Dear Forumites,
Sorry bout the delay, but I on vacation and this includes match reports as well. However I will hit alyuh a Corbeaux report to coincide with the Corbeaux brand that was on display on Wed.
I bought my match ticket on game day around 10:00 in the morning and there was no line. It took all of 20 seconds to hope out the car, hand the attendant my 200 and receive my ticket so I feel this is the modus operandi, barring a ticket package deal for the hex.
I got a good park in Lady Hochoy home and I entered again from the Lions Gate entrance by St Johns Ambulance. No line, the scanner/search was short and I inside...only drawback is...you do not get the tstt goodies and trinkets and all the other free stuff that are available by the main entrance. So if yuh like freeness...horn/rag/thundersticks etc go there.
I arrived at 7 and met swima and crew in the carpark. After getting inside the stadium was ram 2hrs before kickoff and we had to kinda fit in. Swima and the rest went to the äway"section near covered stands and I feel lil bad leaving them but I stayed in my regular spot...I was rescued by our dear forumite Andre Samuel. Ehy alyuh Andre treat meh real good...Andre and his crew have the football experience down pat and they lodged themselves right by the Carib section. Forumites...Carib set up a riddim section in grounds and they have a big flag to test WN big flag..but they beating riddim steady and is pure vibes and wine right tru. Only thing missing was the "öffical"carib girls, but they attracting one setta lurkers, woman who like bachannal and some underlow baddis who never come football in dey life.
Andre and crew treat me like Royalty, I get Johnny and coconut, I get chicken, I get beers, I sip some guniness in between. It was good...also Andre and crew were the offical "referees"of the crowd. All of the crew had whistles and yellow and red cards respectively. Anyone who was out of timing in terms of colour of attire, misbehaving in the stand, stooshness, outatiming comments etc..were given a yellow or red for their indescretion. Also a referee whistle would also be provided for any ëntertainment" that happened to pass up and down the steps...obscuring the view of the field of course.
The team did not really warm up...did not see cuba come and inspect the field or run out. TT warming up in the patch of grass infront of the clock. I suspect this was done to preserve the field which was wet and slippery.
Looked at Warner and Brow, but It was clear that Clayton was starting as the first XI warmed up away from the rest of the team. Same lil jokey thing between the cones, some passing and some small shuttles.
There were two riddim sections in grounds..tstt with the lavantille riddim section under the clock and Carib near the 18yrd box. Stands had the woodbrook playboys and everybody was packed up in grounds..stands however was EMPTY.
TT lines up in a 4-4-2 Ince, Cyd, Keyeno, Lawrence, A Edwards, Carlos, Birchall, Yorke, Daniel and Latapy and Jones up top.
Cuba on the other hand play a 3-5-2 morphing into a 4-5-1 and we were under pressure steady from the kickoff.
Ball is passed from jones to latas to Yorke who gives Aklie a touch and the ball goes for a throw...man start to cuss...who is this fella...not he again. I just hoping the youthman doh mess up too much and get some confidence...which he did in the second half and was slowly coming into his own. He not ready yet but he improving. give him a bly.
Then Cuba probably scouted us, reviewed tapes or just took advice from our opponents and attack us relentlessly. Ince was called to make some good saves early and its only shots raining on our goal. Lawrence and Keyno having to make a setta last ditch tackles, Aklie shakey and not covering the wingback, Yorke and the rest of the team moving lazy lazy and not getting out of first gear. Birchall running hard but a simple pass and he chasing wind. The extra man in the middle taking its toll. Yorke get a beat thru he legs men running off the ball well and any TT posession was a hoof down to the corner flag for Daniel or Carlos who would dribble and lose it or make a bad pass or a ball for jones who would do shit. latapy was kinda shakey in the earlies but then he settle down and dictate the pace and start to thread. Men were falling down and many of them had to come off and change their boots.
Next thing yuh know Latapy showed his leadership..dropped back a bit..let jones play one up top and he started to TACKLE..yes latapy tackle and win ball in the middle a few times and started sharing it around.
TT got some good opportunites though from corners and set plays...jones heading poorly, men missing the cross in the box, men miskicking or hitting wide and truth be told we could have scored about 3 in the first half AGAINST THE RUN OF PLAY.
I was worried since we could not string any passes together and we could not come out of our half and Cuba were camped inside. There were two tries from Cuba..one came off the post, the other Ince saved brilliantly to deny what was a sure goal. Honestly this Cuba side will give our local squad a hard time and it will be difficult to beat them in the digicup. But TT heartattack football minded and lucky in the back kept plodding on. Birchall got a few shots off and the pressure at times had the cubans on the back foot near the end of the half.
That said it was 0-0 at the half and people jumpin up. Giant Beach Balls were inflated and knocked around in the stands. Everyone in a festive mood....oh for the beer drinkers Carib selling Beer in a Metal bucket with ice 8 of them for 80 dollars...is a good deal as a beer from a vendor/bucket man is a 15$. Needless to say this deal run out fass.
Second half like Mats light a fire under all the players and the corbeaux brand emerged. TT looked a totally different side and men start to move calm and composed. We switched to a 4-5-1 with Latapy in the middle and TT using the wings now to get forward. Short passing, beat and flair was now the order of the day and TT JUST COULD NOT SCORE. Through ball after tru ball and Kenwyne just hitting post, throwing away wide shot. He doing everything right but he rusty he will get better. Carlos getting chance and not cutting in, Latapy not shooting correct..ball hitting post.
I think the first goal came off a tru ball and kenyne ran past three men ...dey couldnt catch him and he slotted it in. That deflated the Cubans bad but they didnt give up. The second Goal was REALLL skill by Yorke, planey passing Yorke in the box, beat the last man, beat the goalie..men recoving..he beat them too and squeezed the ball far post at an acute angle...real boss goal..like ManU days.
Then Carlos lobs the keeper with a volley that comes off the post.
Then Maturana makes all three subs bam bam bam....and they were all effective.
Folks bear with meh...The beverages started to kick in, meh seat was wet from all the drinks that were thrown in the air and I was distracted by some rotations in the front by the riddim section. But Birchall, Latapy and Jones came off and Scotland, Stern and Hyland came on.
When I tell you every sub made an impact and we looked a different team. It looked like Maturana knew what he was doing and I think every player performed his role. Also we switched to the 4-4-2 and Hyland was playing just behind Stern and Scotland so he was able to free himself and run at defenders.
It seemed the digicel workout did him well and he put Stern tru 1v1 and Stern should have done better and scored with the keeper and goal at his Mercy. Scotland was shielding the ball well , taking 2 and 3 players with him and then slipping it for Stern, Carlos on the overlap or Hyland in the midfield. TT then started to assert themselves, keeping possession and moving up and down the flank.
The problem I had is they start to move lil Arsenalesque...reaching the box, want to pass pass, and nobody want to press the trigger. Scotland got a lil shot in Stern too ball come off the upright again and finally from a kinda scramble cross Keyon Daniel got a ball near the top of the box and instead of slapping...Youthman took a touch, looked up, saw the keeper off his line and expertly chipped the ball in. Real good goal!!!
Then the Cubans got deflated, Trinidad and Tobago had their tails up and the crowd started to chant for number 4. Funny thing is that the Carib riddim section were playing tunes as they had man with trumpet and thing so people we singing along and really getting into the action.
The final whistle saved Cuba from another goal, but my thing is why did we not play that way from since kickoff?
Every player took too long to settle, run hard, get some urgency and try to work some magic.
There is little or no predictability anymore on the field in OPEN PLAY...no kinda plan or organization. I glad the telegraphed thing long ball boom out is no more but we ent looking like we know what going on in open play. It seems that familiarity between certain players yields certain runs, passes or dummies. While others are just not on the same page. Kenwyne made some bad flick putting us under pressure and lost the ball a few times, however he looked dangerous with the ball at his feet running to goal. Additionally Latas and Birchall fed him some thru ball but the communication was not there.
However, I am glad the hit and hope long ball is gone as we kept it on the ground moving it from side to side, using the corner flag flank ball effectively.
An improvement was also noted in the corner department and the free kick department. I also saw us try a long throw something from Cyd.
Defending was a bit of a worry as I found many last ditch tackles were happening but Keyno and Lawrence were very steady in the back, coming fwd and reading the play well, cutting out tru balls and were calm under pressure. Cyd and Aklie were the headaches but they did well. Aklie even got some composure in the 2nd half and made 2 overlapping runs. He get some hard jam, but he used the space afforded to him and he is coming along.
Midfield was OK...bichall working hard, yorke too but the ground look heavy and I find Yorke was moving slower
Daniel did not impress me much this game besides the well taken goal. He lost the ball on many an occasion and beating and not going anywhere. Plus having Aklie as your supporting option is not really the best and you could see him hesitating at times to pass the ball back. He cuts inside alot and crowds the player next to him, when he should be taking it to men down the wing and whipping in the cross but he was decent and did no worse than Carlos who despite all the running and hustling and turning like a top still cannot cross the ball properly.
Carlos has energy and is skilful...good tv/gallery highlights... but some of the things he does is duncy/ineffective...taking too long to pass a ball beating and cutting back 2/3 time letting the defence recover etc. He has to learn to cross better and be willing to shoot at goal. But he playing much better than in the earlier part of the campaign.
Ince (clap, clap, clap) made some real real good save. Dealt with all the shots, distributed the ball, made good kicks and throws out, changed the point of attack and calmed down the pace when necessary. Also he communicates with the defence well, even cussing them when need be.
I am seeing improvement but we still not at the level we should be. We are not dictating games and imposing our presence on teams. We are playing too slow and we not getting started quickly enough. I feel it is a mental thing. We only reacting and not being proactive...either that or the corbeaux brand is to lull them to sleep in the 1st half and keep it tight and 2nd half run at them.
But it was nice to come away with the victory by a 3-0 margin and hats off to Cuba as they really gave us a good game. No nasty or flagrant fouls, no kinda antics and unsportsmanlike conduct.
So forumites...sorry bout the late report and the stop and start but it was unavoidable.
Till next time.
