Ladies and Gents,
For those of you who were unable to attend this afternoons game, lets just say it was the most enjoyable TT football match in the HC since the 1-0 win over Mexico.
I would estimate only 3-5000 supporters, but those who managed to get a seat in covered stands were treated like Royalty.
I arrived at 3:30 and walked in easily as there was not much crowd. While passing around by the clock....Mr Phillips and Mr Warner were quietly outside the gate in civilian clothing having a lil discussion among themselves. Upon reaching the turnstile of covered stands, I was greeted by a lovely young lady who presented me with two Busta sorf drinks.
After going thru the gate The freeness started.......I ent go lie, the sponsors and everybody try to make fans comfortable this game.
Hear the goodies.....besides the two busta, I get a free red jersey...in fact I get two, a tstt and a busta.I gave away the busta.
Then I get a inflatable pillow/cushion/football. Then I get a free key chain which doubled as a bottle opener,
A kinda match program paper, a red rag and finally yes the best giveaway..............a poster of our Beloved Socawarriors.
I never get treat so good walking in a Trinidad match.
AT first I was lil worried about the atmosphere.........about 50-100 costa ricans in a section making more noise than the entire stadium, but that was only for a lil while.
They finally get the speakers and the pa system right and Radioactive was jamming tune and pumping up the crowd.
Then we were fortunate to have the woodbrook playboys jamming iron and tunes during the game, a wicked rythm section near to the clock in uncovered stand and finally the Army/Regiment Band with they horn and xylophone and they big drum and precussion.
Noise and vibes like fuss time!...........It was the closest vibes to the strike squad days this stadium has seen in a while, The stadium was actually making noise, clapping along in unison and for once the visitors were quiet whole game.
No Stryker mascot...always a good crowd pleaser , but the KFC chicken come out and put down a wine for the crowd.
The biggest surprise was a real excitable fan in the grounds section.........THE man COME out Like
a REAL warrior/gladiator and start to run up and down the place. The man costume was good he had a big helmet, breastplate/chest armour, shield and he had a big TT flag. I ent see the material close up but it look like he buy out all the Foil in HiLO to make that kit, but he look good and the crowd and the players on the bench roar in approval.
On to the warm up.......The TT team breaks off into 3 groups, def, mids, strikers. Two of the groups playing piggy in the middle 1 and two touch, while one group does short sprints.
The Costa Ricans do a methodical warm up in a line consisting of various runs and stretches.
Then I say lemme close in on the Striker Warm up.....Glenn was crossing the ball and Stern was taking it on he chest and shooting at goal aiming for the corners.. AFter Glenn finish his warmup and returned to the dressing room Stern stayed back to practice his shooting with the help of Michael Maurice. Alyuh might say I does observe shit........but a ball was passed to Stern 8 times by Michael Maurice rolled on the ground and he was shooting at an open goal..........Fellas he score only 1, and it really wasnt near the corner. All the rest of balls he dragged wide of the mark. I say to myself if we looking for a goal from he today we ent gettin it.
After that I get some small shocks.... First orf the TT subs started walking out the tunnel. I see Pierre, nuttin wrong there, I see Hector Sam...ok that is a norm.....but then I see Tiger and I say hrmmm...then I see Sancho....another hrm.....I get a big shock when I see Kenwyn with a bib on and finally I see Shaka walking in a blue Jersey... I say shit is now we lorse. Clayton Imps in goal with a broken finger.
They announce the teams and everybody get a cheer, but when they announce BSC the whole stadium start to boo. It look and sound bad and some Costa ricans were looking around confused but small ting.
But anthems start up and surprisingly the stadium start to sing.......it was only diehard in the stadium today and it was the loudest anthem I hear in a while.
So the starting line up in a 3-5-2 went like this.
Ince, Lawrence, Anton Pierre, a number 4 David Charles, Rojas, Eve, Spann, Edwards, Yorke, Stern and Glen.
Tweet game start and play was on. Surprising we didnt change much from how we looked tactically vs Guatemala. When Anton Pierre get the ball or Charles, it is a long hoof ball to Stern who traps and does Zilch.
The defence still giving trouble when men running at them, and tactically they still not marking too good and tracking back but in this game the midfield was actually wukking.
Why.......we had a YOUTH name Silvio spann....he mistrap some ball and make some lil bad pass due to being excited, but he run the middle spread the ball, he fit, he quick and he tackling strong and winning ball.
Edwards was a boss today he was taking it to men and going sending in crosses tracking back winning ball and generally he looked better than the Guatemala match.
Eve real play.....alyuh cyar bad talk angus for a while, he get bun in the 2nd half but he real handle it.
Finally........I have to take my hat off and give Dwight Yorke a round of applause, the man real real play. Is a good thing he have no club and could dedicate himself to TT. Talk about effort
fire and determination. He gave more than 110% and was effective. bringing the ball out from the back and trying to create space . Tackling and making sensible fouls and holding up the ball when needed.
Glenn try but the ankle was botherin him, he had a decent game though had to come off due to injury.
Rojas is not ready for this level yet..but he gives it his all and tries to make up for his lack of skill and ball control by putting in a good effort. he is just like a young Stokley Mason.
Charles still green and making some mistake in the back with some bad clearance and pass but he will improve.
Lawrence play good today...I was real surprised, nobody shake him, he shepard plenty ball to safety, he rough up wanchope, and nobody leave him out.
TT play a good possession game and had about 60% of the ball
Now Costa Rica could have hit us about 4 goals two of them look certain but Ince proved why he was chosen on the day.
Fellas Ince is way better orf his line and he was playing like a sweeper at the top of the 18.He made a very big save taking a point blank shot on his chest on the edge of the 18yrd box in the first half as he couldnt handle it. He did spill a cross from a corner which could have spelled goal, but other than that Ince handle it. I now happy with whoever the coach put in goal. But Ince is faster off his line and I think a better shot stopper.
The main reason why we drew the game was simple....WE HAD NO meaningful shots to goal. If you doe shoot yuh cyar score, we had one good opportunity but instead of being headed in or shot in it was chest pushed into the goal from just inside the 6 yard box. This team only passing the ball around and looking to cross , but they getting the opportunity to shoot and no one taking the responsibility, opting to shift and pass the ball wide.
Also the ref was bias and real favour the visitors......also the linesman was totaly blind, slow and had no knowledge of offside, either that or somebody slip him a few extra us$ in he room yesterday. Now while I admit Stern was offside right tru, there were many times when glenn or eve broke tru and were called offside.
But they showed why they were called warriors this afternoon these players put out everything they had in this game they real try and they get full marks for effort.
when half time arrived and the score was still 0-0, I say what............we might do good today, Bertie finally get it right.
Eh heh I see the chupidness start when it was time to make subs.
Our most penetrative player Carlos Edwards who was having a great game, was being subbed.......WHY?
Then our midfield Maestro was also subbed.......WHY?
The biggest stones puller was walking about on the field just running orfside.....he was not subbed...WHY?
Tiger came in and did well, tackling and breaking up plays but we then had nuttin in attack.
Sam came in for Spann and did nothing but lose the ball. I sorry but he was just a poor sub.
Glenn got injured and we needed a change but You have Kenwyne on the bench and you bring in Pierre.
Pierre however did his best and looked decent when he had the ball but the moment these subs were made TT immediately lost control of the match.For 20 min Costa Rica took control and started launching the counter attack plays, making raids and putting the defence under pressure. It was during this time heart attack mode start, and with 20 min left to play if we had conceded during this time there was no way back, given the impotent attack on the field at the time.
But surpringly in the last 5 min, we get some chances.....some crosses and people jumping to head and one or two lil scramble in the 18yrd box., Howeverwhen men have the goal to shoot at they cutting back and playing ball wide for man to cross. This was our downfall this afternoon.....NO shots to goal.
Tweet game was over......we get our first point and I wasnt sure what happen to Bertie, but walking out of the stadium people was saying he get fired...I ent know how true that is. We still in last place but the performance today inspiring plenty hope. We could win 4 games with this type of play and draw against the US. Fellas I seeing it we can still pull it orf.
Everyone want to know how this side get 5 from Guatemala, what went wrong,.......we play good today and I finally see some positives.
What we should have is a younger squad..Imagine a spann,theobold,tiger, edwards, otis seaton midfield, with Glenn and Kenwyne up front and a Thomas, Charles and Henry,nigel daniel in the back. The only position we need the old men is the keeping spot, because Williams ent good lil bit.
Well thats the Touches report, If you wasnt there yuh miss out.
The only thing that woulda make this afternoon perfect woulda be a win, but say wha at least we ent lose!
