we used to play a unique, trini-small-goal style in the 90's and early 2000's, capped by bertille st. clair.
We were ultra attacking, playing very attractive football.
But our defense always looked like we would concede. eg the gold cup in 2000. We looked like we could match Mexico attack for attack in that cliffhanger of a game, yet we lost 0-4.
It could very well have been 4-4.
The result was nice football, but we would get licks against more structured teams (eg. USA, Jamaica) or over a long, league format.
Under Gally, it was a similar style, but with a lot more discipline in the defense.
Then again, the 2 wingbacks were also more attacking and good crossers.
Under Beenhakker, for the first time since 89, we saw a much more structured, disciplined team, with wingbacks who could overlap as well, and look what happened.
We were very hard to break down, Germany was the classic example. Yet we always managed to be an offensive threat, which came from our naturally attacking mentality and players. In each game of the last 2 games of Germany 2006, we could have scored multiple goals.
Now we have lost this defensive structure, as well as the attacking wingback dimension.
We are now basically back to the 90's in term of lack of team structure, but to make it even worse, we dont have the players with the natural creativity and attacking flair and competence we had back them (Latas, Dwarika, Nixon, Leonson, Marcelle etc). So we are a poor-man version of a style that never really got us anywhere in the first place. Hence we rely on Dwight more than ever to dictate the game, or to kick up front to Stern and KJ and hope their individual skill pays off somehow.
Very predictable.
If T&T were a club team, i am sure the first 2 positions we would look for reinforcements are the wingback positions. Then the left midfield. We ok up front, and seemingly ok at the back in the middle. Could you imagine a T&T team with a Carlos Edwards twin on the left? We would be a serious threat in the region. Makes it more impressive how Edwards performs, cause everybody we play now I am sure the first tactic they plan for is to try to neutralise our right wing.
We now spend the majority of the game chasing the ball (in all 3 qualifiers we play so far), and when we get it, we dont have the patience or class to keep it and make the other team run around. We show glimpses of this, eg first half vs El Salvador, and last year the first half vs Guatemala in Guatemala. But the majority is chasing the ball.
If a team decided to post up and defend their half, we have absolutely no clue what to do, or we have an idea, but dont have the players to execute.
We always look more dangerous when we playing on the counter-attack, and the opposition has players committed in our half, so we get room to go at them on the run. Thats why i believe we are now a better road team (except vs the US and Mexico).
Brand of football we play now - a poor-man's version of the attacking Trini-small-goal style of the late 80's and 90's, that is extremely reliant on our 2 up front men and occasionally our right midfielder.
Some people also call it the Corbeaux brand.
