Latapy: we won't stop trying to win.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).National Senior Team head coach Russell Latapy maintained even in light of the heavy 4-1 defeat to Honduras which dampened the country’s 2010 World Cup chances that no fingers would be pointed and the “Soca Warriors” will continue to make every effort to finish the campaign on the highest possible note.
Latapy, who took T&T to its highest FIFA ranking since September 2006, #63 this month, was as disappointed as any other member of the team on Saturday night but refused to throw the towel in before Wednesday’s match against United States at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
“We know that coming to Honduras was always going to be a very difficult game. I must say congrats to Honduras. They made this Stadium a very difficult one to come to and well done to them,” Latapy said in the post game press conference. “
In my opinion, we gave away two very soft goals as well and these are the mistakes you need to avoid when you play matches like this. But again we will point no fingers and we will regroup and come again for the remainder of matches starting on Wednesday at home.”
One Honduran reporter spoke of his admiration for Latapy during his playing career and asked whether T&T was capable of producing more players like or similar to him.
“Thanks but to answer your question… we have a lot of our better players that are based in the foreign leagues and it’s always difficult to get them to come together much in advance before a game like a lot of other teams in the world. You don’t have your players to work with as much as you would like. For instance for this game we had four training sessions since our last game against El Salvador.
“ I think at the international level you also need to work more with your experienced players as well and then you have a lot of young players who don’t always play at a very high level.. so you need the right balance and if we can do this then possibly we can find that type of player,” Latapy told the press gathering.
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s clash, Latapy added to TTFF Media, “As a national team you always go out to try and win all your matches and that is what we are going to do in our remaining three games. Every time a player represent the country they must play to the best of their ability. We want to end up with as much points as we can. We are also changing generations as well so winning games brings confidence for the players so that means we are going to try and win as much games as possible,” Latapy added.
The streets of San Pedro Sula was in party mood hours after the victory as scores of Honduran fans lined the streets on the outskirts of the stadium and those leading to the Hilton Princess Hotel. Fans also pounded the T&T team bus shouting “Honduras en South Africa… Cuatro Cuatro” as others threw objects atthe bus as it inched its way through some parts of the traffic under police escort. There was also the occasional use of racial slurs.
The T&T team,which was captained by Marvin Andrews and saw Bolton Wanderers defender Jlloyd Samuel make his debut, will return home on Sunday night and resume training on Monday evening at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in preparation for Wednesday's match against the United States which kicks off at 7:11pm.
T&T - 1.Clayton Ince; 2.Jlloyd Samuel; 11.Carlos Edwards, 4.Marvin Andrews (capt), 3.Radanfah Abu Bakr, 12.Keon Daniel (14.Kerry Baptiste 78th), 7.Densill Theobald (15.Lyndon Andrews 75th), 8.Trent Noel, 16.Silvio Spann (10.Hayden Tinto 46th); 13.Cornell Glen, 17.Kenwyne Jones.
HON - 18.Noel Valladares; 3.Maynor Figueroa, 5.Erick Norales, 12.Emilio Izaguirre, 16.Mauricio Sabillon; 7.Amado Guevara (capt) (15.Edgar Alvarez 70th), 4.Hendry Thomas, 17.Danilo Turcios (13.Melvin Valladares 76th), 11.Ramon Nunez; 8.Jerry Palacios (4.David Sauzo 59th), 9.Carlos Pavon.
T&T Yellow Card - Silvio Spann, Trent Noel.
Attendance :41,000
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