Injury 'dents' Bajan Pride
by PHILIP SPOONER (The Nation)
Published on: 1/2/07.
THE BARBADOS FOOTBALL TEAM have been hit by an injury crisis on the eve of their departure to Trinidad for the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament.
Alvin Rouse, the No.1 goalkeeper, and Rommelle Brathwaite, an inspirational backline player, are fighting against time to be fit for the team's departure this weekend.
Rouse's trouble, a shoulder complaint, has flared up again, and Brathwaite pulled up in training with a thigh complaint.
Barbados have already been rocked by the unavailability of defender Elvis DeFreitas, who suffered a horrific ankle injury, while playing in the Peter Sharon Memorial Britton's Hill Out-of-Season Tournament last month.
Awaiting update
Rouse and Brathwaite were examined yesterday by the medical team of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) and the findings will be sent on to the team management today.
Barbados were due to announce the team yesterday, but the BFA is waiting on the injury update before unveiling the 18 players for the finals, which will be played at the Haseley Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain, from January 12 to 23.
Keith Griffith, the team's technical director was a worried man when he spoke to the DAILY NATION yesterday.
"This is a crisis," he said via telephone from his home. "We have a bit of a worry... actually we have a huge worry. We need these two players to be fit. Rommelle is '50/50' and Rouse is struggling. We are praying.
"We have already lost DeFreitas, and that put a big dent in our plans. If we have to go without Rouse and Rommelle that would be a further challenge."
According to Griffith, Rouse has been suffering with the injury for an extended period. He has been doing light training since the end of Round 2 of the Digicel Cup at the National Stadium when the Bajan Pride qualified for the finals.
If Rouse fails to recover in time, the job of lead custodian would likely go to Morrison Taylor, the long-standing reserve. Adrian Chase, a veteran in the national team for close to a decade, and Bentley Springer, the flamboyant stopper from Hillaby United, would also be considered.
Brathwaite's injury is a recent one. If he is forced out it would leave the defence in a shambles.
"DeFreitas was a key player and now he's out. If we lose Rommelle that would hurt," Griffith said. "We have other players we can have in the sweeper position. We have 'Nobby' (John Parris), 'Lalu' (Gregory Goodridge, and 'John John' (Jonathan Straker)
"We would need time and a few matches to get these systems in place and time is against us."
Barbados were due to have a camp in Tobago before moving on to Port-of-Spain, but this might be scrapped.
