Vengeful hosts.
Warriors drop marker.
By: Lasana Liburd (Trinidad Express).
Last Friday, Barbados national football team coach Eyre Sealy motivated his players by going over the Trinidad and Tobago team sheet during the interval.
"You will never have a better chance to beat Trinidad," he said.
Suitably inspired, Barbados went on to recover from a single goal deficit to hold the hosts 1-1 in the opening Digicel 2007 Caribbean Cup match at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain.
No other coach should dare repeat the slight, not after Trinidad and Tobago dismantled Martinique 5-1 at the same venue on Monday night.
Of course, the Martinique team was inconvenienced by having a player ejected in the 31st minute while the outnumbered visitors still managed to share ball possession. But, more importantly, the host nation did not care a jot.
The French defence was set upon as mercilessly as ham on Christmas morning and, remarkably, the feast could have been more emphatic.
Coach Wim Rijsbergen's present troops may not unnerve more illustrious future CONCACAF opponents-not yet, at any rate-but at least, on Monday, they showed a mean streak that cannot be underestimated by their Caribbean rivals.
They could not have chosen to spank a more appropriate foe.
Martinique, a French colony with roughly a half million inhabitants, is unable to play in World Cup competition and, therefore, can never match up to Trinidad and Tobago's rivalry with fellow English-speaking neighbour, Jamaica. Yet, no other Caribbean island has been as disruptive to T&T's regional ambition.
In the last five competitive meetings before Monday, Martinique won four matches while it is six wins from seven if friendly games were counted. The two nations finished with 11 players on the field in just three of those seven games while the teams share four expulsions each-including Joan Deluge's red card for handling the ball on the goalline two days ago.
The tiny French islanders purged coach Zoran Vranes' squad from the qualifying stages of the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup and eliminated Rene Simoes' outfit at the 2002 Gold Cup.
Dutch coach Rijsbergen did better than merely avoid the fate of his Yugoslav and Brazilian predecessors, respectively. He also offered the first memorable result of his tenure.
If he is uncertain about the weight of history between the two nations, Rijsbergen needs only turn to Gary Glasgow.
After ten years of international service and 47 appearances, Glasgow finally celebrated his first win against Martinique. He was twice on the losing side in Caribbean Cup competition, while he was injured in his only trip to the French island, when Trinidad and Tobago were trounced 3-0 in an ill-tempered affair.
Glasgow missed a first half penalty but recovered his composure to tally two second half goals as the "Soca Warriors" threw down the gauntlet.
United States-based student Darryl Roberts and CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh midfielder Kerry Baptiste may have wondered what all the fuss was about. Roberts opened the scoring with a neat downward header for a goal in his first international start-Rijsbergen explained that he was dissatisfied with Glasgow's initial strike partner, Scott Sealy-while Baptiste scored twice, including one penalty, in his first outing against the visitors.
In a rare public show of affection, Rijsbergen also heaped praise upon his 24-year-old captain Densill Theobald, who is the sole remnant of T&T's 2006 Germany World Cup finals experience.
"Densill was 100 per cent captain today," said Rijsbergen, at the post-game press conference. "He was the leader of the pack (on Monday night) and I hope he continues doing that."
Theobald played three different roles in as many outings in Germany and was asked to try a fourth position by Rijsbergen, as a deep-lying midfielder, for this tournament. It is a function previously carried out by local and Caribbean greats such as David Nakhid and Dwight Yorke.
Theobald lacks Yorke's strength and, arguably, Nakhid's poise, but his intelligence and composure were the cornerstone of the country's performance on the night. The Caledonia midfielder rarely figures among the goals-he has one item from 44 national caps-and, unless he adds a potent snapshot to his game should keep an open mind as regards his best position.
Spare a thought too for midfielder Leslie "Tiger" Fitzpatrick whose left-footed cross for Glasgow's opening goal was as good as anything Fox Sport ever broadcast. Fitzpatrick is short on pace and tricks but his work rate and delivery could be accommodated at left back, where Rijsbergen tried him during the training camp, if he fails to stave off future competition from the likes of Collin Samuel and Aurtis Whitley.
The Dutch coach would welcome the fresh air flowing through his camp after Monday's win although there is still a point to make to another rival today.
Trinidad and Tobago are undefeated in their last five matches against Haiti, although it is the latter nation that leads the group and has already booked a place for the 2007 Gold Cup.
The two teams might meet again in the Caribbean Cup final and a win today would ensure that the hosts enjoy some mental advantage.
On Monday, Trinidad and Tobago turned the tables on Martinique. Now, they must avoid Haiti returning the favour.
