I make it no secret in my belief that if we win on Sat vs Panama, nothing stopping T&T destiny to Germany.
But why exactly do we need to win on Saturday???
1) Panama has NEVER beaten us. They are last in the group. If we cant beat them in a must win game, sad to say, but we just not up to WC material. Other teams in the Hex have beaten them in Panama City, why not us?
2) By winning on Saturday, we will then move on to qualify for Germany and fulfil our German destiny that was robbed of us in '73.
3) Looking at T&T's attempts to qualify for WC's, we came close in 74 and 90. Thats 16 years or 4 WC's in between. Guess how much has passed since that fateful Nov 19 game? If we dont do it now, chances are that we may have to wait till 2022.
4) Every campaign we say that this is the best time, its now or never. This time we guaranteed of prolonged life even if we come 4th. Depending on how that 4th team perform, or FIFA politics, that 4th spot may not always be up for grabs. Also, FIFA may shuffle it around for logistics and have us play the 5th place South American team. I personally will take my chances with Bahrain and Uzbekistan rather than a Bolivia or underachieving Colombia. Safely put, any country in South America will run over T&T in a home and away playoff, VENEZUELA INCLUDED.
5) This time we wuz a lill lucky with a easy road to the Hex. We were more than due, as we always seem to get very hard semi-final groups. Also, jamaica was not in the Hex, and them is traditionally a team we always look to get 6 pts, but for some reason, they always match up good against us and take points. Jamaica home and away is harder than Panama and perhaps even Guatemala I feel for T&T, just the way the teams match-up. They might be in the Hex next time.
6) It logistically easier for me to go Germany next year than quite South Africa in 2010
7) We have most of out team playing pro in Europe, and the one man who not, has already conquered it. European conditions and crowds are very very different to the Americas, if I remember correctly, only one non european team has won a WC in europe (Brazil in 58).
If we fail in this campaign, JW may get too frustrated and give up. How will we ever afford a quality programme again? In other words, we need God to lend a helping hand and us to get to a WC if we are to step to the next level. Even then we not guaranteed of permanent development. CONCACAF is littered with "has beens" eg. Honduras, Jamaica, Canada, El Salvador....Once we fail, we will just fall back into the same cycle as we have been since 1990. Heck, we not even a
HAS BEEN yet, we still a
NEVER BEEN!9) Time for some of them yutes to see alternatives to picking up guns and get some pride in yuh nation. We all know that feeling (the one who were old enough for 1990) and what it does for the country. If its one time we need something to help....its now.
10) This is Latapy and Yorke's last shot. They may have done some weird stuff in the past, but there is no doubt, them fellas is genuine class and magic on the field. These players deserve a WC appearance to end their careers, moreso than any other Caribbean players in history.
11) They say u hadda pay yuh dues before u get the reward, I think we more than do that.
WC 1974 Robbery
WC 1990 powder puff goal
Gold Cup 2000 Semi Final
And there was a Youth WC qualifying game somewhere in the mid 90's in POS, when we needed a draw to qualify, we wuz playin Cuba, and we lose the game (a man from T&T get a red card that did us in).
Forumites, everybody start saying collective prayers from tomorrow morning ok.
I usually dont pray for sports, cause I always believe that you making God choose a team, which not really fair to the opposition, but I feel I hadda start making exceptions over the next 6 days.
Ah feeling it, ah feeling it....Once we doh drink some cholera water and put dong a pile in defence in the first few miinutes, I feeling the win on Sat nite. KND, please stay quiet on the prediction ok, we will let u predict the WC first round games when we reach next year.
Less than 48 hours again!
PS - Its now 11:07pm Thu nite and ah see about 15 guests signed in, hope is them fellas in Panama getting some of the trini vibes and support from the nation.
Is now or never fellas! Blood in yuh shoes!
"IMPOSSIBLE IS ONLY TEMPORARY"