Thread for the T&T WNT vs Ecuador WNT Game (02-Dec-2014)

[asylumseeker]

Ah resolved not to comment about the actual game. Nonetheless, I think there's merit in a comment made by palos regarding player psychology on a different thread.

Respect for the game and the effort put in by the women kept me from exiting the stadium after that ball rippled the net. I wish I could say it wasn't predictable.

Watching Kimika struggle to walk after the final whistle blew was riveting ... and I mean her legs buckled. Her pain was evident. Palpable. However, there wasn't significant emotion from the spectators. Interesting to witness our ease in resignation.

Best wishes to the coaches, captain and players!

(Saw a junior NT baller after the game and asked him why play SSFL. He said it came down to playing time).

[Deeks]

Pity the team did not pay homage to the fans by doing something symbolic like a lap in their honor or at least applauding each side of the stadium. As deflated as they were, that could have gone a long way to encourage continued support ...

True dat! But the ladies were devastated!! I will give them a pass!

[elan]

Pity the team did not pay homage to the fans by doing something symbolic like a lap in their honor or at least applauding each side of the stadium. As deflated as they were, that could have gone a long way to encourage continued support ...

Was really hoping the coach would have sent them back out to honor the fans. I know it hard at that time, but they should of tried, I thing it would have solidify the connections with the fans.

[kounty]

but oh gorm the girls play..they were great going forward, just couldn't finalize the win.. Maylee play like a beast, they all did, they were real representative of being warriors. Well done girls. Best I have seen from yáll ever. full respect, big pride.

I only hope the federation could find the resources to keep this team together. They are good, and would give any team in the world cup a good run. Just disappointing in the last cross, or not taking the shot at goal ... things I think experience can fix.

[socalion]

Oh damn  this thing hurts  ...  hindsight is 20/20  maybe  the coach himself was at a loss for words  along with them players at what had just  taken place , energy sapped momentarily .....  that can't be a nice feeling at all ...  damn i feel for all  dem  players and staff  oui ..   Again i want to say thanks to all the women on this team ,  the coach   and  his  technical staff thank you thank you thank you .!! Also  the fans need a big shout out too  so big up to the fans for showing up  for our/your women warriors ....

[Deeks]

Oh damn  this thing hurts  ...  hindsight is 20/20  maybe  the coach himself was at a loss for words  along with them players at what had just  taken place , energy sapped momentarily .....  that can't be a nice feeling at all ...  damn i feel for all  dem  players and staff  oui ..   Again i want to say thanks to all the women on this team ,  the coach   and  his  technical staff thank you thank you thank you .!! Also  the fans need a big shout out too  so big up to the fans for showing up  for our/your women warriors ....

 

[Bakes]

November 19th all over again. My heart breaks for the players and the coaching staff. I won't critique any decisions made by the coach or players on the field. When you play a game like this...all bets are off. However...I find myself thinking back to the female warriors going to the Concacaf women's championships with $500 dollars. That one incident is a real reflection of how the "powers that be" treat not only football but sports in general in this country. And then after all the struggle, the fight and the blood, sweat and tears the athletes give... "they" jump in at the end with some "presents" to save face and make themselves look good. Success doesn't just happen. Sure, the team worked hard, were determined and had belief in themselves, but they were never given the best chance to succeed being given the support, financial and otherwise, that our rich with natural gas country could provide. Same old story, same sad result. I'm sorry these ladies, are not appreciated as they should be.

I hope you realize that none of this is not actually what happened... the ladies are as supported at any of the other programs, lack of resources notwithstanding.  Very proud of the ladies.

[Bakes]

The ladies played very well but just couldn't finish. Ecuador played smart.

Mollon was the only player pulling stones, she give away a lot of balls and did not make to many good passes and she does over dribble sometimes and make good runs but then waste de final ball. She shoulda been sub.

Our goalkeeper could have saved that.

Shade came on and did good, better replacement for Tasha.

De team played they best game so far, it just wasn't for them, this happens when you fail to make use of your opportunities.

Kennya Cordner run out of gas in de end.

Hard luck ladies, you did very well, hopefully, the team will be kept together.

Randy Waldrum is a good defensive coach, should be kept on, but should seek help to fix we attacking third.

Nah, you on shit... Mollon gave her everything and was our best player.  Cordner, on the other hand... made a couple really poor decisions near the end of the game.

[Spursy]

Dem referee's though 

[elan]

November 19th all over again. My heart breaks for the players and the coaching staff. I won't critique any decisions made by the coach or players on the field. When you play a game like this...all bets are off. However...I find myself thinking back to the female warriors going to the Concacaf women's championships with $500 dollars. That one incident is a real reflection of how the "powers that be" treat not only football but sports in general in this country. And then after all the struggle, the fight and the blood, sweat and tears the athletes give... "they" jump in at the end with some "presents" to save face and make themselves look good. Success doesn't just happen. Sure, the team worked hard, were determined and had belief in themselves, but they were never given the best chance to succeed being given the support, financial and otherwise, that our rich with natural gas country could provide. Same old story, same sad result. I'm sorry these ladies, are not appreciated as they should be.

I hope you realize that none of this is not actually what happened... the ladies are as supported at any of the other programs, lack of resources notwithstanding.  Very proud of the ladies.

Care to explain that?

[asylumseeker]

Final observation on this game ... our fan culture is disconnected from the action on the field. It's all well and good to beat iron and chant 'we want a goal' and have a bunch a ppl having a good time while sipping on ah favored adult beverage ... I would like to see the fans urge the team on in context ... Be more than observers, be really a 12th man ... vocally urge on our players rather than to react to events on the field.

Hearing 'defense, defense, defense' etc. counts for something in other sports. Sometimes that helps players to keep a high level of application and concentration. A large segment of our fans have to learn to bleed with the team.

[Tallman]

Final observation on this game ... our fan culture is disconnected from the action on the field. It's all well and good to beat iron and chant 'we want a goal' and have a bunch a ppl having a good time while sipping on ah favored adult beverage ... I would like to see the fans urge the team on in context ... Be more than observers, be really a 12th man ... vocally urge on our players rather than to react to events on the field.

Hearing 'defense, defense, defense' etc. counts for something in other sports. Sometimes that helps players to keep a high level of application and concentration. A large segment of our fans have to learn to bleed with the team.

We doh have one. Me eh know bout now, but de closest ting we've had is de support at Colleges League games in years gone by.

[Tallman]

For the most part I am happy with how the team works as a defensive unit. However, we lack composure up front. Either we taking too long or we rushing de play.

[asylumseeker]

Final observation on this game ... our fan culture is disconnected from the action on the field. It's all well and good to beat iron and chant 'we want a goal' and have a bunch a ppl having a good time while sipping on ah favored adult beverage ... I would like to see the fans urge the team on in context ... Be more than observers, be really a 12th man ... vocally urge on our players rather than to react to events on the field.

Hearing 'defense, defense, defense' etc. counts for something in other sports. Sometimes that helps players to keep a high level of application and concentration. A large segment of our fans have to learn to bleed with the team.

We doh have one. Me eh know bout now, but de closest ting we've had is de support at Colleges League games in years gone by.

Another issue to be resolved is police/fire and crowd control. We too comfortable with ppl blocking areas of ingress and egress from seats to getting food or from seats to toilets or ppl jes standing aimlessly blocking pathways ... meanwhile police not on a coordinated front to keep a simple task simple ... Instead it is a battle.

Next, is either everybody siddung or everybody stand up ... it's ridiculous to have ppl standing up blocking seated patrons and the enforcement arm indifferent to enforcement.

[diamondtrim]

Yes the loss was tough, disappointing and, I would even say unfair based on the flow of the game.....the girls gave it their all and you really can't ask for more than that.

But, after not qualifying directly despite having two opportunities, wasn't it really more hope than expectation for them to qualify at the third try? Football these days is more a mental game than anything else, and the longer the game was at 0-0 the more the team would have been under pressure mentally...clearly the girls were better physically and talent wise.

What I am really sad about is that T&T would have been a better team to have in the world cup. Ecuador gonna get real licks....smh

That said, Sam is spot on about Mollon. For a player with her experience she was poor. Over dribbling and bad passing.

[Michael-j]

Yes the loss was tough, disappointing and, I would even say unfair based on the flow of the game.....the girls gave it their all and you really can't ask for more than that.

But, after not qualifying directly despite having two opportunities, wasn't it really more hope than expectation for them to qualify at the third try? Football these days is more a mental game than anything else, and the longer the game was at 0-0 the more the team would have been under pressure mentally...clearly the girls were better physically and talent wise.

What I am really sad about is that T&T would have been a better team to have in the world cup. Ecuador gonna get real licks....smh

That said, Sam is spot on about Mollon. For a player with her experience she was poor. Over dribbling and bad passing.

So true. And to make things worse, every time Ecuador takes the field at the WC the commentators will no doubt remind us that they are there by virtue of beating T&T in the play-offs.  Nothing saddens me more than hearing my country's name at a world event that we aren't a part of   

Anyway.....devastating loss for the women warriors ; so close but yet so far away. I hope they can pick themselves up and move on from here.

Someone posted earlier that the team is in danger of becoming stagnant now that the dream of WC qualification is dead. I may take some stick for saying this but ,as a long-time follower of the womens game, our team has been stagnant for quite some time. We have improved tremendously since the 90's when I started following them but we seem to have plateaued in the past 5 or so years. We beat up on the lesser teams in the region ( and rightly so) but for all our fight and resolve we fail to get past the traditional bigger names....I recall the 2011 qualifying campaign where we fought hard against Canada but lost 1-0, then fought hard against Mexico but also lost by a narrow margin (the same Mexico team that knocked the  USA out of the tournament and  forced them into a play-off with Italy). I thought for certain that this team would be a force to be reckoned with in the 2015 campaign, but 4 years later the script reads the same - and I dare say, had Canada not been given a free pass and were involved in the qualifiers, the script would have been much shorter ;we would not have been in contention for a play-off spot.
Heart, passion and warrior-resolve can only get us so far....we need something extra to get us over the final hurdle.
I'm no expert so I'll leave it to the relevant authorities to figure out what's lacking. But, come what may, I'll be supporting the team no matter what and hoping that we get it right sooner rather than later.

[Deeks]

It bittersweet to say the least. To see the way the ladies went out attacking from the get go. Yes, the final third was the problem. Bad passes, over dribbling. But what can we say. This the first time our senior women's team have had such focus on them. Had they been giving the resources from the start of the qualification, they could have beaten CR in that quarterfinal. I honestly believe so. I will say again. I do hope the TTFA find some way to continue with this group. They need to play at a high level constantly to maintain their sharpness. I do hope there is a qualification for Olimpics. They can get a shot again in two years.

[Football supporter]

Fantastic effort by the girls. Some hard luck saw them fail to score. Many times, blocked shots flew away to safe areas where on other days the ball would have hit the net, hit a defenders hand or fell at the feet of our strikers.

Meanwhile, one moment of concentration lapse and Ecuador are through.

You gotta love football even when it hurts!!

Ecuador had a game plan (similar to the 06 MNT vs Sweden). They parked the bus and relied on speedy counters, but T&T had that covered. I thought the game was played at a very high pace, yet the girls seemed to have great stamina.

It was great to see the stadium packed, but frustrating that the crowd didn't seem to become involved in the game too much. The atmosphere should have been imposing - the 12th warrior - but it didn't feel so.

It was also great to see the sponsors come out with pitch side advertising and also on the TV coverage.

Same complaint about the TV coverage - we hardly ever saw a shot of the main stand. However, big props for using a boom camera!

[Trini _2026]

Final observation on this game ... our fan culture is disconnected from the action on the field. It's all well and good to beat iron and chant 'we want a goal' and have a bunch a ppl having a good time while sipping on ah favored adult beverage ... I would like to see the fans urge the team on in context ... Be more than observers, be really a 12th man ... vocally urge on our players rather than to react to events on the field.

Hearing 'defense, defense, defense' etc. counts for something in other sports. Sometimes that helps players to keep a high level of application and concentration. A large segment of our fans have to learn to bleed with the team.

We doh have one. Me eh know bout now, but de closest ting we've had is de support at Colleges League games in years gone by.

this is why we  need  to take football back into communities to rebuild that culture

[FF]

All those comments from fan culture to people blocking the aisles and exits and lack of police action is societal issues.
Sorry to say I can't see any solutions coming from our present generation of leaders.

[asylumseeker]

All those comments from fan culture to people blocking the aisles and exits and lack of police action is societal issues.
Sorry to say I can't see any solutions coming from our present generation of leaders.

The issue I have with them is that these are issues that have long been occurring at the stadium. However, if we are serious about facility management and event management, we have to address them.

I doh think there was a major concern about ppl standing obstructing the view of others across much/most of the uncovered area, but where de Siparia Riddim Section was there was an issue, and although a fire official and a police officer made a token effort to geh ppl out of the aisles and to siddung, once dey moved on ... that was that.

There's a balance to be struck with fans and security ... so that fans enjoy deyself without feeling restricted but then, there's also a point of reasonable intervention.

Our law enforcement presence in the stands was minimal ... more riot gear personnel on de track doh. Some easy fixes, if ppl jes applied a different thought process. To go fuh a lil corn soup shouldn't involve so much obstruction.

[Adam Lake]

Ladies gave it there all for the Red, White & Black Yesterday... They did this entire country PROUD..

Hopefully we see them in action leading up to the W. Cup, I'm sure teams that qualified will want to play us in preparation for the tournament. TTFA need to capitalize from now..

With all dat said, One thing dat get me Damn vex in the Stadium tho, is when people start to walk out when Ecuador Score... Wish I had ah AK-47 full a rubber bullets, wuda sting up some wagonist  :busshead:backside 

To the entire Team  Keep persevering... #WinLoseorDraw We Supporting

[MilkyX]

November 19th all over again. My heart breaks for the players and the coaching staff. I won't critique any decisions made by the coach or players on the field. When you play a game like this...all bets are off. However...I find myself thinking back to the female warriors going to the Concacaf women's championships with $500 dollars. That one incident is a real reflection of how the "powers that be" treat not only football but sports in general in this country. And then after all the struggle, the fight and the blood, sweat and tears the athletes give... "they" jump in at the end with some "presents" to save face and make themselves look good. Success doesn't just happen. Sure, the team worked hard, were determined and had belief in themselves, but they were never given the best chance to succeed being given the support, financial and otherwise, that our rich with natural gas country could provide. Same old story, same sad result. I'm sorry these ladies, are not appreciated as they should be.

I hope you realize that none of this is not actually what happened... the ladies are as supported at any of the other programs, lack of resources notwithstanding.  Very proud of the ladies.

Care to explain that?

Yes...let's here your explanation of the so called support yuh talking bout. Cause either you blind, don't live in Trinidad and Tobago or haven't been following the women's national team until that game on Tuesday.

[AB.Trini]

' a time to celebrate a time to be inebriated a time to mourn a time to groan. Finally I have the impetus to sign in. Travelled back home and was at the game- met up with the Lady netballers I met in Calgary and was at their qualifying WC matches  .last night was a different tale with a different ending.
True in my opinion we started strong- attacking and controlling the play in the opposition end . Impressive runs by 19 and 12 KC and AM. However, my observations were:
1 our first touch and quickness to the ball was better than Ecuador however our second touches were suspect
2 our offensive penetration up the middle was a challenge - moving KC to the middle in the second half was not as effective
3 it appears to me that in the second half, our energy, our attack was not as consistent as the first- conditioning appeared to be a factor. 19 and 12 were not running at the defence as the first half-
4. Team support up front was negligent- still too much individual play.
5. FINISH FINISH- we needed better finishes.

In my opinion, a team ought to be progressively better after taking on the likes of the USA CR and Mex, I for one  was expecting not only a better result but to see a team that would be playing at a faster pace, and with more technical and tactical positional play. Ecuador is not in the same league as some of the teams we played, yet our offence struggled against that defender. Shots on goals were near misses and not dangerous enough to challenge the goalkeeper.
 In my opinion, Ecuador withstood the storm of the first half and hence it was a morale victory for them conversely, we appeared deflated after coming away with zero for the effort- thus said the second half was a different story.
Our effort , spirit and passion were evident in the first half more so but objectively, the hustle . And intensity in the second half was waning.
I am still disappointed because it is like an opportunity lost or thrown away- not because Ecuador showed any quality as world beaters but because we allowed a slip up which was about the one of only
three real chances at goal that decided the game.

[elan]

Is anyone worried about the psychological effect on the players after the game? For some of those players this was it, they most likely will not be able to qualify for another WC ad I think this defeat maybe to much for some.

I hope they did not break camp, and have given the players a couple days in the Hotel so they can interact with each other, talk things over, have each other for support and be able to just unwind and come to terms with what just happened.

They probably could have send them to Tobago for a couple days to get away.

I really hope the staff and administrators and administration paid close attention to how hard many of the girls took the defeat and put something in place to assist them.

[AB.Trini]

Is anyone worried about the psychological effect on the players after the game? For some of those players this was it, they most likely will not be able to qualify for another WC ad I think this defeat maybe to much for some.

I hope they did not break camp, and have given the players a couple days in the Hotel so they can interact with each other, talk things over, have each other for support and be able to just unwind and come to terms with what just happened.

They probably could have send them to Tobago for a couple days to get away.

I really hope the staff and administrators and administration paid close attention to how hard many of the girls took the defeat and put something in place to assist them.

The concerns and the  inquiry is one that must be considered- however in sports, nothing is a guarantee. Truth be we are not at the level of a USA who is not only expected to qualify but to beat everyone else.now consider the mental emotional and physical maturity of the USA after their game agonist TnT!' Could you imagine the devastation to their team after that close call?
 So instead of this being a doomsday and life trauma event, if we reframe this, this could be an event that could develop our mental physical and emotional development for the future- from these events we ought to be coming back even stronger because we now understand the hurt of not meeting expectations.
 Next were we on
Y looking at the small picture? Did we only want to qualify and hope for the best? Let's be objective here if we want to get and play at the next level, it comes with development now not playing for the short term and hoping for the best- we have to be able to be consistently be at a level to that of USA Japan and the others. We are not there yet but we are on a pathway and this setback could be one of the greates teachers for. Most of these ladies!! IMHO

[socalion]

Certainly  hope  so . These  women  took the loss pretty hard !!.....As a result now moreso they'll need our support to pick themselves up !! 

[Bakes]

Yes...let's here your explanation of the so called support yuh talking bout. Cause either you blind, don't live in Trinidad and Tobago or haven't been following the women's national team until that game on Tuesday.

For starters there is the fallacy that the players were sent to [the CONCACAF 2015 World Cup Qualifying Tournament] with only $500... particularly the implication that they were expected to somehow get by on just that for the duration of the tournament.  The $500 was meant to cover transportation from the airport upon arrival, and then breakfast the following morning.  More finances were intended and was already in the works, it was not a last-minute something that came about as a result of Walrdum's hasty tweet.  He knew of this plan all along but thought all the money would come with the team, panicked... and here we are.

Not sure who the "powers that be" are, but there are different stakeholders, who put a varying amount of effort and support behind our sporting programs.  Not sure that the issue of the $500 is representative of any deliberate actions by the collective stakeholders.  There certainly is apathy, opportunism and malaise resident in certain quarters, but not sure that's true of the whole.

As stated, the women's program receives just about the same support as our other programs, there is no gender discrimination with regards to the aforementioned ills... those who are indifferent to the women's program are similarly indifferent to the men's program, the U-20 program, the U-17... it's equal opportunity apathy.  As I said, the ladies are as supported as any of the other programs... even among the fans.

[elan]

Yes...let's here your explanation of the so called support yuh talking bout. Cause either you blind, don't live in Trinidad and Tobago or haven't been following the women's national team until that game on Tuesday.

For starters there is the fallacy that the players were sent to [the CONCACAF 2015 World Cup Qualifying Tournament] with only $500... particularly the implication that they were expected to somehow get by on just that for the duration of the tournament.  The $500 was meant to cover transportation from the airport upon arrival, and then breakfast the following morning.  More finances were intended and was already in the works, it was not a last-minute something that came about as a result of Walrdum's hasty tweet.  He knew of this plan all along but thought all the money would come with the team, panicked... and here we are.

Not sure who the "powers that be" are, but there are different stakeholders, who put a varying amount of effort and support behind our sporting programs.  Not sure that the issue of the $500 is representative of any deliberate actions by the collective stakeholders.  There certainly is apathy, opportunism and malaise resident in certain quarters, but not sure that's true of the whole.

As stated, the women's program receives just about the same support as our other programs, there is no gender discrimination with regards to the aforementioned ills... those who are indifferent to the women's program are similarly indifferent to the men's program, the U-20 program, the U-17... it's equal opportunity apathy.  As I said, the ladies are as supported as any of the other programs... even among the fans.

That is level   You really reaching.

Forget the $500 thing. Care to compare the women's team to the men's team in support financially, and by fans.
Here I'll make it easier. Name - prior to the CFU Tournament - T&T Women's last friendly or game?

One swallow does not a summer make

[Bakes]

That is level   You really reaching.

Forget the $500 thing. Care to compare the women's team to the men's team in support financially, and by fans.
Here I'll make it easier. Name - prior to the CFU Tournament - T&T Women's last friendly or game?

One swallow does not a summer make

If it's one thing I could rely on you for is your emotional histrionics.  In attempt to disprove my statement that the ladies are "as supported as" any of our other programs, you're quizzing me on when last they played prior to the CFU Tournament.  I'm really not sure what that would prove... the assumption is that if I don't know the answer, and that would mean what? 


The answer is Venezuela (twice)... but again, what does that prove/disprove?