Ok..I over de euphoria of last night...kinda
It was a good win, a vital win. In my opinion, T&T is proving to be one of the mentally toughest sides in the region. Those were two back to back clutch performances when we needed them most. It's no surprise that it required a solid base of players who went through the fire of the last Hex, and the Bahrain playoff. Of course, we still have to finish the job. It is by no means over. One more game left.
Assuming we make the Hex...this side needs some SERIOUS work papa. We played a very very poor USA B team and I believe that if the linesman didn't botch that offside call in the 2nd half against Altidore, you talking a very different result. We were also fortunate to get a penalty out of nothing because of Altidor's inexperience. Altidor (yeah..him again) also missed a sitter of a header basically on the goal line. And Latas 'goal'. Well...he actually missed. good fortune the keeper big head got in the way
We probably won't be so lucky in the Hex. But you also make your own luck and we deserved the win over the 90 minutes of play, if that concept even means anything in football.
Sadly we still play a slow, overly laborious style of football, with little change of pace when we need quick transition from midfield to defense. We need to be able to move the ball more quickly. if every man on T&T squad played with the heart and intensity of Birchall and Carlos, we'd be a powerhouse in Concacaf. Dat is why lesser or equally talented sides like Jamaica does beat we. We like to call them wild..but is 11 Birchall's they coming at us with. I mean dat alone doh win matches..but we need to improve that. Plus, the core of this team to play more together to build some chemistry. chemistry and confidence moves mountains in sport.
lastly..tactically, we not going to see much improvement in defense imo. Talles is the only man in that back 4 i think MUST start. I think we need a 2nd ball harrier to help Brichall. T&T needs a solid 5 man midfield, or we will struggle (imo). Big teams like Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy etc...play with 2 hustlers in the middle and a deep lying playmaker. Yorke is a lock as the deep lying playmaker and Birchie is our Gattusso/Mascherano/Gliberto Silva. I think we also need a complimentary defensive midfielder like a De Rossi/Cambiasso/Josue.
latas didn't look his regular self. didn't see the Guate game, but maybe lacking match practice. maybe just age. don't see him as a starter against tougher harder running teams.
Keon Daniel has tons of skill and potential, but he needs to open up and play with speed now and then..aka Carlos Edwards. We marvel at his talent, but he kills our attack almost every time he gets the ball because he allows the opponent to regroup fuss he slow on the ball. lot to be said about all that skill and ability to maintain possession tho. If he could play a little quicker at times, he would be T&T's next bonafide star. Then again..I hear he playing out of position.
Carlos..hope that was not a one-off. That was the Carlos of old. Confident, fast, determined and taking on his man with no shortage of success. The crossing is till toots (like I say..carlos of old)..but the assist on the first goal was perfection.
Yorke, Birchie, Carlos, Keon Daniel, Talles, Ince must start. De rest of the starting lineup need a little rejiggering, if last night's performance is anything to go by.
Yeah..I smiling at work. Det think I loss meh mind over here. Is not even de Hex and I feel like we jess win something huge. Imagine if we had never disband this side.
GO T&TT!!!!
