USA cruise pass clueless T&T.

[Flex]

USA cruise pass clueless T&T.
By: Flex Mohammed.

"If you defend, we will attack"

3-goals, 3 points for USA - Supporters apart, no one outside T&T were expecting a win for the Warriors. But one thing they probably was expecting were a better show by the men in red, white and black. Boy, were they in for a surprise.

Trinidad and Tobago were thrashed 3-0 by the United States at Toyota Park in a World Cup qualifying match Wednesday night. And everyone in T&T knows, USA is famous for scoring early goals against the Soca Warriors. Well, so said, so done, USA got on the score sheet as early as the 10 minute through Michael Bradley after he was left unmarked in the penalty box to flicked on a well taken free-kick by Landon Donovan. Clint Dempsey and Brian Ching added to the U.S tally in the 18th and 57th minute respectively.

Throughout the first half the U.S. continued attack after attack, the smooth surface allowed crisp passing for them and Landon Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley took full advantage of that as they were very effective in getting behind the T&T defence and slipping dangerous crosses into the box that cause havoc for T&T back four. The victory was the fifth straight by the Americans, and virtually assures them of making next year’s six-team regional finals. The United States is atop Group One in the semifinals of the North and Central American and the Caribbean with nine points, five ahead of T&T. The U.S also remains undefeated to T&T at this level with 2 draws to account for.

As expected Trinidad and Tobago started off with a very defensive approached, you would swear it was Brazil- T&T were about to play. Surprisingly one of T&T's more experience and verbal defender Dennis Lawrence was left on the bench making T&T back four look very disorganized, lacked leadership and, an accident waiting to happen. The slow running Makan Hislop was his replacement who made the U.S strikers look like Richard "Torpedo" Thompson flying pass him.

The Warriors midfield play was very poor and the coaches tactics were questionable. T&T attacking third was none existent and this went on throughout the entire game without any tactical changes from head coach Francisco Maturana. Attack minded players such as Andre Toussaint, Kerry Baptiste, Jason Scotland and hardworking defenders Dennis Lawrence and Julius James were on the bench going through the pain off seeing their team-mates being devoured in every play by a side that looked superior and, at one point the U.S players were even laughing at the T&T side.

Wing players Carlos Edwards and Keon Daniel looked a notched above the rest especially Daniel with his crisp passing, Carlos didn't disappoint either but only could have done so much without any support. Densill Theobald looked flat as a pancake, Osei Telesford broke up plays however, his poor passing added to T&T misery putting T&T under instant pressure. Cornell Glen was again on the top by himself and without any service their wasn't much the striker could have done. Anthony Wolfe came on in the second half and gave the Soca Warriors outfit a much needed spark. Wolfe even found the back of the net in the 60th minute but was ruled offside by Jamaican referee Courtney Campbell and, rightfully so.

After managing just one shot in the first 45 minutes, the Soca Warriors got much more aggressive in the second half and actually created a few decent chances. However, being down 3-0 T&T looked more concerned about conceding another instead of trying to reduce the deficit. Mind you, goal difference could come into play later down the qualifiers with Guatemala close on the heels of T&T. With no subs to rejuvenate the T&T side, no clue going forward and a defence with a vacant sign up T&T would have to count themselves lucky the final score only red 3-0.

The Warriors did have a few bright moments in the second half though. Captain Cyd Gray took matters into his own hands and led by example. He made some quick overlapping runs and actually had two decent shots at goal one which was deflected by US defender Onyewu just outside the near post. Then in the 87th minute Gray again controlled the ball just outside the area on the right side just firing his shot inches wide of US keeper Tim Howard. Talented midfielder Keon Daniel ensuing corner, a header by Anthony Wolfe which beat Tim Howard and was heading into goal was amazingly cleared off the line by Steve Cherundolo.

T&T will get a break from qualifying until the second leg of games begins for the semifinal round early October. They face Guatemala away in a must win situation after Guatemala punished Cuba 4-1 late last night and leapfrogged T&T into second place on goal difference. They will then take another shot at USA 4 days later in Port of Spain before closing off the qualifiers at home against Cuba on November 19th, a day we will never forget.

T&T: - 1.Marvin Phillip, 3.Aklie Edwards, 5.Keyeno Thomas, 8.Cyd Gray (capt), 4.Osei Telesford, 7.Carlos Edwards, 9.Makan Hislop, 2.Clyde Leon, 17.Keon Daniel, 12.Densill Theobald (14.Anthony Wolfe 46th), 13.Cornell Glen.

Subs Not Used: - 18.Jan-Michael Williams, 6.Dennis Lawrence, 10.Andre Toussaint, 11.Jason Scotland, 15.Kerry Baptiste, 16.Julius James.

Head Coach: - Francisco Maturana (Colombia).

USA: - 1.Tim Howard, 15.Heath Pearce, 3.Carlos Bocanegra (capt), 5.Oguchi Onyewu, 6.Steve Cherundolo, 17.DaMarcus Beasley, 12.Michael Bradley (4.Ricardo Clark 67th), 16.Sacha Kljestan, 8.Clint Dempsey (7.Eddie Lewis 78th), 10.Landon Donovan, 11.Brian Ching (9.Eddie Johnson 67th).

Subs Not Used: - 18.Brad Guzan, 2.Frankie Hejduk, 13.Maurice Edu, 14.Danny Califf.

Stats Summary: USA / TRI
Shots                    11 / 6
Shots on Goal          6 / 2
Saves                    1 / 3
Corner Kicks            4 / 5
Fouls                     9 / 12
Offside                   9 / 1

Head Coach: - Bob Bradley (USA).

Misconduct Summary:
TRI – Aklie Edwards (caution)          57th.
USA – Steve Cherundolo (caution)   59th.
TRI – Clyde Leon (caution)             59.th

Attendance: - 11,452

Weather: - 68 degrees, clear

Officials:
Referee: Courtney Campbell (JAM)
1st Asst.: Stephen Brown (JAM)
2nd Asst.: Triston Tulloch (JAM)
Fourth Official: Howard Stennet (JAM)

Photos.

Midfielder DaMarcus Beasley #17 of the United States and midfielder Carlos Edwards #7 of Trinidad & Tobago go for the ball during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The United States won 3-0. Brian Kersey/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY == (Photo credit should read BRIAN KERSEY/AFP/Getty Images)


BRIDGEVIEW, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Midfielder DaMarcus Beasely #17 of the United States and midfielder Carlos Edwards #7 of Trinidad & Tobago go for the ball during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The United States won 3-0. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)


BRIDGEVIEW, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Defender Ricardo Clark #4 (R) of the United States and Anthony Wolfe #14 of Trinidad & Tobago go up for a header during the second half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The United States won 3-0. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)


BRIDGEVIEW, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Defender Oguchi Onyewu #5 (L) of the United States and Cornell Glen #13 of Trinidad & Tobago go up for a header during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The United States won 3-0. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)


BRIDGEVIEW, IL - SEPTEMBER 10: Forward Landon Donovan #10 of the United States and Makan Hislop #9 of Trinidad & Tobago during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. The United States won 3-0. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)


Defender Cyd Gray #8 (R) of Trinidad & Tobago shoves Clint Dempsey #8 of the United States during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. Brian Kersey/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY == (Photo credit should read BRIAN KERSEY/AFP/Getty Images)


Forward Landon Donovan #10 of the United States and defender Cyd Gray #8 of Trinidad & Tobago chase after the ball during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. Brian Kersey/Getty Images/AFP.


Defender Keyeno Thomas #5 of Trinidad & Tobago collides with forward Brian Ching #11 of the United States during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. Brian Kersey/Getty Images/AFP.


Midfielder Carlos Edwards #7 of Trinidad & Tobago kicks the ball away from midfielder DaMarcus Beasley #17 of the United States during the first half at Toyota Park on September 10, 2008 in Bridgeview, Illinois. Brian Kersey/Getty Images/AFP

Sacha Kljestan, Keon Daniel, Clint Dempsey
©  isiphotos.com


Osei Telesford, Clint Dempsey
©  isiphotos.com


Brian Ching, Makan Hislop
©  isiphotos.com

[Small Magician aka Wazza]

should be "USA cruise pass cluless Maturana and Company"

[kicker]

Flex eh hold no punches in this article at all....lol

[supporter]

Screw MATURANA and dumbass CORNEAL. Im so disgusted with this player selection and lack of adjustment during games.

[Babalawo]

No Dotish Maturana and c**t hole Corneal.  Them should get fired since the first burmuda game.

[weary1969]

Since Ash Wed we tell all yuh d team eh lookin good but d coach have a winnin record so all yuh happy like pappy. Y 2nd guess d coach, we want back we fav player all kind ah crap all yuh postin. WELL D WORLD C what we have been cing at d MLS

[elan]

Since Ash Wed we tell all yuh d team eh lookin good but d coach have a winnin record so all yuh happy like pappy. Y 2nd guess d coach, we want back we fav player all kind ah crap all yuh postin. WELL D WORLD C what we have been cing at d MLS

Oh gosh don't bring up that game nah........... fadda

[weary1969]

U need 2 start at d begining and ash wed was d begining of d crap

[theworm2345]

What a f**king waste for my first game T&T game.  I'm sure I saw some of you guys but I definitely didn't recognize you.  I was somewhat disappointed in the T&T fans, everyone sitting down in the first few minutes, but they weren't as bad as the USA fans who know one song that they ripped off from the Flamini/Ronaldo song and some how made it less creative.  They really weren't that impressive either, only Onyewu looked really good

[weary1969]

Well u go remember it 4 a long time

[assrancid]

That man is as clueless as they come.

T&T is playing arguably the best team in the Federation, they are coming with all their best players and what does the dentist from Columbia do?

He benches our most senior and experienced defender!

He refuses to pick Stern John who despite his many misses in front of goal, has the penchant for scoring vital goals for his country.  He leaves Scotland on the bench and plays a lone striker up front.

He states that he picks players based on the opposition.  Does he even know anything about the opposition?

This same USA sent his team crashing out the World Cup before and now they were too eager to do the same to his team again.

This man is a dentist and he cannot recognize the man sized cavity in our midfield as well as our defense?

Where did Maturana get his dental diploma?  In a wonder bag?   He had our team playing just the way that Jack speaks....Stuttering!

Our defensive approach to the game was a grave mistake, we allowed the yanks too much space and they took the bite out of our play.   Maturana is like Dr. Frankenstein with his experiments, he has turned our campaign into an ugly monster.

I want to see him on a plane heading back to Columbia, hopefully, he will forget about coaching football teams and concentrate on getting a job in a steam laundry, scraping farts off jockey shorts. 

[Fyzoman]

This was a practice/warm-up game for the US!!!

[pass(10trini)]

We looking like we back to the days before Beenieman come in. We running all over the field crazy with no common purpose. After I done wuk last night I begin watching the game around 11:30pm. Well what I began seeing was tough to look at. Nobody supporting the other. At one point in the second half I saw (and ah check them) eight t&t players on one side of the pitch tackling for the ball against two U.S players. If the ball had gotten by those players, across the field, it would have been catastrophy. I don't understand what goes on with players from our team. It look just like when men playing ball in the savannah,''Pass de ball nah, pass de ball.'' Everybody wha ah chance to geh ah knock. I see Carlos was trying ah ting but he geh no support atall. In the first half ah see he real buffin the number 12 telling him, ''Wha yuh doin, wha yuh doin.''

 I hope is just this game they look like this and it wouldn't be the norm. Somebody tell mih ah right nah.

[RGarcia]

Our back four too SLOW they dont have a clue about defending up and down the field. the first goal was good but as a defender u have to pick up runners coming in the box. second goal basic one-two, defender step up giving away valuable spce behind him boom goal. third goal well thats thats a floops.... i doh know why they have lawrance, scotland, james on the BENCH!

[samo]

Clueless is giving Pacho props... The man is a dunce... The display was horrible and we need to get rid of him.

[Sanchez]

Why is it that everytime there's a set play....opposing players running around un-marked.  We saw it in the Gutemala game and now the US game....this is something that need to be addressed immediately...

[Sam]

Flex tell it excatly as it was !!! good report.

Maturana tactics failed big time.. !! T&T looked really bad...

We have to tie GUA, tie USA and beat Cuba if we have to have any chance of going through.

Now I hope Maturana (if he still here) called back, Jack, Stern, Yorke and Birchall...

Sad day for T&T....

[weary1969]

Dis sadddddddddd day was comin but we were happy dat we were beatin Grenada, B'dos Guyan a 1000 times

[elan]

Why is it that everytime there's a set play....opposing players running around un-marked.  We saw it in the Gutemala game and now the US game....this is something that need to be addressed immediately...

Because the coach don't have the knowledge to tell them how to mark up for set plays.

This is how we mark on the FK  vvvvv

/ / / / / /

To be effective we need to mark closer to this vvvvvvv

 - - -  -
/ / / /

[Agent Jack Bauer]

1 of my great disappointments from the game was Carlos Edwards............I was expecting him tuh attack down d line but he kept trying tuh cut inside........ah also expected him to help raise the level of play of those around him but he was playing shit on he own level.........1 bright point dat I saw was Cyd Gray........played a steady game............Cornell Glen might of done better if he had more support but he look like he was trying tuh get d award for player on d ground d most.............ah Brazilian fella said something tuh meh outside d club last night....he say allyuh need tuh focus on Guatemala and Cuba.....d teams that we can and should be beating..........as much as I agree with him I honestly believe that if we had our best team on  d field we would of either beaten or drawn wit d US.

[Sando]

WOW... and I thought your other report was great, this one sweet too and to the point Flex, no holding back there.

De whole team played tata, not just Carlos, all of them. Daniel is the only player who showed his class.

Lets see if they can text Stern John and beg him to come back now.

Imagine how Scotland and Lawrence feel, flying thousands of miles to not get a game, especially Scotland as he was not considered in the 2 matches.

My question is, why Maturana does called four strikers when all he use is one ! and all the time....

[Jumbie]

Just when as a fan you thought you've seen the absolute "low" of TnT football.. you bear witness to the game last night. That facking mataburro must not be allowed near the team again, same goes for the other jokers who claim to have our team's best interest at heart.

It's not too late to star from fresh.



Ah especially like when the commentators kept saying.. go for they jugglar! Ah wonder how Shaka take that in the booth with them 2 yanks?

[Trini Madness]

allyuh give carlos a break nah. now i thought carlos rel hustle yesterday and just couldnt pass de ball because nobody was running with him in the attack. so he had no choice but to try attack himself if no one was gonna be in de box besides cornell, which in result made him lose de ball several times. cut him some slack.

[assrancid]

Carlos was the best T&T player on the night, he and Daniel were a cut above the rest.

[Weh-it-is]

Just when as a fan you thought you've seen the absolute "low" of TnT football.. you bear witness to the game last night. That facking mataburro must not be allowed near the team again, same goes for the other jokers who claim to have our team's best interest at heart.

It's not too late to star from fresh.



Ah especially like when the commentators kept saying.. go for they jugglar! Ah wonder how Shaka take that in the booth with them 2 yanks?

Even Shaka need to geh Fired...he cah talk. They ask he some qestions on espn and he mumbling like he cah talk.  

[Weh-it-is]

Carlos was the best T&T player on the night, he and Daniel were a cut above the rest.

And thee uniforms that is it. 

[elan]

Just when as a fan you thought you've seen the absolute "low" of TnT football.. you bear witness to the game last night. That facking mataburro must not be allowed near the team again, same goes for the other jokers who claim to have our team's best interest at heart.

It's not too late to star from fresh.



Ah especially like when the commentators kept saying.. go for they jugglar! Ah wonder how Shaka take that in the booth with them 2 yanks?

Even Shaka need to geh Fired...he cah talk. They ask he some qestions on espn and he mumbling like he cah talk.  

Cause is cuss he want to cuss the men boys on the field.

[Sam]

I was disappointed with Shaka Hislop commentating. At one time he even said USA should have gotten a penalty. The other commentators say they have to see the replay first before making a decission, but Shaka came out bold and say it flat. What an asshole to sell his country short, he should have mention how much shit his nephew was playing (Makan).... and stop trying to kiss ESPN ass...

Guys, how Joe Public would have done vs USA instead of T&T.... 

Maybe Jack Warner really priming up de JP coach to take over from Maturana.

[Weh-it-is]

I was disappointed with Shaka Hislop commentating. At one time he even said USA should have gotten a penalty. The other commentators say they have to see the replay first before making a decission, but Shaka came out bold and say it flat. What an asshole to sell his country short, he should have mention how much shit his nephew was playing (Makan).... and stop trying to kiss ESPN ass...

Guys, how Joe Public would have done vs USA instead of T&T.... 

Maybe Jack Warner really priming up de JP coach to take over from Maturana.

That was ah penalty let the truth be told.  JP would have played a much better I think after I see that New England game.

[Trini Madness]

I was disappointed with Shaka Hislop commentating. At one time he even said USA should have gotten a penalty. The other commentators say they have to see the replay first before making a decission, but Shaka came out bold and say it flat. What an asshole to sell his country short, he should have mention how much shit his nephew was playing (Makan).... and stop trying to kiss ESPN ass...

Guys, how Joe Public would have done vs USA instead of T&T.... 

Maybe Jack Warner really priming up de JP coach to take over from Maturana.

That was ah penalty let the truth be told.  JP would have played a much better I think after I see that New England game.

now that you said that i actually think joe public wouldve beaten usa

about shaka....what do you want de man to say??? there was nothing to be said about trinidad last night. do you really think he wants to bad talk his country on national television?? hell no. leave him alone geez. he did express frustration about how lawrence wasn't playing and how trinidad kept giving usa all de space in the world to attack. after how trinidad played last night, WHAT ELSE YOU WANT DE MAN TO SAY?