Folks,
It's good to see the Red, Black and White Live again and I went to this game with little or no expectations. I decided to give Latapy and the fellas a clean slate and see what they had to offer.
I arrived early...a little after 5 and I bounced up Shotta and Patriot at the gate. The crowd was sparse at the time, but by kickoff the entire covered stands were full, a few in the uncovered stands and I would put the crowd at about 300 - 400 people.
The TTFF set up a booth near the concession area with womens under 17 paraphernalia and they provided a sign up sheet for pre ordering of tickets. Bags, T shirts and other things were on sale and the Under 17 Mascot, made a guest appearance at half time during the game.
Back to the match....armed with a pie which was quite large for the $7 paid. I took my seat and was joined by fellow forumites G and Big Magician.
Both teams were warming up and the Antiguan players were bigger and more muscular than their TT counterparts...it looked like Dasheen vs KFC but while the Antiguans were bigger they were clumsy and slow. TT had some pep in their step and looked quite lively during the warm up, skipping tru cones etc.
I saw a new piece of equipment being used by the TT trainer in the warm-up process. A few of the players were using what looked like a big plastic tube, it was black in colour and akin to a rolled up exercise mat about 3-4 feet in length. All the players sat on this kinda log thing and were rolling on it, rocking back and forth and using it to massage their muscles. Sometimes it was used as a prop, other times like a rolling pin, It looked quite silly, but I am sure it is some new warm up method that the TT staff are using.
After the anthems were sung and the customary shake hand by both teams...Antigua were on the attack and almost embarrassingly took the lead in the first 10 seconds. A long ball was played from the back and the last stopper Hislop allowed it to bounce over his head. He expected the keeper to claim, but the keeper stayed on his line...so with the ball bouncing and Hislop shielding the Antiguan fwd hustles him and gets to the ball and manages an attempt on goal.
TT started with a 4-4-2 with Jan Michael Williams in goal, Makan Hislop and Keston Williams as stoppers, Kern Cupid right back and Aklie Edwards on the left, Trent Noel and Densill Theobald in the middle with Guerra and Kevon Carter on the wings with Devon Jorsling and Kerry Baptiste up top.
Antigua also had a 4-4-2 and truth be told were the livelier of the two teams in the opening minutes.
TT took a while to settle and the back 4 were shakey whole night. The communication was off, the tackling and reading of the game was off, the challenges were soft, no aggression on the ground or in the air and they were being turned easily by the Antiguan fwds.
Aklie was the best of the back 4, Cupid couldnt handle the big tall man he was forced to mark and was caught for speed and "pongs" on occasion. Hislop was sloppy and Williams was not assertive.
There were 4 beats/skills of note for the entire game...2 were done by Antiguans and 2 by Trinis.
After 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the first half, an Antiguan midfielder runs across the field ripping 3 TT players, the last being Denzil Theobold who collected the ball neatly tru his legs. The second sex for the evening was done on the line in the first half in the 30th min and good ole Denzil rushed in...legs open and the Antiguan obliged.
But apart from the 2 sex he collect, Denzil was a solid performer and played his role very well tonight, supporting the play, screening the ball, spreading passes and moving well into space.
I must say that the scoreline did not tell the true tale of this contest, which was very open and had Antigua some better fwds, they could have scored a few on TT.
That said, TT finally settled in and Antigua gave us room to move the ball around. The first goal was well done and after a wonderful take down and skill by guerra, beating 2 men and passing to theobold...who turned skillfully and floated a "bess" tru ball over the top for the overlapping Carter, who then composed himself and at the top of the box, put it past the Antiguan goalie.
This deflated the Antiguans and they stepped up their game, making short passes, trying the long ball and trying to run at TT but farting down theyself in the final 3rd.
TT then went into a 4-2-4 formation....yes 4-2-4.
The back 4 as is....Noel and Bleeder as the mid and Carter and Guerra moved up the field as outright wingers, both of them not dropping back to tackle, they just waited on the wings for the long ball from the back.
Many a time there was a line of 4 players up top and TT was in attack mode.
It was here TT started to get it right and play the ball around and kept possession. You could see the Latapy experiment working and from min 15 - min 35. It was TT possession and the second goal came from playing possum, stroking it around in the back and then sending carter on a long ball up the wing....after getting past his marker he rolled it to the top of the box and Kerry Baptiste finished it ever so professionally with a well taken goal... side foot into the V. (exactly like the training video shown previously).
At 2-0 up Antigua then started playing aggressive and TT started to wilt. Antigua started running at us and the defence was on the back foot. They then scored from a corner and headed the ball uncontested twice into the back of the net.
The goal was coming, you could have seen it a mile off and TT defence and midfield could not get the defensive aspect of their game right.
It was a case of being swamped in the midfield 2 TT players vs 4-5 Antiguans and having no ball winner on the field. The closest ting to a bruiser we had was Noel but he did not impose himself tonight and was roughed up. The midfield provided no cover for the defence and the Antiguans started to work Hislop and Williams.
With the score 2-1...the most remarkable goal I have seen in a long time was executed from Carter.
The ball is touched and Carter gets it and runs...full pelt at the Antiguan winger, blows past him, rips past the wingback, cuts inside the midfielder, and shoots past the defender and Keeper for a BIG GOAl.
In 2 seconds...is run, cut, cut, shot... Goal....a MILO Play of the Month for sure.
The Antiguans got deflated again but from here TT couldn't see their way.
Guerra got locked down, Jorsling or Baptiste nearly got his foot broken when 3 Antiguans hit him a jam simultaneously and Baptiste was marked out of the game. They started to rest blade on Noel and TT just couldn't respond.
3-1 at the half but TT nowhere in control and no authority being stamped on the match. Antigua getting chances and making mistakes in the final 3rd.
TT made a sub taking off Guerra who for all his skill, lacked hustle and conviction....with somebody I ent sure who coming on at the half.
TT not tackling and relying on Antigua to make the errant pass to win the ball.
In the second half Antigua switched to a 4-5-1 and it seemed that their coach won the battle.
TT started to run out of ideas and the silky passes and small knock from the back became a desperate long boom kick down the wings. All the good intentions and work from the 1st half were gone.
Noel and Theobold were outmanned, out hustled and just holding on.
But the funny thing is that the 4-2-4 continued.
TT then got a free kick near the top of the box and after the Antiguan wall was set, a TT player looked to fake the shot. Jorsling then ran up and curled the ball beautifully into the opposite corner. An exquisite goal, well executed and it showed that we are working on our set pieces.
After that, players started to get tired and Latapy decided to change personnel rather than formation.
In quick succession Carter came off, Jorsling, Theobold and Hislop...for Tinto, Winchester, Hector and a defender.
I was totally surprised Carter came off as he was TT's best player on the night...In form, good hustle, speed, touch and shot. A constant threat and as he going for his hattrick he coulda leave him on.
Baptiste was quiet but took his goal well, Jorsling has skill but the lil umph lackin...with some training or the right team he will improve.
Winchester nearly scored as he came on... trapped and skipped past a man and hit the post with his shot. Hector tried but was a bit off in his touches losing the ball and forcing the play. Tinto was the impact sub hitting a man a wrong address cutting back and fanning the ball and twisting up the poor Antiguan left back spine...to much roars of approval from the crowd.
Tinto however looks to have lost a step or two...he seems slower and his touch is a bit off. But he is still exciting to watch and was taking it to them on every occasion.
The keeper did well, saving some shots both long range and point blank, a little hesitant on the crosses and corners but had a good game....needs to concentrate a bit more and be more vocal and sure on backpasses.
The game then ran its course with TT 4-1 winners.
I think this game is what was needed at this point in time. Latapy chose this game carefully to keep his record intact, to try out a system and look at some players....we will look at this as positive.
However, this Antigua side will be easily beaten by a PFL side. They are not that good and they gave TT problems when they decided to play ball.
I think their coach outcoached Latapy towards the end of the 1st half and for the second half and no tactical/shape/formation changes were made by Latapy only personnel changes.
We have work to do and I dont think the performance by TT today could beat a Grenada, St Vincent or a Haiti and most certainly not a Jamaica....but you seeing the plays, the set plays, the attempted knock....is just the personnel not doing the role properly.
Also too we need a ball winner BAD, we need a genuine playmaker in the middle and we need a competent defence.
Attacking on the wings or the fwds...we good...we go give people problems.
Too much skill on this team and NO steel. No leadership and no bad mind.
But its a start, we did not play bad atall, it was a good showing but we will be exposed badly with a stronger opponent.
Till next game.
