Light applause follows TT defeat

At the beginning of the match against Paraguay, while hundreds lined up awaiting transport to go home from City Gate, Port-of- Spain, commuters took in the game from several television sets strategically placed for the moment.

They eagerly rose for the National Anthem followed by applause in anticipation of a possible victory for Trinidad and Tobago. They soon settled in, reacting everytime the TT team gained possession of the ball. At other bars in PoS, patrons who were not as fortunate as the City Gate crowd had their ears trained on radios blaring from those establishments.

But at Mangoes, the crowd at the packed restaurant was more vociferous. Some patrons wanted to give a good shaking to striker Stern John for being offside so often. Emotions at one time ran high when an opponent feigned a foul.

They seemed to want to grab the player from the big screen and throw him out of the game. Then when Paraguay’s second goal was ruled offside, there was thunderous applause from the crowd.

At the Bocas Restaurant on Chacon Street, the crowd was more restrained. During the half time period they sat reflecting on what had taken place in the first half, paying little attention to the Dj’s playing of Maximus Dan’s “Fighter.”

However, the sight of Russell Latapy replacing Autis Whitley caused the crowd for the first time to give a loud cheer over the substitution. Latapy’s emergence on the field came with high expectations from the crowd. Soon enough, they had more to cheer about each time Latapy shot to goal.

But the second goal by Paraguay just shrunk the crowd that remained in the Bocas, since some left the pub immediately after the goal. Some patrons started cursing goalkeeper Kelvin Jack for not saving the goal and Stern John and Evans Wise for not converting their opportunities into goals, and also the referee for blowing against Trinidad too many times. Ironically Brent Sancho remained unscathed even after scoring an own goal.

In the end, the diehard football fans cheered the presence of Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors at the World Cup.