I doh know how in de world Colombia didnt win tha game 

They get about 5 one on ones and they woeful finishing was only rivalled by Stern...

[supporter]

 Spann deserves a chance in his place. 

gee, you think so?

[dwolfman]

The Honduran goal got me upset. Both Andrews and Whitley failed to effectively close down the shot. If need be a player needed to lie down in front the shot.

Last night I think our midfield as a unit let us down. The effort shown in the Panama and Mexico games was missing as well as the tactical work. Too often they were out of position and when we went up 1-0 they sat back in front of the defenders which allowed Honduras to get more of the play. Based on the last time I saw Spann I think he deserves a chance, but I don't know how he's playing now which is what the coach has to pick his team from. I didn't think Whitley played badly, it is more to give a different player a look... a player I think better suited to that role.

Scotland was disappointing. His work rate was pathetic and besides a deflected shot and the set up pass for Birchall did very little for the cause. John missed a sitter and continues to look short of goal scoring touch in front of goal. He's starting to put up his hand for every pass he can't get rather than just play ball.

It wasn't a bad performance, but we do have a lot to tighten up on. The draw was a fair result.

[raj]

FROM GOLDCUP SITE

07 de julio de 2005, 02:19
Trinidad & Tobago earn Gold Cup draw with Honduras
   
 
Honduras battled back from an early deficit to secure a draw against Trinidad and Tobago of the Gold Cup tournament in Miami

 
EFE
 
Christopher Birchall
 
 Últimas noticias
» Trinidad & Tobago earn Gold Cup draw with Honduras
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06/JUL/2005 -Though Honduras controlled much of the action in the first half, the team's attack, led by midfielders Ivan Guerrero and Danilo Turcios, was repeatedly stymied by a stout Soca Warrior defense anchored by veteran Marvin Andrews.

Just when Honduras seemed to be imposing its will, a defensive lapse in the 27th minute allowed Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Chris Birchall to send a long kick past goalkeeper Victor Coello to give his team a 1-0 lead.

In the 43rd minute Honduran defender Maynor Figueroa finally managed to break through the Trinidad defense, which at times stacked eight men around the box.

Honduras continued to display strong ball control in the second half, and the substitution of Milton Nuñez for Francisco Ramirez in the 46th minute gave the side the spark it seemed to be lacking.

However, shots on goal by the usually precise Honduran striker Wilmer Velazquez continued to soar either wide or high of the net.

The Soca Warriors only solid scoring opportunity of the second half came in the 81st minute on a strong kick by Collin Samuel that resulted in an injury to the Honduran keeper, Coello, who later left the match.

In the tournament's opening game Panama surprised Group A favorite Colombia 1-0 on Luiz Tejada's goal in the 70th minute. Panama takes on Trinidad and Tobago in Saturday's early Group A match, while Colombia will face Honduras.

Lineups:

- 1 - Honduras: Victor Coello (Junior Morales, 84th min.); Junior Izaguirre, Erick Vallecillo, Astor Henriquez, Maynor Figueroa, Oscar Garcia, Ivan Guerrero, Danilo Turcios (Wilson Palacios, 64th min.), Mario Berrios, Wilmer Velazquez and Francisco Ramirez (Milton Nuñez 46th min).

- 1 - Trinidad and Tobago: Kelvin Jack; Marvin Andrews, Every John, Dennis Lawrence, Cyd Gray, Chris Birchall, Brent Rahim, Densill Theobald (Collin Samuel, 64th min.), Aurtis Whitley, Sterno John and Jason Scotland (Kenwyne Jones, 71st min.).