V’zuelans target young Abu Bakr

DISPLAYING a distasteful show of arrogance, intimidation and a total badjohn behaviour against the match officials and members of the national Under-20 football team, the Venezuelan youth squad stunned a sparse crowd of 100 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on Sunday night. With the scores level at 1-1 in injury time, the Venezuelans, who were being given a dose of their own medicine by the Trinidad and Tobago outfit, decided that enough was enough and meekly walked off the field, to the cheers of their travelling band of supporters. Three glaring things stood out during Sunday’s doubleheaders featuring the Under-17 and Under-20 players of both teams —  the vociferous Venezuelan rhythm section compared to the silent support of the locals; the absence of security and medical personnel and the soft-hearted attitude of the officials, especially in the Under-20 clash.

In the 89th minute, while Venezuelan Under-20 captain Jhon Ospina dawdled while receiving treatment for an “injury” (a clear time-wasting strategy), some of his team-mates decided to physically target defender Radanfah Abu Bakr, without any knowledge about the reputation his father holds in Trinidad and Tobago. Abu Bakr retaliated in kind, and the Venezuelan bench and technical officials stormed onto the field, with referee Neal Brizan and linesmen Joseph Taylor and Solomon Brewster struggling to maintain a level of control. A minute later, striker Christopher Sam got himself in a tangle with Venezuelan defender Mario Bossetti and, with tensions at boiling-point, both benches were emptied —  scenes normally associated with Major League Baseball. Realising that their hosts were not as coward as they perceived, the Venezuelans walked off the field like a group of tamed bullies, forcing Brizan, who had a terrible time with the whistle, to call off the match.

Philosophical in his view of the match, TT tactician Anton Corneal remarked: ”I thought they (TT) performed very well. I thought we were actually in full control of the game.” “We made the Venezuelans play for time 80 minutes into the (game). I’m so pleased with all of the players and when it became physical we were just as physical. It really gives me now a clearer picture, if we are prepared to step up we have the ability to, and to play at this level.” In the ninth minute, Abu Bakr sent his header wide of Miguel Aponte’s goal from a Sam corner. But Brizan, after consulting with Taylor, sent off left-back Jose Eranados for elbowing TT’s stopper Joel James. Eranados took a lifetime to get off the pitch, and even had the audacity to storm back on the field during the 89th minute scrap. Venezuela controlled the tempo for the most part, and their defence frustrated the attacking duo of Sam and the gifted Shane Calderon although the former missed a chance to open the scoring in the 69th.

Another defensive blunder by TT cost them dearly, as midfielder Luis Seijas disposed a re-active Marcelle Francois on the left, sped past Abu Bakr and delicately lobbed over the advancing Holder. During his celebrations, Seijas uprooted the right corner flag, a move that shockingly went unpunished by Brizan. Nonetheless, Seijas went from hero to villain in the 88th. After he was penalised for pulling at Jagdeosingh’s shirt, Francois sent his 30-metre freekick into the box. The Venezuelans off-side trap did not work and Abu Bakr had all the time in the world to collect and lob Aponte. Led by Ospina (who received a booking for his protestations), the visitors surrounded the officials and loudly pleaded for a verdict in their favour. When they were refused, all hell broke loose! Both the national Under-17 and Under-20 teams are preparing for their Caribbean Football Union (CFU) second leg fixtures against Cuba on November 19 (in Trinidad) and 26 (in Cuba).

The Venezuelan Under-17s capitalised on two mishaps by the three-man TT defence to prevail 2-1 in the earlier encounter. After 16 minutes, referee Noel Bynoe awarded the visitors a penalty after Brendon Boucaud brought down captain Tomas Rincon inside the penalty box, with fellow striker Leonardo Colmenares finding the back of the net. Rincon, as he did on Friday at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Tunapuna, showed his superiority over the other 21 players on the field, and his skill and vision worried the national outfit yet again. A breakdown in communication between Khaleem Hyland and Marvin James resulted in Venezuela’s second in the 40th. Yan Salazar intercepted a throw made by James to Hyland and tapped home past TT goalkeeper Kevin Mussio. Energetic playmaker Shastri Spencer got the consolation item for the hosts, running on to a right-side centre from Nyron Orr and slotting home from five metres out.