Dear Forumites,
It was only a matter of time...
I am still in shock over what transpired this evening at the Marvin Lee stadium, but the result was just what we deserved from the lack of effort showed by the individuals on the field today.
Bermuda well done. They played to a set game plan, they executed it perfectly, they played within their limitations and scored two very good goals against a PISS POOR TT team.
I honestly do not think the players on the field realised what this game meant to the nation. I also do not think they know the position we are in, the severity of their actions and the consequences to follow.
I have over the past few reports indicated the weaknesses to our game and the glaring deficiencies that our team possess, we were exploited perfectly by the Bermuda team.
It is so hard being a TT supporter. Having been to every match so far and being rewarded game after game with sub-standard displays, lack of effort, poor opposition and now losing scorelines.
I arrived at 4:45 and joined the 1000 or so spectators in attendance. The Jamaica game had a much larger crowd and the stadium consisted of the true Die hard TT fans. TSTT had some girls in burning white football pants and tall socks giving away rags, thundersticks and cups, the carib girls were strutting their stuff and KC confectionary was handing out free chewing gum to anyone willing to exercise their jaw muscles and get an early dentist appointment....(I took a handfull)
The teams were warming up on the field and from the looks of it Bermuda just didnt look like a side. Imagine a team of red men, some of them tall but many devoid of any kinda physique or athletic finish what so ever. I telling yuh is some big belley men with paunch was warming up. They were in red, doing all different kinds of stuff and TT doing the usual.
The teams came out from the tunnel and it was from then it all went downhill.
Readers.....before the whistle even blew we lost that match.
Bermuda came out with a Normal standard sized 3 x 4 flag and TT did not learn their lessons from the previous games and came out with a flag SMALLER than the one displayed in the England match. Yes, Yes the flag was smaller.... It is as if they take a Trini bandana from a vendor outside or borrow a man flag from his car antenna.
So after that disappointment, Bermuda's anthem...God Saves the Queen...blared out from the PA system and then it was time for the TT anthem.
The 1000 of us were waiting for the kettle drums to roll, the trumpets to blare and the opening bars of our anthem to ring loud and true from the PA system but what we got instead was a .....Ladies and Gentlemen.....Please Sing....The national Anthem of Trinidad and Tobago!!!!!!
Well boy is now people start to cuss.......We at home, in the opening WCQ, and we do not even have our own national anthem in our own stadium. Worse yet, they ent even get some kinda singer or artiste or someone with a clue of a singing voice. Is the same announcer hit we the Pat Gastagne composition...acapella...out of time...out of key...and he rush the last verse as he was feeling shame.
Ent we play JA last week right here...the cd lorse or what?
So small flag and no anthem....yes..whoever in charge of that should be fired!
TT also was outfitted in our new Kit...yes the one being sold in Francis Fashions and while there were no names on the shirt the uniform looked good. Bermuda in a grey kit with a blue trim.
SO game on..... Bermuda in a 4-4-2. TT playing a 3-5-2 formation.
Ince in goal, Smith, Hislop, Lawrence,
Mid of Telesford, whitley, Daniel, Hyland and Carlos.
Stern and Scotland fwd.
What was interesting was that Hyland was in the left wing position, Daniel in the middle, Carlos on the right flank.
Tweet!!!!!!
and it was all Bermuda...
They came at us full guns blazing, running hard, moving the ball, hustling and TT with the same shitty knock the ball in the back could not even come out of our half.
The midfield did not tackle, men only watching, Telesford getting cuss right tru from ince, Hislop getting cuss right tru from ince, Smith getting cuss right tru from ince and Dennis Lawrence transformed from Sweeper to Playmaker. It is then I knew we didnt have a clue if Tallest was the one responsible for pulling the strings.
After 5 minutes the Bermudan team played a one two...the fwd blow past Smith and whipped in the cross. The defenders were caught out ball watching and the Bermuda forward ran in past everybody and hit a one time volley past ince from the top of the 18.
Brilliant goal!!!!
and one I hoped would spark TT to life....but how wrong I was.
TT continued their pass around in the back and Bermuda effectively shut us down and out. TT could not even come out the half. The wingbacks did not over lap. We have 5 midfielders who could not make a run or open up a space, take on a player or pass it around.
Imagine in the pass around in the back...it would be Dennis Lawrence to hoof a long ball to the flank or play a driven pass 40 meters to stern or scotland to trap and screen. By passing the entire midfield.
The first chance came from a hit and hope long ball...Stern collects it and with acres of space and in a 1 v1 situation hits a powder puff from the top of the box when he could have moved in closer.
Hyland was a non factor on the wing. After getting blade 2-3 times he was out. Daniel was also out of the game being "pongs" off the ball and doing nothing on the flank whenever he interchanged with Hyland.
WHitley tried a thing but had no support, was doubled teamed and marked out of the game.
Telesford was good at looking busy and doing nothing. To his credit he was the only TT player who tried to tackle the ball, but he was simply just skate tackling wild and getting left out.
Stern and Scotland up front....their work ethic and speed not the best and no service leaving TT impotent up front.
In the next 20 minutes we just laboured around losing the ball on the flank, hitting it long to the corner flag hoping for something or long for Stern to hold up. Then he would lose the ball as he was double and triple teamed with no midfield support.
The TT goal came against the run of play. Bermuda had us penned in and after an exchange of passes Stern finally got the ball and placed it in the far post....Goal...1-1 and I say ok we will step up the tempo and kill them off.
Eh heh TT went into bedroom mode and start to play casual casual as if they alone on the field and is level wood we start to get.
TT were slow to every ball, came second in every challenge, every air ball and every referee call. It was as if we were the away team...All the while the TSTT riddim section pounding away and supporters urging on the Team.
We trying, we trying and is nuttin happening, no movement off the ball, no tackling, no creative passes, no beating or taking on players...just a hoof, a hit and hope.
Bermuda then scored after a spell of possession...a cross came in and with a fwd runnin on to the ball Lawrence, and Hislop backed off to head it away..Ince comes off his line...Does not bawl "keeper" jumps and fumbles the ball colliding with Hislop and the Bermuda forward.
He lands awkwardly..I thought his wrist or shoulder break/he is not moving and all the other TT players standing up watching.
Meanwhile...Ball is in play and a Bermuda player picks up the loose ball and fires home into an empty net with the TT defence standing up, Hislop on the ground and Lawrence looking over them.
They tried to argue that Ince is injured but the ball never went out, the ref never stopped the play and TT are 2-1 down. Good Goal.
Then Ince stays down for about 5 minutes, the medic team runs on, the back up keeper warms up and then Ince gets up and continues like nothing is wrong.
Tweettttt half time
players cussing one another...body language not there. You could see tension and things just looking grim.
Tactically a side of big belley red men, some of whom, bun, cant trap or pass properly but running with all they heart and soul shut us down and we cyar see we way or come out the half.
The second half starts and Maturana takes off Hyland and puts in Farrier.
TT switch to a 4-3-3 and Bermuda goes into a 4-5-1 formation compact and tight hoping to hit us on the break.
TT then plays knock around in the back and nuttin for the rest of the game.
What I cannot understand is that Maturana makes no other positive subs...the last sub being Stephan david to replace telesford as telesford was tired from tackling wind and running into his own players.
Bermuda has a compact formation, two defensive zones and TT playing backs and fwds...the new tactic is that smith or farrier would play a long cross field ball for Scotland or Daniel to trap and try to get across.
Folks it was bad.....nuttin was happening and then Whitley and Carlos tried to make things happen.
Both players would try to form a small triangle, take on players and shoot if the opportunity came.
Carlos beat one, he beat two, he beat three and after all the hard work had no one to cross to or made a total mess of the final ball.
With 10 minutes left Ince was forced to come off his line to thwart the Bermuda fwd who could have scored to make it 3-1.
Then another comedy...the game was stopped as the net for one of the goal posts was loose in the back. Stern John then tries to climb up and fix the net. The crowd shouting "that is not your wuk" Then eventually the groundsman Ralphie appears and Whitley has to lift him up and put him on his shoulders to help tie the net.....( You ever see shit so)
Our own players chasing a goal hadda give man boost and help groundsman tie up goal post net with 10 minutes left to play.
Bermuda then start to milk the clock and TT tried to wake up passing the ball around and playing it to Scotland and Sterns feet in the box.
People start to leave and at times I actually had to stop and count the number of TT players on the field because it looked like if we were playing with 8 men. Bermuda turned it up a notch and start to knock the ball around and we couldnt touch it or see our way. Their 4-5-1, TOTALLY dominating our 4-3-3 and we never looked like threatening.
What was mindblowing is that Maturana did not change the formation, did not make any positive attacking subs and looked like he was trying for damage control rather than getting options going fwd. But given the squad selected with only Roberts as a attacking sub...he was short on players and ideas.
5 Damn minutes to go and is only then TT look like they wanted to play ball. Stern then beat two men and squared for Scotland who hit it straight at the keeper in the 6 yard box and then the worse throwaway for the night came when stern after trapping a ball and beating the last defender one on one with the keeper who is already scrambling on the ground hits it wide in the six yard box.
WHen I tell you the whole stadium Cuss....For all the shit TT play tonight had Stern taken his chances we would have won the game 3-2.
Tweeet thats it game done, Bermuda start to jump up like if they win the world cup and TT players walking back to the dressing room normal. No kinda emotion, no shame no nuttin...is like if they ent care.
I ent know what to say.
But this cutarse is the best thing that coulda happen to us!
The sheep and the goats got seperated long time ago and we done line up by the abattoir and the butchers have they knives sharpening.
It will take a MIRACLE to beat Bermuda 2-0 away.
Is not now we ketching we arse to create chances, is not now we defence playing shit and is not now the midfield deficient.
TT has to step up their game big time in order for us to move on to the next phase.
As for me I will not be surprised if we are eliminated. It will come sooner than later in this campaign but I would rather it at the hands of the USA....not Bermuda.
Additionally I think Maturana and the Corneals have to go. Wim was a better bet, tactically and with the style of play. Even if we get past Bermuda we have a month to sort out ourselves. It is off season. A one month camp with some of the regular players will be enough to beat Cuba and Guatemala. The youths have shown time and again they are not ready for this level.
Our World Cup dreams will be dashed in one weeks time if we do not muster a 2-0 away win. It is not impossible by any means, but for this group and this coach it is a uphill task indeed.
I dont know if there will be a next time on this campaign.
P.S. Happy Fathers Day
