Dear Forumites,
Believe it or not I am writing this piece with a sense of optimism. We showed great character coming from behind to draw this match and we are undefeated.
I have seen a marked improvement in this team and we played not to lose and the mission was accomplished.
Now let me say that I am upset that we did not bury this team...but look at it this way...Both Honduras and El Salvador have been exposed as two $h!t sides and I am convinced we will beat both of them in the return fixtures.
I went to movietown around 2 pm. They were charging 40$ to park but I was lucky that the guard did not take me on I went with injunchile for lunch. We then went to zanzibar for a pre game drink and we conversed with some Honduran supporters who were very cool and polite.
They were very knowledgeable about our players and were frightened of Jones. They said they never do well vs Caribbean teams and were afraid of TT and Jamaica and our "physical" style of play. All he wanted was a point and a win would be bonus. He explained they do not travel well and 1 point was their target.
However the gentleman said he liked TT and the crowd and atmosphere was good...he said Jamaica was rough and did not enjoy going there.
I reached in the stadium around 4:30...TSTT had a nice astro turf kinda thing at the entrance with Carbon Dioxide/Hydrogen blasting down. The TSTT girls were handing out rags and there were other goodies such as bottles, oversized fan fingers, whistles etc being given out by the various sponsors.
At 4:45 there was no one in grounds...I had the entire stand to myself...at 5:15 the place started to get ram and everybody was hustling for a seat.
The field was superb…green and lush…the best I have seen it in a while…only thing is that they used a different type of grass to patch up the areas that were thin so you could see the difference in quality but it was a good surface.
Carib had a promotion...12 beers and a cooler bag for $120 and after purchasing that with the scotch I smuggled in plus the drinks I had before...things were nice.
The eye food was aplenty, a large section of Honduran fans took up residence in both covered and uncovered stands and the TTFF finally got the music and PA system right...tunes were jamming and it was loud.
The teams came out and Honduran players were larger in build and height. Our players looked real paipsy in comparison and both warm ups looked very disorganised and lackadasical. No kinda urgency atall. We did a small sided game and men touches were on. Some stretches, sprints a few headers and it was back inside the tunnel.
The England game fiasco repeated itself and the TT ball boys came out with a small flag resembling the bandana that was on sale outside. Meanwhile Honduras had a proper sized flag dwarfing us and making us look small.
You could see the positive vibes of the players. Yorke was talking to the players walking out, Birchall and Ince were there near the bench. Daniel and Aklie hugging up, everybody giving everybody a bounce and the vibes were right. The crowd was pumped and the game was sold out…at least in uncovered stands and we were ready.
The Warrior Nation Flag came out, the riddim sections were in the stands ready,
the anthems were played on Pan...The president greeted the players and the game kicked off.
TT started in a 4-4-2 formation with Honduras doing the same and switching to a 3-5-2 occasionally.
It was Williams between the posts, Aklie, Keyno, Lawrence, Wolfe, Daniel, Theobold, Leon, Carlos, Stern and Scotland.
We started shakey but honestly Honduras did nothing to scare us or threaten us in any way. TT when we decided to go fwd looked dangerous but we were playing a long ball hit and hope to the fwd that was cut out most of the time. Scotland was the livelier of the two forwards and turned his marker and hit a shot that skimmed the far post. Additionally he also tried a volley from a defensive clearance that did not miss by much.
TT knocked the ball well in spurts, but when we reached the final 3rd we did not have the creative spark and the long ball to the fwds were cut out as Honduras was taller than us in the back.
We did not get flustered in the back, we zoned well in the midfield and Leon and Theobold had good games. Both played within their limitations and were fit enough to close down the passing channels and frustrate our opponents into playing the errant ball. Tackles were won and Wolfe and Aklie did well in the wingback roles. Aklie only made one mistake…that may have been a bit costly in the 2nd half when he tried to play a ball out the back and it was intercepted by the Honduras fwd who went to goal but other than that he was solid throughout.
Tallest and Keyno won most of the ariel battles and we only gave away one freekick in the first half that merited a wall and it went high.
The keeper also came off his line well, Honduras had about 2 shots from outside that did not trouble us and they showed nothing to give us any cause for concern.
Carlos was a threat and would be my Man of the match, terrorizing the Honduran left back and beating him 4 times in a row and crossing the ball in. Carlos also tracked back well tackling and putting the pressure on the Honduras players and looked like the only threat going fwd that TT had in the first half. He set a good example tonight and had a good game.
Keon Daniel drifted in and out the game and was jogging when he could have applied pressure or put in the tackle. He real frustrate people in the crowd with his attitude, but he has ability and ghosted past men with ease. People may say he over dribbled but with no support and 2-3 men on him at all times he kept his composure and used his skill effectively.
Stern was not much of a threat but he did not make any mistakes, he never lost the ball, screened well and made some good runs, he also did not get caught offside and was thwarted by lack of service from the midfield.
Scotland was the livelier of the 2 forwards, created his chances well, but could be chided for not applying pressure and tackling and being the first to get at the ball. But his touch and control was superb. He is screening off 3 men with ease and skips past opponents when needed. He had a good game and many were baffled when he was replaced in the second half when Stern was looking like the player to come off.
At half time with the scores 0-0 I said to myself we doing well, we keeping formation, we not losing the ball as before, we maintaining possession and our flank play decent.
Honduras ent showing nuttin, we just not creating enough. But I tell mehself we could beat this side.
The blue devils marching band was a waste of time…they shoulda leave them wherever they found them, no noise, they had to be augmented by a microphone and they just walked on the track up to the tunnel and walked back.
The bathroom was pressure as some bright person kept one of the gates locked so entry and exit was from one access point only…causing traffic jam. I spoke to both a fire office and a policeman to open the gate but they did not take me on.
After reaching upstairs I heard a groan…game had already started 2 min ago and I see a Honduran player rise up unmarked and flash a header overbars from in the 6 yard box. Williams flapping and I say yes….dais a sign…nuttin for dem.
When I sit down and look at the field Honduras flip the switch and running at we. They playing with 3 in the back…flooding the middle and using the extra man in midfield as the withdrawn fwd.
Corner after corner the defence not settling and BAM….Williams gives them a gift. He jumps up Flaps…connects with the ball and just pushes it out…Pavon running in and buries the header past him.
A basic goal keeper error…a shitty goal…we get deflated. Honduras in the driving seat and 2 minutes gone in the 2nd half…we ent wake up…we still settling and we down at home.
Crowd was silent…then a few good souls in the crowd started to rally the troops, we clap, we chant and then the players picked themselves up and started to play.
The first sub was Theobold off for Hyland and it was a good change…Denzil played solid but Hyland provided the offensive spark that was missing and started to move the ball better, he was also bringing it out that back and moving forward creating space and being a pressure outlet switching the ball a bit more and changing the point of attack.
He has improved tremendously and is a good thing he leave TT and is sweating regular. Daniel has to do the same and they will both be great players in time.
Next was a double sub…Daniel for Latapy and Scotland for Kenwyn. In truth and in fact it should have been Stern to come off but Stern is a lucky charm and he knows how to play with Latapy. 30 minutes to go..all our subs used and it was now or never.
Latas first touch was off a hospital ball from aklie and he traps and skips…it was then the little magician show playing one touch, skipping men, wriggling free.
It was a pleasure to see the best ting in a tugs wearing the #10 at home and just making the passes, threading it and boy…he and Hyland were the difference.
Keyno Thomas get a chance and blaze a shot over bar, Stern get a header and miss, he turn a man and flash a shot far post and I say we might be able to do it.
Bam Honduras on the counter…Williams had to come off his line bravely to clear. Then they caught us again 1v1 and the fwd blasts wide. The game opens up and I seeing 10 min to go.
I start to get vex in the 85th…I saying this shit side ent showing we nuttin…we supposed to be beating that. But it had a vibe in the stands…we were standing up and cheering. Latapy was dictating the pace and in the 89-90. I just see confusion see Honduras keeper on the ground all our players appealing and I watch the ref when he point to the center circle.
Goal…Goal…we jumpin up…we taking that….heart attack football…but we draw…we getting a point.
At the final whistle…..The ref did a spectacular job of the game and was fair…TT has shown improvement. I think they played to plan and had it not been for the goal keeping error I would say we should have ground out a 1-0 win.
I cannot fault Maturana or the team tonight and I have a renewed sense of optimism with this team.
Discipline is all we need. We will improve. Have Faith.
Till next time.
