March 28, 2024, 03:59:58 PM

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Should Russell Latapy get fired.

No
48 (28.6%)
Yes
42 (25%)
Give him time
63 (37.5%)
Assistant only
15 (8.9%)

Total Members Voted: 165

Author Topic: Russell Latapy Thread  (Read 247676 times)

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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1410 on: September 08, 2019, 09:01:17 AM »
Latas has the look of a man who is being paid punctually and who doesn't have to be chasing down his federation's president

That Hallam Hope eligibility issue must have been sorted because he is playing.

Doh sleep, despite its size, Barbados has a growing stable of foreign-born from which to choose.


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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1411 on: September 09, 2019, 05:57:15 AM »
Cayman Islands 3 Barbados 2!

Heartbreaker for Latas ... Bim equalized and then Cayman scored their winner immediately after. Barbados trailed for the entire match but for that brief moment.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2019, 05:59:45 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1412 on: September 22, 2019, 06:31:01 PM »
Under-23 Tridents chasing victory in Haiti
BFA


The Barbados Football Association’s Under-23 men's national team left the island’s shores this morning on their quest for qualification in the 15th edition of the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifiers, set to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico next year.

Led by Head Coach Russell "The Little Magician" Latapy, the young Tridents will be looking to replicate what they have done in their first two matches of the qualifying stage against Haiti at the Stadium Slyvio Cator, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti on Sunday night. Overseas based players are also expected to give the home side an added push on their hunt for victory.

They won 1-0 against Cuba on July 19, and two days later demolished USVI 5-0 to take the lead on six points in Group B.

Following completion of the round robin play, the group winners will advance to a final play-in match, with the two winners of each play-in match advancing to the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.

The two top teams will also qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics men’s football tournament in Japan as the Concacaf representatives.

The winners of the three series will also advance to the 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.

SQUAD: Kishmar Primus, Liam Brathwaite, Elijah Downey, Ja’Von Austin, Rashawn Kellman, Carl Hinkson, Kaeson Trench, Najee Holder, Nicolai Brathwaite, Omani Leacock, Sheran Hoyte, Ranaldo Trim, Ackeel Applewhaite, T’Shane Lord, Niall Reid-Stephen, Thierry Gale, Deshon Howell and Darico King.

Note: Applewhaite and Downey have had ties to the TT Pro League.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1413 on: November 20, 2019, 12:23:57 AM »
WATCH: Highlights of Barbados' 1-0 loss to St. Martin in CONCACAF Nations League action.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/-2qKyM1KNnk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/-2qKyM1KNnk</a>

Tridents fall 1-0 to (French) Saint Martin
BFA Media


A late second-half goal gave (French) Saint Martin the three points the Barbados Football Association’s (BFA) senior men’s team were hoping for to keep them at the top of League C in the Concacaf Nations League. 

In a most interesting turn of events, in the second half of the team’s return game at the Raymond E. Guishard Technical Center, Anguilla, the Bajan Tridents took a hard blow after Yannick Chevalier got the ball past the backline to give Saint Martin the go-ahead goal. 

Goalkeeper Kishmar Primus, in an attempt to fend off the play, took a dive that left Barbados wide open, and Chevalier, taking full advantage, was able to get the ball into the back of the net in the 81st minute from open play.

This upset now leaves the Tridents having to cripple the Cayman Islands on Tuesday after they regained the advantage in Group A, following a 1-0 victory over USVI also played tonight. This win now gives them 12 points, while Barbados is second on nine.

While the Tridents created opportunities from as early as the 15th minute, Saint Martin matched them play for play in the game with the greater ball possession (54%). They only managed seven shots on target compared to Barbados’ 12, with Raheim Sargeant and Nick Blackman taking two shots apiece on target.

Captain Rashad Jules, Israel based striker Blackman and Sargeant kept pace with Saint Martin, but the opponent’s defensive line was unbreakable in spite of the breakthroughs Barbados made.

There were a few close calls, one of the major ones coming on the resumption of play. Andy Felsina was able to get the ball past Primus into the back of the net, but much to the Tridents’ good fortune referee Bryan Lopez ruled it a half step offside much to the home side’s dismay.

The starting lineup saw Hadan Holligan and Ricadrio Morris as substitutes while Rico Graham, who played his debut Nations League game had an impressive 90-minute run. And while Jules and English forward Hallam Hope kept pressing in the midfield alongside Blackman, their efforts were not enough to get past Saint Martin.

Mario Williams played a superb game, and on three occasions he had to assist goalie Primus in deflecting the opponent’s ball which was right on its marker. Had it not been for his impressive cut-ins, the scoring margin may have been wider.

However, they are not quite out of the running yet and are hoping to pull off a much-needed win in their final encounter against the Cayman Islands on Tuesday on the BFA’s Wildey Turf.
« Last Edit: November 20, 2019, 12:53:52 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1414 on: November 20, 2019, 12:32:43 AM »
WATCH: Highlights of Barbados vs Cayman Islands; final score 3-0 in favour of Russell Latapy's squad.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/2Aq4VKSAynA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/2Aq4VKSAynA</a>

Latapy's 'magic' sees the Tridents through to League B of Concacaf Nations League
BFA Media


Head coach of the Barbados Football Association’s (BFA) senior Tridents Russell “The Little Magician” Latapy led the home team to victory, capping off an impressive 3-0 victory in Group A of League C, over the Cayman Islands last night to register a promotion to League B in the Concacaf Nations League.

And while the Tridents finished with the same 12 points as the Cayman Island Turtles, they forged ahead on goal difference.

Similar to their first game at the Wildey Turf against (French) Saint Martin, which saw Latapy coach in his first Nations League encounter, he selected the best team to execute the job.

This win now puts the Bajan Tridents on solid footing for a chance to qualify for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Starting minus usual captain Rashad Jules, Hadan Holligan took the reins. Other changes from the last game against Saint Martin over the weekend in Anguilla, where the national team lost 1-0, saw Ricardio Morris, Akeem Hill, Rashad Smith and Hadan Holligan deployed in the starting 11, with overseas players Tel Aviv Maccabi striker Nick Blackman and English League 2 Club Carlisle United’s Hallam Hope.

While the game began heavy, it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that the Tridents got the go-ahead goal. A shot on goal by Smith went wide and out for a corner. Holligan stepped up to the flag and Hope rose to the occasion, tucking the ball off the set-piece into the back of the net, sending the small crowd into a frenzy.

As the second half rolled around, Blackman was subbed out for Jules before he caused an upset for the visitors. Captain Joshewa Frederick-Charlery was knocked unconscious momentarily after a heavy one-on-one challenge with Jules, causing a gasp across the stadium in the 63rd minute.

Despite the power outages across the island, as word of Latapy’s magic spread once again, the bleachers began to fill as the crowds descended on the stadium to witness another amazing performance from the former Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warrior.

Then in the 75th minute, Latapy sent in Armando “Sugar” Lashley and pulled out Blackman. Eleven minutes later, Lashley sweetened the pot for the home team with an impressive control and turn from just outside the box, and levelling the ball with his right foot, hit it for all it was worth into the top of the net.

The entire team rushed to the sidelines as they mobbed their officials and the fans all across the Turf reacted when they realized Barbados had just won the group phase competition.

The Tridents took the time then to put on a three-minute show for the fans, and the boys, clad in their canary yellow national kit, engaged in a game of touch as supporters erupted in cries of ‘Ole’ on each pass.

And to add the icing on the cake, Hope struck once again in the 89th minute. With a through ball straight down the center of the midfield and into the back of the net, Hope propelled them to the top of League C and catapulted them over into League B, while renewing the faith that all was not lost and with a little more Latapy magic, the team would see its way back to glory.

 
« Last Edit: November 20, 2019, 12:59:36 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline Flex

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1415 on: February 22, 2020, 09:31:02 AM »
Rangers ace Scott Arfield reveals Ianis Hagi’s talent reminds him of ex team-mate Russell Latapy… minus the fags
By Colin Duncan (thescottishsun).


IANIS HAGI was smoking as he inspired one of Rangers’ greatest ever European comebacks.

Hagi scored a stunning brace against Braga on Thursday night — leading Scott Arfield to brand him the ‘Romanian Russell Latapy’.

Arfield reckons former Falkirk team-mate Latapy, who also became a cult hero at Ibrox, was the best he played with, despite having a 40-a-day cigarette habit.

Hagi, on loan from Genk, proved he is cut from the same cloth as the Caribbean genius with a sensational display on his Europa League bow for Gers.

It was a performance from the 21-year-old playmaker which completely blew Arfield away.

The Gers midfielder said: “It was quality, wasn’t it?

“To come to a club like this and have those special moments is brilliant for him.

“When I’m asked who was the most talented player I’ve played with I always go back to Russell Latapy. Always.

“But he was about 20 years older than Hagi when I played with him. And he smoked 40 fags more than Hagi!

“Not much pace, like Hagi. Not electric in terms of pace but he drops the shoulder and makes things happen. Those are the players I love.”

Hagi is just in the front door and was the youngest player in the Rangers line-up on Thursday.

But he quickly showed he is leader on the pitch as he sparked a remarkable comeback against the slick Portuguese.

When the Ibrox men looked dead and buried at 2-0 down in the first leg, it was the youngster who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

There were shades of his famous father Gheorghe, who watched from the directors’ box, with his never-say-die approach not going unnoticed by his new team-mates.

Arfield added: “That’s his mentality. You don’t want to touch on his dad but he has obviously had a big influence on him.

“After he scored the goal against Hibs a few weeks ago, the next morning, when you probably see players still elated, he was as calm as anybody.

“And it was a big moment against Hibs. He scored in the last five minutes or so. But he was straight into business again.

“His mentality of having big moments and coming straight back down to earth is second to none.

“I’m sure he is straight on to business and ready for St Johnstone on Sunday.”

Rangers have an option to buy Hagi from Genk in the summer and Arfield is convinced Glasgow would be the best place for the development of the Romanian international ace.

He said: “Of course, he’s at a big club over in Belgium so he knows the demands but I think the demands are bigger here.

“And he wants to get better, and be that player that has special moments like Thursday night and against Hibs.

“If you are looking at what he’s produced so far then you can see a lot of special moments coming from him.”

Rangers have stuttered domestically since the winter break.

But Arfield is hoping their remarkable late finale against Braga can reignite their Premiership campaign — starting with Sunday’s trip to McDiarmid Park.

He said: “The Braga win could be a pivotal moment in terms of trying to turn the season around.

“A lot has been made of the form since the winter break but moments like that on big nights have to kick-start us.

“But it’s two completely different games between Europe and domestic fixtures.

“It’s difficult to replicate that sort of performance in terms of going after teams.

“However, in terms of the big moments, we need to take some momentum from that.

“Everyone who watched the game feels a little bit better about themselves and the players have got a bounce in their step.

“Collectively, Braga were quality. But in the last 25 minutes, we had the intensity to break that down in the end.

“The bigger picture is the demand at St Johnstone is just as big as Thursday night. The challenge is different but the demand is the same — to win.”

Top scorer Alfredo Morelos will have a crucial role to play at McDiarmid Park but he will be suspended for the second leg in Portugal on Wednesday afternoon after picking up another yellow card for dissent.

Arfield added: “It is human nature. I have seen so many players do that.

“There were a couple of players on Thursday night who did the same thing as Alfredo when he shouted at the referee — everyone does it.

“It is what it is, he has got a yellow card and misses the game.

“We will miss him and he is a huge loss for us but I have seen many players do exactly what he did and not be carded.

“We do speak to him in terms of letting him know how important he is to us.

“He has got better with his discipline since last season but he is going to be a huge loss again for something so minimal.

“As players we can only take it so far. It is the manager’s domain to sort that out.”

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

Offline Tallman

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1416 on: April 09, 2020, 06:11:11 PM »
When people talk about football being a joyous sport, full of entertainment, it is because of players like Latapy. He saw things other mere mortals didn’t. The Trinidadian could dissect defences with ease. He possessed awareness which suggested he had more than one set of eyes and he moved with such grace but also intent, keeping the ball away from pesky opponents with fantastic dribbling skills and a close control, making it seem like the ball never wanted to leave his foot until he commanded it to.

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/5-best-hibs-midfielders-last-50-years-2534991
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Offline Tallman

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Latapy's claim on T&T football
« Reply #1417 on: April 18, 2020, 03:49:25 PM »
Latapy's claim on T&T football
By George Alleyne (Caribbean Life)


As though the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association does not have enough troubles on its hands, a former star player for the twin-island republic and coach, Russell Latapy, recently reminded the TTFA that it owes him money and he wants it now.

Amidst TTFA’s worries of dealing with an overall debt surpassing some $7 million, Latapy has said that $1 million of that amount is owed to him alone for a stint as senior team head coach reaching back 11 years, then another period in leading coach position for the men’s under-17 squad in 2016.

“I am still being owed that money since 2009. It is not rocket science. The football association, based on reports from the newspapers, I would like to think that some of the money they owe me is also included in the TT$50 million (US7.4 million),” Latapy, who was recently appointed Barbados’ head coach, told the island’s Nation newspaper.

“It is money that I worked for and, like anything else, if I work for that money I am not asking any favours . . . So I want the money I worked for. I am no different from anybody,” he told the newspaper.

The reminder to TTFA this month of money owed to Trinidad’s former Trinidad and Tobago attacking midfielder comes against the backdrop of a takeover of the twin-island republic’s governing body for football by the world organisation, FIFA because of what appears to be financial mismanagement.

FIFA, which holds authority over every form of organised football the world over, last month stepped in and took over running of TTFA’s affairs with a ‘normalizing committee’, because the local organisation was faced with an unmanageable circumstances of a $7.4 million debt, with creditors and even players taking it to court.

Latapy, whose professional career saw him playing for several clubs in Europe, supported FIFA’s takeover of TTFA’s affairs.

“If FIFA is going to come in with a normalisation committee and straighten up football and give the young people in Trinidad the opportunity to make something of themselves and to dream big, that is how I see it. We do not have time; we know that Trinidad is in debt of [$7.4 million].

“If FIFA is going to come in on the right pathway for us, then I welcome that.”
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Offline pull stones

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1418 on: April 19, 2020, 02:47:18 AM »
That dog! talk about kicking a man while he’s down. just look at the level of the patriotism of our people, for the first time in years we have a decent federation, yet every jackspaniard and millipede is crawling out their nest now of all times to demand money from a destitute federation.

these men not even trying to make a deal with the new president. if I was timkee I would’ve desolve all debt with the old federation the TTFF and claim those debts to them, instead of the trying to be decent by taking on the responsibility on the TTFA. it was jack warner and Ollie camps who owes them, let them take jack and the TTFF to court for damages.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1419 on: April 19, 2020, 06:25:44 PM »
Has Latas forgotten that the person who was ducking and dodging him disrespectfully was DJW?

Offline Tallman

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Barbados boss Russell Latapy on the CNL: "There are only benefits"
« Reply #1420 on: April 24, 2020, 11:39:57 AM »
Barbados boss Russell Latapy on the CNL: "There are only benefits"
ConcacafNationsLeague.com


As a former Trinidad and Tobago international and with nearly 20 years of European football under his belt, Russell Latapy has just about experienced everything there is to experience in football.

Now, he is trying to pass that experience on as Head Coach of the Barbados National Team, and things are off to a good start after a first-place finish in Group A of League C of the 2019-20 Concacaf Nations League, earning Barbados a spot in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers and promotion to League B.

“It has been a positive year. It’s challenging when you come into a team and you go straight into a competition. You need to get to know the players, they need to understand you, your style of play, it is always challenging but it has been a positive year. One of our main objectives was to get out of League C and get to League B and we achieved that and now we are sitting here with the opportunity that we might be able to go to the Gold Cup,” said Latapy in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.

For Latapy, the biggest hurdle has been the lack of a professional league in Barbados, however, he is seeing glimpses that his players are beginning to understand what it takes to excel at a higher level.

“If you play teams with professional players with professional attitudes and mentality, it’s difficult to compete against that if you don’t show the same type of mentality, so that was one of the challenges at the beginning, which was to get the players to be more professional and believe in themselves. I think over the last year we have achieved that and we have gotten better,” said Latapy.

Helping Latapy’s effort is the fact that Barbados is brimming with young talent, which Latapy has began to mold since taking over in April 2019.

“We have a fairly young team, which is really good. Young players want to learn, I think for me it is an advantage to have young players who want to have a career in professional football and that makes teaching a lot easier,” said Latapy.

Those young Barbados players were faced with a stiff test in their League C finale against Cayman Islands. For Barbados, only a win would suffice to keep their Gold Cup dreams alive and earn a place in League B. The Bajan Tridents never wavered and collected a 3-0 win, thanks in part to Latapy’s crucial decision to rest some of his players in the previous matchday against Saint Martin (a 1-0 defeat).

“Winning the Cayman Islands was fantastic for the young players. It gave them a lot of belief moving forward. We knew that no matter what, we had to win at home, so I had the opportunity to rest some players. The result in Saint Martin was disappointing, but we had to keep your eyes on the big picture which was the game against the Cayman Islands and it showed in the last 25-30 minutes in which we were fresher,” said Latapy.

Just two opponents stand in Barbados’ way to reach the 2021 Gold Cup, which would be the first ever for the nation. Latapy knows that a Gold Cup qualification would do wonders to help grow football in Barbados.

“The reality is that for young sportsmen in Barbados, cricket is the sport they gravitate to because they can see themselves having a future in cricket in terms of playing for the West Indies. Barbados has never qualified for a major tournament and if we were able to do it, I think it will the result would be more support for the game. We would get more kids playing and it would get the whole country and economy a boost as well,” said Latapy.

As a former player from the Caribbean region, Latapy has welcomed the advent of the Concacaf Nations League with open arms, especially for the opportunities that it affords for young players.

“The thing for young players is that you have to play at that high international level to gain experience and I think the CNL has afforded the Caribbean islands more international games, more international exposure to play at that level and bring more funding into their associations. It's great for young players and gives them the belief that they can compete with players that they watch on television and give them a career in the game. For me, the way I see it, in terms of playing side, there are only benefits,” concluded Latapy.
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Offline maxg

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1421 on: April 24, 2020, 11:55:31 AM »
It also helped getting Hallam Hope in the squad. Wonder why Concacaf banned him the 1st time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallam_Hope

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Magical memories
« Reply #1422 on: April 28, 2020, 09:30:20 PM »
Magical memories
By Garth Wattley (T&T Express)


Sir Garry Sobers is right; comparisons of players from different eras is best left alone.

Barbados’ only living designated national hero and the greatest cricketer the world has seen was making the point on his country’s National Heroes Day yesterday.

In Sir Garry’s sport, the game has changed so much from the 1950s and 60s that it is almost a different discipline now, with T20 and T10 in the mix.

However, with Covid-19 still setting the pace for people on this planet, “greatest ever” discussions and articles are helping broadcasters fill airtime, and newspapers and online publications to supply copy. But in the end, it’s all completely subjective, maybe too much so.

Take, for instance the cable TV network SportsMax’s “Ultimate Football” initiative, where fans and selected experts have been picking an all-time XI. That will never be an easy process. The number of players to choose from is too great, so even the shortlist arrived at is debatable. And worse, the people making the choices never saw some of the outstanding players under discussion. So in the end, what has been happening is that players from earlier times - the 60s, go back - are losing out to those who played in the last three decades, especially in the online voting.

This generational blindness is also reflected in a best-ever Caribbean team article on SportsMax’s website that named Russell Latapy as the best player to come out of this region. There can be many arguments about that, especially since the writer was either unaware of, or dismissed the work of a host of Trinidad and Tobago players from the 1970s and before.

The Latapy choice, however, got me thinking about the player that “Latas” was. They didn’t call him the “Little Magician” for nothing. All respect to Dwight Yorke, but on the ball, I have not seen a better player from this country. Mind you, I’m not claiming that Latas was T&T’s best ever. I didn’t see Matthew Nunes, Carlton “The General” Franco, Sedley Joseph, Leroy De Leon, Everald “Gally” Cummings, Warren Archibald, Steve David and the rest.

But in my time of watching football with the sense to appreciate what was going on, “Latas” was in a class all his own.

I remember once watching a game on television when he was at Porto, and being aware of this Portuguese crowd making, not noise in general, but noise over the spell the “Magician” was casting on the field.

Not especially quick, Latapy nevertheless knew when to accelerate.

The scene now is Easter Road, Scotland one night, and mid-thirties Latas, wearing the green and white strip of home team Hibernian in a match against Hearts, raises pores in the crowd again.

A left-side attack has now started just over the half-way line. Latas is in centre field, but not for long. Sensing the possibilities, he picks up the pace and in 18 seconds, is available to receive a square pass inside the 18-yard box with his right foot, feint the defender in front of him to his right, switch the ball to his left foot in the blink of an eye, checks back to the right to create space to initiate a one-two and volleys home a right-footer at the near post.

Vision, dazzling footwork and a sure shot had the place rocking.

Fans of the Colleges Football League in the 1980s had seen Latapy do that kind of stuff and better for Tranquillity Secondary and then San Fernando Technical Institute.

“Ah wanna fall,” calypso legend Cypher used to sing. Well Latas used to have fans and players alike wanting to fall down.

Not only did his dribbling embarrass many a defender but he often married the dribble with a good pass. The scorer of memorable goals, Latapy also made many for people like Leonson Lewis, his long-time colleague at Sando Tech, Boavista in Portugal and the national team. Latas could just see all the possibilities, his brain rapidly deciding on the best options while his feet kept him firmly out of danger and in possession. I suppose that’s why Latapy never looked in a hurry.

That kind of player is rare and sadly, the ball artist is not in vogue anymore. Midfielders are expected to “track back” and defend nowadays, a habit Latapy never embraced. It is perhaps one of the reasons why his career never reached the heights it should have. The trophies Latapy did not win hardly matter, though. The people who saw him play will never forget his unique contribution to the beautiful game.

In 50 years’ time, if they are still playing football on this planet, the “Magician” may not even make the voters’ best-ever list. So much for time making us more enlightened.
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Offline Tallman

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1423 on: May 05, 2020, 01:07:28 PM »
Waiting on Sweden
By Russell Latapy (pushinglimits.net)


The following is a column I wrote the week leading up to Trinidad and Tobago’s opening game at the 2006 World Cup versus Sweden. It was put together while we were in camp at the Landhaus Wachtelhof hotel in Rotenburg.

Way back when I first started playing for Trinidad & Tobago in 1989, we had a ritual of stopping off at church on the way to the national team’s games in Port of Spain .
 
I don’t usually talk about religion – like politics, you can never win no matter what you say. But my islands are places where people are strong believers, and that remains the case with this squad.
 
The archbishop of Port of Spain has always been closely associated with the team. We’re a small nation, and everybody knows each other. He travels to our games, and will sometimes say a word to us as a group on the eve of matches. He’ll be here in Germany too.

But for the last few years, we haven’t been doing the church stopover. Not because we don’t still pray before taking the field. But because we have our own fully-qualified minister sitting right there are the heart of the dressing-room anyway.
 
You all know about Marvin Andrews’ work away from football, not that he distinguishes between what he does on the field and how he spends his time off it. And we’re certainly delighted to have him as our pastor on match-days. Tomorrow and the opening of our World Cup bid against Sweden will be no different.
 
When we get to the stadium in Dortmund , we’ll follow our usual routine in terms of getting ready to play the game. And just before we run out the tunnel, we’ll complete that ritual with Marvin leading us in prayer.
 
It’s really a very simple message that he’ll say, although he might have something a little bit extra to say on this occasion. Basically, he’ll thank the Lord for getting us to these Finals, and for getting us to the dressing-room safely.
 
Then he’ll ask God for protection once we get out there onto the pitch, but he’ll ask God to protect both teams from injury. He doesn’t ask God to give us the results we’re looking for, that’s not the point. But it’s a special moment that we all share in.

I don’t know if other teams do that, I don’t especially care. I doubt many other sides have someone with Marvin’s qualifications anyway. But once we get out onto the pitch, we know we’re approaching everything in the right manner.
 
In terms of the actual football, the key to doing well in any tournament is peaking at the right time. And that’s something Leo knows a whole lot about having managed a Holland squad famous for their fall-outs, not to mention giant club institutions in Ajax and Real Madrid.
 
Obviously, he’s been concentrating on different aspects of what we have to do at different times over the last few weeks. Fortunately, the emphasis now will increasingly be on rest ahead of Sweden .
 
I’ll be honest, I wish we had the luxury of being together for two or three months ahead of the finals, as some of the other nations have been able to do. Everyone saw how Guus Hiddink welded South Korea into such a strong force at the last tournament. He has told Leo he would never have reached the semi-finals had they not been given that opportunity.

Unfortunately for us, that’s not been possible. We have had to fit in a lot in a relatively short space of time, and while there might be some things we’d have liked to have spent more time on, we have quite a lengthy list of things we’re not so good at … all of which needed working on!
 
Still, we’re as ready as we’ll ever be – and the truth is, we can’t wait for Sweden . I think a lot of people in England have been overlooking the Swedes, just assuming the group will be sewn-up for them with wins against Paraguay on Saturday and then us next Thursday.
 
By my reckoning, though, Sweden have three outstanding front players who could damage just about any team in the competition. He may be almost as old as your very own Methusela here, but Henrik Larsson showed once again his genuine world class in last month’s Champions League final.
 
Maybe only Frank Rijkaard really knew just how good Henrik already was when he first left for Barcelona , but everyone else certainly found out that night in Paris . I’m quite friendly with his team-mate Deco, who has kept a home near to mine in Porto from his days at my old club there.
 
We’ll share a drink when we’re both back chilling on breaks, and I can tell you they know fine well what a loss his returning  to Sweden with Helsingborgs is for them. Deco already knew that having been on the opposing side that night in Seville …

Fortunately, Marvin also knows what a handful he will be. But whether that will be enough to stop him, I just don’t know. Dennis Lawrence, who will partner big Marv at the back, is one of the tallest players in the game at 6 ft 7 in. But Henrik is also one of the most agile players I’ve ever seen in the air.
 
I remember watching him as a young substitute at the USA ’94 tournament, and having played against him often enough in Scotland -  when people didn’t always give him the credit he gets now - there’s something quite comforting about knowing I’ll have played on the same stage as Henrik right at the end of our international careers.
 
With Henrik, Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Freddie Ljungberg the pick of a very strong bunch, Sweden is probably an even tougher test for us than England . Most of our players play in England or Scotland – and their style of play will come naturally to us, for all we’ll be trying to impose our own game.
 
Besides, the first match is always of extra importance to any side, but while I expect both teams to be a little cautious initially, and I think Sweden will show us more respect than the English pundits have, we have to guard against the game turning into a rude awakening.
 
Football isn’t only about great players with extraordinary talents. It is also a game of errors, and while that can work both ways, we’ve obviously been working hard to try and limit the number of un-enforced mistakes we make.

Mexico are no mugs, and we beat them to earn our play-off berth against Bahrain . But if we managed to limit the errors in qualifying, especially after Leo came in for the run-in, we know we have to reach an altogether different plane now.
 
If I’m honest, I’d have to admit we’re not yet at the level I’d hoped we would be. But equally, we are a much better team now than we were in beating the likes of Panama and Guatemala to get back into the qualifying hunt in the first place.
 
We're well used to the craziness of our World Cup bid now, with about 4,000 people from Rotenburg turning out for a training session the other night and girls waiting at the hotel gates to shout for Jason Scotland becoming a regular feature of our days here too!
 
I’ve actually autographed pictures of myself as a 19-year-old, I’ve no idea where they’ve come from. Looking at them now, it feels like it was 200 years ago.
 
There’s always something we have to do, like yesterday it was Fifa lectures for first-time teams. They remind us about referees and the laws of the game, but also briefing us on what to expect seeing as we are new to the World Cup.
 
The number of Fifa staff is just incredible. I think our party numbers about 50 in our hotel, and there are almost 70 staff just for us. I must tell big Yogi to get me my own personal butler when I get back to Falkirk next season …

I’m not sure if Yogi’s going to make it out for the Sweden game, maybe the England match. But Pedro Moutinho and a few of the boys are coming out for the game, so it’ll be nice to see some more faces from back home.

All in all, we're focused and together as a team as we can be. We'll be heading off to Dortmund ahead of our first training session at the venue and we're all looking forward to it. We all have big expectations but the anticipation around it is massive with so many different elements involved. I know quite a few Trinidadians and supporters of the team from different parts of the world including Scotland have made the journey to witness this experience.  This is our first step onto the biggest stage in world football and we'll be going out to show that we belong.
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Offline Cocorite

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1424 on: May 05, 2020, 02:28:37 PM »
Very nice indeed. I'm enjoying reading these pieces from Bleeder, Stern, and now the Little Magician.

Thanks for celebrating our heros in the game, on the field of play and the life lessons.

Authentic!  ;D

Proud Trini
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1425 on: May 05, 2020, 02:45:35 PM »
Ah jes see Latas' sleeve comments about a new coaching manual to be released by the UWI Press. The book is by Roland Butcher (the cricketer and footballer) who runs a lot of things football-related at Cave Hill. 

https://www.bookfusion.com/books/914307-achieving-excellence-caribbean-soccer-coaching-manual
« Last Edit: May 05, 2020, 02:50:14 PM by asylumseeker »

Offline pull stones

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1426 on: May 06, 2020, 05:40:40 AM »
F***** latapy! he’s ah wanker.

Offline Tallman

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1427 on: May 21, 2020, 07:44:27 AM »
WATCH: Rangers FC's Goal of the Day - Russell Latapy vs Motherwell on February 16th, 2002.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/Q9zbyP678vI" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/Q9zbyP678vI</a>
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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1428 on: May 21, 2020, 08:29:06 AM »
I've viewed that clip 12 times since Tallman posted it and on each viewing I recognize additional elements of the brilliance in its construction. One thing was clear from the beginning doh: that goal was made in T&T.

Offline Deeks

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1429 on: May 25, 2020, 07:07:17 AM »
Russel is one of the best to have come out of TT and the Caribbean, I will say. I first saw Russel when he came on as a sub. for the 84 youth team who was playing our 74 youth team(10th anniversary for the 74 team) in Arima. He was hard to figure out because the 84 team was a very good team. They were skilled and fit. They had a winger called Sandy, I believe. I think Clint Marcelle was on their team He had a good supporting cast of mid-fielders around him. He did score the winner. I don't think he played for that youth in the Concacaf tournament.

When he paled for Rangers, again, the supporting cast of midfielders allowed to be a Messi-esque type of player. If we have those type of mid-fielders supporting him for the national, we could have gone further in some of the tournaments we played. We just did not. Hence we Beenhaker did not use in him in the first two WC game.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2020, 07:09:43 AM by Deeks »

Offline Tallman

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1430 on: September 30, 2020, 11:09:01 AM »
What Sir Bobby Robson had to say about Russell Latapy prior to Hibs move - and why Alex McLeish once let him off for breaking curfew
By Craig Fowler (Edinburgh Evening News)


English football legend Sir Bobby Robson correctly predicted that Russell Latapy would be a huge hit in Scotland, as revealed by former Easter Road boss Alex McLeish.

The ex-Hibs, Rangers and Scotland manager was speaking to Si Ferry on Open Goal as he reflected on the first time he became aware of the playmaker’s availability.

In particular, he recalled a friendly game where Latapy, on trial, played as if he were “floating” above the pitch.

This convinced the former Aberdeen and Scotland centre-back to sign the Trinidad and Tobago star. He would be a huge hit at Easter Road, helping the club to the First Division crowd and third place in the SPL. He would later go on to have a less-than-stellar spell with Rangers before starring for Falkirk over a six-year period.

McLeish said: “An agent phoned me and asked if I knew about Russell Latapy. I said I knew the name because he’d played in Portugal with Bobby Robson.

“So I phoned Sir Bobby. He said, ‘beautiful little player, he likes to have a bit of fun, but I think he’ll smash it in Scotland’.

“I asked Russell to play a trial game for us to make sure he had the legs. We played a friendly up at Brechin, I think it was. I was amazed he said yes. It was pelting with rain, certainly not the Caribbean weather he would have been used to.

“This wee guy plowed through the pitch like he was dancing above it. He was like he had a hoverboard above the grass. He was sensational.

“I was looking up into the stands to make sure there were no scouts watching. I was scared we were going to lose him in the 24 hours before the deal was done.”

Latapy had a bit of a reputation for enjoying the nightlife during his time at Hibs, which at times made him life difficult for his managers. Ultimately he would be sacked by the club after socialising with countryman Dwight Yorke, which went against club rules, and ended up with a drunk-driving charge.

McLeish, however, remembers a happier time when the two came to an agreement as he was ready to punish his midfield genius.

He added: “We were in Trinidad and Tobago. I think Rod [Petrie] saw it as a commercial trip. Russell was so excited to be back in his homeland.

"I told the players there was a curfew and they needed to be back by a certain time. Now, Russell probably wasn’t the only one who did break it, but he was the one who was caught.

“So I told him the next day that I’m going to fine him. He asked me to show a bit of leniency. Then I heard that Brian Lara is one of his best pals - and I like cricket. So I told him to bring Brian Lara in for lunch and I’ll let you away with it.”
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Offline ffisback

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1431 on: October 18, 2020, 07:22:39 PM »
What Sir Bobby Robson had to say about Russell Latapy prior to Hibs move - and why Alex McLeish once let him off for breaking curfew
By Craig Fowler (Edinburgh Evening News)


English football legend Sir Bobby Robson correctly predicted that Russell Latapy would be a huge hit in Scotland, as revealed by former Easter Road boss Alex McLeish.

The ex-Hibs, Rangers and Scotland manager was speaking to Si Ferry on Open Goal as he reflected on the first time he became aware of the playmaker’s availability.

In particular, he recalled a friendly game where Latapy, on trial, played as if he were “floating” above the pitch.

This convinced the former Aberdeen and Scotland centre-back to sign the Trinidad and Tobago star. He would be a huge hit at Easter Road, helping the club to the First Division crowd and third place in the SPL. He would later go on to have a less-than-stellar spell with Rangers before starring for Falkirk over a six-year period.

McLeish said: “An agent phoned me and asked if I knew about Russell Latapy. I said I knew the name because he’d played in Portugal with Bobby Robson.

“So I phoned Sir Bobby. He said, ‘beautiful little player, he likes to have a bit of fun, but I think he’ll smash it in Scotland’.

“I asked Russell to play a trial game for us to make sure he had the legs. We played a friendly up at Brechin, I think it was. I was amazed he said yes. It was pelting with rain, certainly not the Caribbean weather he would have been used to.

“This wee guy plowed through the pitch like he was dancing above it. He was like he had a hoverboard above the grass. He was sensational.

“I was looking up into the stands to make sure there were no scouts watching. I was scared we were going to lose him in the 24 hours before the deal was done.”

Latapy had a bit of a reputation for enjoying the nightlife during his time at Hibs, which at times made him life difficult for his managers. Ultimately he would be sacked by the club after socialising with countryman Dwight Yorke, which went against club rules, and ended up with a drunk-driving charge.

McLeish, however, remembers a happier time when the two came to an agreement as he was ready to punish his midfield genius.

He added: “We were in Trinidad and Tobago. I think Rod [Petrie] saw it as a commercial trip. Russell was so excited to be back in his homeland.

"I told the players there was a curfew and they needed to be back by a certain time. Now, Russell probably wasn’t the only one who did break it, but he was the one who was caught.

“So I told him the next day that I’m going to fine him. He asked me to show a bit of leniency. Then I heard that Brian Lara is one of his best pals - and I like cricket. So I told him to bring Brian Lara in for lunch and I’ll let you away with it.”
The problem for R Latapy is at Fc Porto Bobby Robson used him as a winger and at Glasgow Rangers Dick Advocoat used him as a winger he played best as a number 10

Offline Tallman

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1432 on: January 06, 2021, 01:30:35 PM »
Russell Latapy on Hibs' unsung heroes, the game that rivalled 6-2 and managing in Scotland
By Matthew Elder (The Scotsman)


The midfield maverick was a key member of the Alex McLeish side that secured the First Division title in 1998/99 before taking the Premier League by storm and eventually earning a move to Rangers in 2001.

His stunning volley and overall performance in the 6-2 win over city rivals Hearts at Easter Road in October 2000 remains a stand-out memory from his time in Leith.

However, when asked to recall his top moment in green and white, the Trinidad and Tobago legend pointed to another famous Edinburgh derby win.

"There are so many. I cannot choose a favourite," he told Hibs TV.

"I know a lot of fans look at the 6-2 game which was a fantastic game and a memory that will live with me for the rest of my life.

"But we had a game at Tynecastle we won 3-0 which I thought was such a great performance from the team in general. For me that would be one of the finer performances and games that I played in the colour of Hibs."

The match he refers to was the final derby of the last millennium, which took place on December 19, 1999 and featured goals from Dirk Lehmann, Franck Sauzee and Kenny Miller, as well as a dazzling display from the 'Little Magician'.

Now 52 and living in Barbados, where he manages the national side, Latapy looks back on his time at Hibs fondly.

He recalled how a phone call to Sir Bobby Robson, his former manager at Porto, helped sway him on a move to Easter Road having been first enticed to Scotland by his fellow countryman, and another Easter Road favourite, Tony Rougier.

"I was in Portugal at the time and felt that at 29-years-old it was my last chance to move and try something different," he said.

"I mentioned to Sir Bobby Robson about joining Hibs at the time, but Tony Rougier also had a big influence on me joining the club.

"We were international team mates at the time and the amount of good things he would praise about Scotland and Hibs in particular I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

"Once I was invited up and I saw the size of the club and the fans, and the city itself, I knew I wanted to be part of it for as long as I could."

Unsung heroes and the ‘big scary guy’

While Latapy blessed the Hibs side with his skill and vision, he also recognises the role of his team mates in a successful period for the club.

"I was fortunate that I played in a team with a lot of good players," he recalled.

"The obvious name that comes to mind is Franck Sauzee – he was magnificent. His composure, his ability, his choice of passing.

"But there were other guys who we really needed their influence for us to perform the way we did. Big Mixu [Paatelainen] was one of those guys – you play anything into him and it would stick, and you could make runs off of him. It also gave our defenders a rest when we were under the cosh that you could just play it up there.

"There were a lot of unsung heroes at Hibs as well that I played with. Stuart Lovell was magnificent for the team in the way he went about doing his business in an unselfish way. Another guy, Pat McGinlay, Matthias Jack – too many players that I played with.

"Then there's Shaun Dennis – who was a big scary guy to play against, and to sit next to in the dressing room!

"I couldn't have done my job without these players. It's difficult to choose one but it was a great team effort that we had at that time."

Sacked but legacy intact

Latapy could have stayed at Hibs for many more years were it not for an ill-advised night out with fellow countryman and Manchester United player Dwight Yorke prior to a New Year derby against Hearts that culminated in his arrest for drink driving.

His punishment for breaching the club’s code of conduct, which forbid players from drinking 48 hours before a match, was to have his contract terminated.

It says a lot for how much Latapy contributed to the club on the park that his legacy remains untarnished.

After leaving Easter Road, he went on to lift a Scottish League Cup during two years with Rangers before spending a short spell at Dundee United.

He then made the move to Falkirk, signing for his former Hibs team mate John Hughes, where he spent seven years and won a First Division title as well as a Challenge Cup.

After hanging up his boots Latapy stepped into coaching, reuniting with Hughes again – "the big guy who I'm wishing all the luck in the Highlands at Ross County” – becoming his assistant manager at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and helping the club win the Scottish Cup in 2015.

Return to Scotland?

He is enjoying his current role in charge of Barbados, who are currently ranked 162nd in the Fifa World Rankings, but admits that he could be tempted to swap the Carribbean sunshine for Scotland should the right opportunity arise.

“Yes, absolutely,” he responded to the possibility of accepting a management role in Scotland. “I'm into international management now. I have a lot of job satisfaction in making a difference in a lot of young men's lives and giving them an opportunity and passing on some of the knowledge I've acquired over the years. But if the right opportunity comes up I would definitely consider returning to club management.”
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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1433 on: January 10, 2021, 09:15:38 AM »
Latas and his troops were due to play Iceland next week but the COVID vibes kicked that to the curb. Would have been nice to have had at least one match against Iceland in complement to the Barbados matches, even if that meant playing their secondary players to get a 3rd match in. Kudos to them for getting a quality opponent.

Offline Trini _2026

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1434 on: January 10, 2021, 09:46:46 AM »
Latas and his troops were due to play Iceland next week but the COVID vibes kicked that to the curb. Would have been nice to have had at least one match against Iceland in complement to the Barbados matches, even if that meant playing their secondary players to get a 3rd match in. Kudos to them for getting a quality opponent.

Would like to see if barbados has improved under latapy ....I know he has been doing alot of scouting for eligble bajan players in additon to the  few local players that have had trials / moved to europe ...
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4</a>

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1435 on: January 10, 2021, 09:57:09 AM »
Latas and his troops were due to play Iceland next week but the COVID vibes kicked that to the curb. Would have been nice to have had at least one match against Iceland in complement to the Barbados matches, even if that meant playing their secondary players to get a 3rd match in. Kudos to them for getting a quality opponent.

Would like to see if barbados has improved under latapy ....I know he has been doing alot of scouting for eligble bajan players in additon to the  few local players that have had trials / moved to europe ...

Yeah, agreed. Eagerly looking forward to see how that unfolds. There's already been a hint of progress. It is a decent place to bring his work to the table and to try to imprint the culture of play and attitude he wants. Basically comes down to a scaling issue regarding population size, ambitions and opportunities.

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1436 on: March 01, 2021, 02:30:59 AM »
Flashback: The Little Magician’s final spell; how Latapy’s 2006 W/Cup cameo lit emotional fuse.
By Lasana Liburd (Wired868).


The following article, written by Lasana Liburd, was first published in the Trinidad Express on Thursday 24 June 2006:

Russell Latapy was outnumbered and, it seemed, cornered.

It was the mixed zone at the Franz Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern and the pint-sized Trinidad and Tobago midfielder had to walk past a scrum of media representatives for the last time as a player.

“Latapy! Latapy! Excuse, Latapy…” said reporters, who begged him to stop with tape recorders at the ready.

A polite nod, erect thumb, dip of the shoulder; and Latapy had left the building.

“I know Latapy,” said one journalist, “he was upset that he didn’t play longer. That was why he didn’t stop.”

Perhaps the dreadlocked playmaker guessed the sensitive nature of the questions that might come his way after a breathtaking cameo in Trinidad and Tobago’s final Group B World Cup qualifier, which ended in a 2-0 loss to Paraguay. Or maybe the 37-year-old ‘Little Magician’ was just tired.

Latapy had almost everyone guessing and, I suspect, he wanted it that way.

Gifted and moody, Latapy affected the emotions of a generation of football fans like no other. At least thrice, he quit the national team.

In 1996, he failed to show for a crucial qualifier at home to the United States and was promptly ‘banned until further notice’ by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF).

He walked out alongside close friend and present team captain Dwight Yorke in 2001, after being cut by technical director Rene Simoes for ‘indiscipline’, and initially ignored an invitation to join the 2006 campaign by coach Leo Beenhakker.

During my stay in Britain , I found Latapy the most elusive subject to pin down for an interview. Yet, once we got together, he surprised me by his forthrightness and analytical mind—most sportsmen view themselves as diplomats or are unable to say anything insightful beyond their own roles in the team.

Just to clear things up, Latapy confessed his love for a puff during an interview in Scotland last year but it was below the rumoured ‘40 fags a day’. Latapy, by his account, draws on four or five cigarettes a day while in training and double that amount in the off season.

Whatever his indiscretion, Trinidad and Tobago football fans were always ready to forgive; and, although he was an unwilling interviewee, I would happily alter my schedule for another fascinating chat with the little maestro.

One either loves or hates Latapy and it is damned difficult to despise such a charming player. Everyone has a memorable Latapy move or match. My favourite was his hattrick in an international friendly against Norway in 1996, which ended in a 3-2 win for the hosts at the Queen’s Park Oval—I was a rookie reporter thrilled to personally meet my hero after the pre-match press conference.

But the most moving match involving the player was surely his first and last World Cup appearance on June 20 at the Franz Walter Stadion. In 23 minutes, he glided past opponents, threaded passes and struck the ball with remarkable technique.

Latapy’s display did not change the course of the match. Trinidad and Tobago trailed Paraguay 1-0 when he came on and went on to lose 2-0 against a team that started the match without a point and was regarded as weaker than earlier group rivals, England and Sweden.

So, how did less than half hour played in a match that seemed lost by the time he came on become the talking point of Trinidad and Tobago’s tournament?

Beenhakker was suddenly under fire from the country that previously lauded him as a genius and begged him to remain after the tournament. Fifa vice-president and T&TFF special advisor Jack Warner, who is essentially his employer, said that Latapy should have been played earlier. West Indies cricket batting star Brian Lara, who is also Latapy’s close friend, said the midfielder was ‘under-used’.

Beenhakker could not avoid the ‘Latapy issue’ in the post-Paraguay press conference as a Trinidad and Tobago reporter prodded him to admit a perceived error. The Dutchman, a former Real Madrid, Netherlands and Ajax boss, stood his ground.

“If it is one guy who has much respect for the career of Russell Latapy, it is me,” said Beenhakker. “Against England and Sweden, we spent 70 minutes trying to get the ball back. With all due respect, the guy is [37] years old… It [was] not his game.”

Trinidad and Tobago’s most successful match at Germany was in Dortmund, on June 15, when the Soca Warriors won their first point against Sweden with just 10 players.

Arguably, our proudest moments came in our second fixture against England at Nuremberg. When Stern John rose over England defender Rio Ferdinand to redirect a Dennis Lawrence header goal-ward, only for John Terry to perform a panicky goal-line clearance, Trinidad and Tobago fans were sure we belonged among the world’s best football nations.

And yet, Latapy gave us something less tangible but just as precious and exhilarating. The French call it that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’—a palpable quality that is difficult to describe or express.

As unwilling as I am to compare players, perhaps a look at Trinidad and Tobago’s two greatest footballers, Yorke and Latapy, can shed light on the latter’s worth.

Yorke won more distinguished medals in his career than his magical friend, not least the European Champion’s League title and is—to me, indisputably—the more complete player in terms of his all-round ability. Yorke lacks Latapy’s killer pass within 35 yards of the opposing goal, but he can head, tackle, and hold up the ball, and switches seamlessly from midfield conductor to hustler to second striker to lone forward.

A fantastic captain, Yorke leads his men by example and the weight of his resume. His teammates marvel over his mastery of the ball and the way bonafide stars like David Beckham and Wayne Rooney go out of their way to make his acquaintance.

When Yorke tackles, his players switch on; when he shouts, they listen.

And Latapy? All he has to do is step on the pitch and caress the ball for players to fall over themselves in their eagerness to please him. A mere gesture from the maestro leaves them spellbound.

When England met Trinidad and Tobago, it seemed that whenever the play became flat, English boss Sven-Goran Eriksson sent Rooney to warm up. The very sight of him excited the crowd whose increased energy level, in turn, lifted the English outfit.

Beenhakker does not do gimmicks and Latapy, at 37, might not have stomached being used as a mascot. But it is clear that the dreadlocked player’s inspirational powers go well beyond what he can do with a football.

In the end, he was a gamble that the experienced Dutch coach did not take and rightly so. Against Sweden, Beenhakker opted to hang on to the point in hand and his employers should be grateful. Britain’s Times Newspaper described his sideline tinkering in that match as the best coaching display of the first round.

Trinidad and Tobago conceded their first goal to England too late to affect major change. But, once more, Beenhakker’s decision to introduce left winger Evans Wise instead of Latapy seemed reasonable.

England took the lead after a cunning alteration by Eriksson, who moved Beckham to the right back position; and it was from this deeper role that he set up the opening goal.

By sending Wise out to test Beckham’s defensive qualifications, Beenhakker tried to turn England’s strength into a weakness.

Furthermore, Trinidad and Tobago still had to be mindful of their opponents’ quality through the central midfield area and, to underline that point, Steven Gerrard sidestepped Aurtis Whitley to score a superb second for England.

Latapy would not have fared better than Whitley in the defensive third of the field.

It is better to savour the pleasure that Latapy brought to our World Cup campaign than to harbour misplaced grudges.

At Kaiserslautern, we witnessed the end of an era.

Argentina tried, without success, to retire the number 10 shirt after legendary playmaker Diego Maradona ended his international career. Trinidad and Tobago have a better case. Nowhere, from Point Fortin to Charlotteville, lies a player with Latapy’s qualities and I can only hope that one can be unearthed in my lifetime.

There was something in the way Latapy danced with the ball and caused others to move along that touched the soul of a people who cannot resist a spontaneous party.

In Germany, I was filled with pride at the heroism and commitment of nearly two dozen of my countrymen. Some performers stood out above others. The composure and class of goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, right back Carlos Edwards and Yorke or the brave, consistent offerings from Dennis Lawrence, Cyd Gray, Brent Sancho and John.

But only one player made my hair stand on end.

You get one guess.

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


Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1438 on: March 18, 2021, 05:18:02 AM »
While we have been locked in all sorts of battles, the Magician has been going about his business quietly. He and his players have been on the ground in the Dominican Republic for a week now (yesterday would have been a week) and there's a lot to be said for that. No last minute scrambling or shenanigans.

I see some players that I like in his squad. Good mix of flair and industry. I see that he has replenished and although he is without two big guns, he has a talent from the Dutch second league. They gehhin ready to bite Stern and Anguilla.  :) And Latchoo and Dominica.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2021, 05:22:34 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: Russell Latapy Thread
« Reply #1439 on: March 29, 2021, 06:23:44 AM »

 

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