TTFF is to blame for Ash Wednesday’s loss

THE EDITOR: I just finished watching the game again on tape after watching it live in the Oval. Here are my findings. 1) ESPN commentators said while the US team was eating at the hotel, TT was now checking in and stated that Stern John begged the TTFF to allow the team to fly in the night before and get a good night’s rest instead of flying the day of the game. The US commentators stated the hotel was very quiet Tuesday night and the US team was well rested. Even though the flight from Tobago is only 20 minutes any sort of travelling, checking in, checking out and flying is unnecessary stress before a game, worse yet if it is on a turboprop. My beef is treat the team like adults and fly them in even 11 pm Tuesday if you’re so worried that  it is a bunch of little boys you are dealing with and not adults, fly them in when the festivities were over.

I also agree with the commentators when they suggested that if you can’t trust and treat your players like adults, they should not be on this World Cup squad. Didn’t we learn this lesson in 1989, regarding long trips before a game? What is the big deal with giving Latapy a call? Why must Latapy make the first move? I doubt Dwight Yorke made the first move. Again, the ESPN commentators both stated they were surprised Dwight Yorke was still in the game in the 2nd half and not subdued out as he was adding nothing. I have read so many articles where people stated Yorke contributed so much. Nonsense, the man did not make one pass someone on a very basic level could make. He was nowhere in the game for most of the 90 minutes.

Cornell Glenn should have started. Carlos Edwards had a good game, why was he substituted ahead of Yorke? The referee called a few bad fowls on our forwards, and one of those offside calls against was wrong, why didn’t the TTFF make some noise about this? Our defence made a basic lapse on Johnson’s header. It is a classic move to run when the ball is kicked, but no one stayed on him and we allowed him to go unchallenged for the header. How many times will our defence continue to give up goals on these simple mistakes? Shaka had a great day in goal, I was shocked to see reports of him being “slow on his feet.” Imagine Phase II playing regular soca during the game (separate to the regular iron/rhythm section).

I went and asked them at half-time if during the game, they could play some “TT We Want A Goal” or maybe some Machel “We Not Giving Up,” to fire up the quiet crowd into singing/chanting for the team. The side leader told me, that is what he was paid to play! What sense is that, hiring a pan side to play soca while the game is going on? We are the only country in the world whose fans are so quiet while their team is on the field. Get the crowd singing! Instead, we sit down like a bunch of defeated fans listening to pan playing soca. Overall I think TT played well considering the circumstances, overall better than the US, more chances. Keller had an incredible day for the US. That US team did not look so good. I believe TT could beat this team once dealt with the right cards from TTFF. This team can qualify for Germany once TTFF gets their act together.

DAVID  GOMEZ
Port-of-Spain