Another similarity to the infamous 1989 game, is that on Wednesday’s win not even a yellow card was meted out. This coupled with winning the prize for being the most sportsmanlike team in the region (allyuh rememmber that right?), has got me thinking.
T&T are by nature a gentleman’s team. We doh play nasty, we doh ridicule the opposing team, the Hasley Crawford Stadium is not exactly the most intimidating stadium anywhere, we doh put up teams in the worst accommodations in the country. Opposing teams generally like coming to T&T.
That said, there is probably an argument to be made that our gentlemanliness fortunately or unfortunately translates itself unto the field of play. Our players make it too easy for the opposition to succeed against us. After all, it is competition and the stakes are high. We may be naïve as a people. Some have suggested (myself included) that T&T need to be considerably more intimidating to our rivals. We should incite a great measure of fear within our competitors. From coming up with a fearless and intimidating nick name for the stadium to putting on a game face against our opponents, we should make their experience one that lets them know that they playing a “baaaaaaaad” team.
But that’s just not us. We are not Mexico or Guatemala. We are Trinibagonians. We welcome you and we entertain our fans. We ain’t lucky wit the bad mind ting. We will spanner the opponents, belt them, drag them, attempt some nice through passes and try to win the game fair and square. We aint go dive in the penalty area either.
Some have alluded to the possibility that the US would rather play us in the HEX than the Guatemalans. The idea is that we are better sports. We are a clean team.
Even VIP’s of the great Brazil were posed with the question: Would you prefer to win with a plain and boring game or loose with entertaining football? They chose the latter. (Maybe somebody could find the article on the web).
But what about striking a balance? Shouldn’t T&T create a more intimidating atmosphere while maintaining a clean style of play?
Just some thoughts to generate dialogue on this ongoing question of the nature of Trinbagonians and their likelihood of professional growth in the world of football (sport).
