T&T U-20s draw with El Salvador
by Lasana Liburd
Monday, March 2nd 2009
"We are playing harder and harder," said Trinidad and Tobago national under-20 coach Zoran Vranes, "but we are still fighting to get to where we are supposed to be."
Vranes' confessed that his midfield still lacks organisation and fluidity and spectators at their 1-1 draw against El Salvador at Plymouth, Tobago on Saturday evening did not get a lesson in football's finer skills.
But this national bunch, who play El Salvador again today from 5 p.m. at the same venue, are not shy when it comes to the darker arts.
The El Salvadorian visitors spent much of the evening screaming at perceived injustices and pleading with the match officials for protection as the hosts imposed themselves physically. Trinidad and Tobago utility player Sheldon Bateau, who started as a holding midfielder before switching to right wing back, was especially combative.
Bateau, a Fatima College student, was one of three Trinidad and Tobago players ejected in their 1-0 win over Honduras on Thursday-the Hondurans also collected two red cards-and, on Saturday's evidence, he and his teammates will not be bowling over opponents with kindness anytime soon.
Mind you, it was rarely nasty stuff. There were no elbows or sly kicks off the ball. Just a healthy serving of shoulder barges and old fashioned-and virtually outlawed-lunging tackles.
Yet, there seemed to be too little of the other stuff-the subtleties, the tricks and the clever passes.
The national under-20s played fast and direct with a 3-5-2 system that employed four man-markers and seemed built more for bruising than brilliance.
Captain Leston Paul and his midfield partner Sean de Silva are decent passers but, when they were able to coax the ball from their backline, lacked the bodies wide or ahead of them to show off their range.
But Vranes suggested that his approach would reap dividends when his players have the tall, powerful Germany-based striker Jamal Gay as an outlet. Gay, who joined German second division club Rott-Weiss Oberhausen in January, should join the squad three days before they start their CONCACAF qualifying campaign for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup on home soil.
"We are missing Jamal Gay and I hope he will be in good shape when he comes," said Vranes. "He can shield the ball (for teammates to advance) and play in the air."
El Salvador opened the scoring in the 27th minute when Lester Blanco converted a penalty kick after a handled ball that only the referee seemed to spot.
Five minutes later, Trinidad and Tobago pulled level as de Silva bombed forward and diverted a Bateau cross past El Salvador goalkeeper Diego Cuellar.
There were a few long-range efforts by either team while Blanco missed a free header from close quarters. Otherwise, the match was a battle zone and the tourists did not like it one bit. The more El Salvador players dived, moaned and complained, the fiercer the tackles were from the Trinidad and Tobago outfit.
"It was a very dirty game but we will have (to deal with a) similar game against Costa Rica and maybe Mexico," said Vranes, referring to the qualifying tournament which kicks off on Friday. "Costa Rica worries me more than even Mexico. We will have to be smarter and harder."
It should be a testing meeting for team medics and match officials.