Morning folks...
Happy arrival day or Indian arrival day which ever it is to all in TT.
I just returned from the England training session in the HC stadium and I am very excited for Sundays game.
I arrived at 9:15 and there were cars all over. I ended up having to park on de vertiel street and walked into the stadium with throngs of eager enthusiastic fans all ready to see the English.
There were more people at the training session than a regular TT game. The entire covered stand section was filled and alot of families, infants, tots and screaming girls were in attendance. There were a few English fans scattered amongst the crowd and everyone was just taking in the atmosphere.
I limed with Swima and Patriot took a few pix but my camera not too good and is a setta distance shots.
The HC field was in top shape execpt for a few areas near the touchline and the corner flags. Lines were painted and nets were in place.
The english had their cones and some blue stakes inserted into the field. These were used as temporary goals.
All English players wore white training uniforms and flourscent green bibs.
I took in the action with the english players in groups of 4 jogging and sprinting around the field. Every time Beckham waved, touched the ball, or did any kinda antics the girls in the crowd started to bawl and beg...real groupie ting.
The man scratch he bamsee, he bend over....he play with he eggs and all the woman in the crowd start to go wild. Some start to bawl take orf yuh shirt take it orf and so they was going. Beckham ent play he like d attention too and play he lifting up he pants leg and stretching.
It was so bad, at the end of the session....... a security guard retrieved the used water bottle he was drinking from that was discarded on the pitch and a group of well to do, high brown, milky finish squad of girls start to fight over the bottle. They all fight to get a sip of the man jutta water yes..I say whey sar....dais how it is to be a star!
SO yeah back to the training...from row was Rio, becks, gerrard and somebody else running.
next was ashton, crouch defoe...ehy I ent go lie Crouch real real tall.
I was surprised at the size and build of many of the players, if they ent a Big beast...like Ashton or huddlestone they thin thin and small like Walcott and Defoe. David James real thin but he tall. Woodgate tall too, Agbonglahor have some size on he frame and I just saying to mehself.....oh lorse...we matchstick finish players how dey go manage....Eddoes and cassava vs Potato come Sunday and the potato looking more solid.
so they start running..then sprint and sun in they arse. Men sweating they bib get wet in no time but they didnt look bun atall.
Keepers went in one post and start to limber up with the trainers, bullet and catching exercises then follwed while the outfield players put on bibs and started to knock the ball in two lines.
After the passing warm up the start hitting bullet pass and they went on one side of the field to play a passing warm up/sweat.
Then they call James and Joe hart, put down the sticks to form a goal and it was bibs vs whites. Both keepers get good string up. Defoe, young and crouch was scoring some nice bullet. Gerrard was hitting them crisp and Backham have some chip, flick and turn in him. I was like WOW.
I was really impressed with Tom huddlestone. The brother have a cross field pass 60-70 meters a driven bullet...sublime technique.
Now at times I watching them and saying them ent looking no different to TT. Dey making some mistake they doing the same thing but then you will see a piece of skill or the execution of technique or a trap or pass and yuh hadda say....nah boy...dey on a different planet.
Then Capello in he short pants put attackers on half of the field, defenders on the next.
Both did seperate drills.
The defenders get the young reserve keeper to save. He use Jagielka or some other fella on the flank and had them whipping balls in. Rio, WOodgate and Johnson played as a back three heading them out. It was like if they were dancing. Pivoting, moving out in sync, turning pushing out etc. The defenders all headed out to the flank. If they made a mistake the wingers hit a shot at the keeper.
On the other half James and Hart get a workout.
Capello had the midfielder run up play a ball to the fwd who would knock it back one. A long ball is then played by the advancing mid to the cornerflag where a winger would pick it up and whip it in for the fwd to score.
I would say the conversion rate was about 60% successful and they going and use dat on us come sun.
The second play was a one two dummy the ball played into space and it resulted in a 1v1 with keeper and fwd.
After that it was shooting practice from the top of the 18.
Then it was 1 v1 running in and dribbling keeper.
and that was it...2 hrs of hot sun, screaming and entertainment.
I frighten for our wingers and i frighten for the midfield. Some of them play and knock i see today look unstoppable and from seeing every Trinidad match of the Maturana campaign and knowing all our players and their abilities we have our work cut out for us big time.
At the end I never see big men and women..old hard back man, gangster, tots, women of all shape, size and age run behind the england team bus as it tried to come out the stadium. The bad parking and crowd made it somewhat impossible to come tru the main gate and the bus was stuck for about a 5 minutes with fans swarming the bus. Eventually the bus reversed made a tak back and came out the other bg gate by ST johns ambulance accompanied by police escort.
I studying to go down COE this afternoon but I see enough.
I real excited for SUnday.
See you all tom at the sweat.
Laters
