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Trinidad and Tobago football fans witnessed a seven-goal thriller at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva last night. But unfortunately for the players and their coach Tom Saintfiet, the hosts were on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline and will not make it to the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup as a result.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
“Yeah it’s a very disappointing result. I thought that we had started with the right motivation and spirit and tactical approach to the game,” said Trinidad and Tobago coach Tom Saintfiet, at the post game conference. “And after one minute we scored the opening goal. We were leading twice. We scored two goals and we showed some aggression and we created more opportunities than in the games before.
“I think the team showed that they [could] play as a team. They showed the public that they wanted to win and they had fighting spirit.”
An uphill task faced the Trinidad and Tobago team before kickoff, as they had to beat Haiti by two clear goals to progress from the three-team group, which also included Suriname. Haiti are no pushovers though as the Soca Warriors’ mixed fortunes against them in recent times demonstrates.
Just last year, the Haitians edged the Soca Warriors to a place in the Copa America Centenario following a tense playoff match in Panama. Haiti attacker Kervens Belfort delivered the knockout punch then, on 8 January 2016. And last night, the determined striker returned—exactly one year later—to break the hosts’ hearts with two headed items.
Saintfiet’s team conceded all four goals from set piece situations yesterday, and the Belgian coach was far from pleased with his team’s defending.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
“So they scored out of three corners and one free kick. And I think two of the four goals from Haiti are not acceptable. And that killed us.
“If you concede four goals then you can’t be satisfied [with the defending]. If I say that I was satisfied then I would need new glasses. It’s unacceptable first of all to concede four goals […] No I am no satisfied.”
The proceedings started perfectly for Saintfiet and his team though, as birthday boy Shahdon Winchester scored within the first 50 seconds to give the hosts belief. However, the Warriors were not able to get a second item in a frenetic 15-minute spell in which referee Ricangel De Leca gave controversial free kicks to both teams in the space of five minutes.
Saintfiet found Haiti’s first item to be a particularly difficult pill to swallow, as he claimed their opponents did not give the ball back after an injury to Trinidad and Tobago captain Carlos Edwards.
“I have to say the first goal was a little bit of lack of fair play. We kicked the ball out for the injury of Carlos [Edwards]—it was Aikim Andrews who kicked the ball out—and they don’t play it back to us.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
“Okay maybe we don’t have to expect it but we thought it was a fair play match. They got a free kick after that and scored.”
In truth, Haiti’s first goal seemed to have more to do with a strange refereeing decision coupled with dozy defending, as De Leca gave a free kick for a soft foul by Trinidad and Tobago defender Maurice Ford on Belfort. And, while Ford debated the call, Haiti scored through a quick free kick.
By the end of the first half, the score was 2-2 with the Warriors also benefitting from a dubious refereeing decision. But Haiti coach Josaphat Jean Claude said he never doubted that his team could better any goal tally the hosts managed.
“Their defence is very heavy—we told the players that we saw in the first game they were very heavy at the back,” said Jean Claude, through a translator. “I was very confident and I told the players if they [scored] two we will give them three and I was confident that if they scored three we could score four. And so on and so on.
“I am very proud because this is my first tournament as a head coach of the senior team because I used to coach the youth team for the Olympics. This is the first time I’m coaching the senior team and I am quite happy to be on to the next round.”
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
The second half threw up quite the conundrum for Saintfiet and his players as the likelihood of winning by two clear goals looked less plausible as the minutes ticked away.
Saintfiet sent on Cornell Glen and Trevin Caesar to give his team an extra attacking impetus. But the calculated Haitians appeared more dangerous and Trinidad and Tobago defenders Radanfah Abu Bakr and Ford and goalkeeper Adrian Foncette made some key blocks.
And, by the final 10 minutes, the Warriors were playing for a draw, which would give them a chance to get the two goal winning margin in extra time.
The hosts needed to maintain the stalemate to give themselves 30 more minutes in extra time.
“I know how ridiculous it sounds but if we won 4-2 in extra time we would have been through and if we won 3-2 in 90 minutes we would have been out,” said Saintfiet. “It’s crazy to tell the players: please don’t score a goal now.”
The extra time was not as prosperous as Saintfiet had hoped it would be, as Haiti added two more items while the hosts got a solitary strike from Winchester. The Mexico-based forward notched his maiden international hat-trick but his birthday was sullied by the outcome of the match.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Coach Saintfiet thinks that he is now able to differentiate between the players who are ready for the international level and those who are not. And, with qualification for the Russia 2018 World Cup still at stake, he claimed to be optimistic that he will get more time to put his plans into action.
Saintfiet compared his challenges with those faced by Dutchman Leo Beenhakker, a former Real Madrid and Netherlands coach who took Trinidad and Tobago to the 2006 World Cup.
“I cannot say that I feel pressured [about losing my job at this time]. I do my job just like I do every day. I cannot judge what other people think in their mind. I know that from day one people had their opinion about me and like I said it was more about the people than about me.
“I think my work on the pitch must tell if I have a future here. And knowing that I had one week before I started my first training camp and Leo Beenhakker had three months. I think in that context it would be very realistic that I’m here for the Panama and Mexico games…
“[Beenhakker] had three months time before his first match and he played two friendlies against a club team from here and a club team from Peru. He lost and drew [those matches].
(Copyright AFP 2015)
“His first qualifier was a FIFA [match day] where he had all of his squad. In his first three matches he lost two out of three. In his first five matches he lost three out of five. And he is the best coach in the history of Trinidad and Tobago, the man who had three months time before he played his first qualifier.
“I had two weeks time before I played my first qualifier and I did not have the squad which I originally selected. Because I hear some people saying ‘select this’ and ‘select that’ but I selected them. But for different reasons not everyone could not come.”
In truth, Beenhakker held his first training session in Port of Spain on 6 April 2006 and played his first competitive game against Panama on 4 June 2005—after two friendly wins over Bermuda in May.
And Saintfiet must have gotten his calculations skewed somewhere along the lines as Beenhakker’s first five games as Trinidad and Tobago coach were: Bermuda (win), Bermuda (win), Panama (win), Mexico (loss) and Honduras (draw).
While Beenhakker’s first five competitive fixtures were: Panama (win), Mexico (loss), Honduras (draw), Panama (draw) and Colombia (loss).
Saintfiet has already had a few run-ins with some of his more experienced players. And the coach took the opportunity to remind the media and the public of the players who were absent for the Gold Cup playoffs.
“I came here a week before the games started and I had to have selections. So I was seeing some matches and I was counting on advice. We had no FIFA dates so we invited [players]. People forget that.
“We invited Khaleem Hyland, we invited Jomal Williams, we invited Levi Garcia, John Bostock, we invited Molino, Joevin Jones, Cordell Cato and Mekeil Williams. So we invited a lot of players who were not available for several reasons.
“Some were not released because it was not a FIFA [match day] or they were not personally ready to perform for the team. But this has consequences if you have a lot of good players missing for such important games.”
And as far as Seattle Sounders utility player Joevin Jones goes, Saintfiet insisted that he personally invited the talented player to his New Year’s Day camp on December 22. However, Jones claimed that he had not yet received clearance from his club to join the Warriors’ camp and only got the green light at the last hour.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
The gifted MLS player, who is Trinidad and Tobago leading scorer in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, insisted that he was committed to representing his country—as always—and accused Saintfiet of trying to tarnish his name.
Another MLS player, Mekeil Williams, might be even more bemused at being named among the players who were unavailable, since he trained with Saintfiet and was dropped!
Still, Saintfiet said he is prepared to let bygones be bygones and insisted that no player will be written off for selection in the future. He also pointed to a few positives with his current crop of players.
“On the other side, I saw in the two weeks’ time that I worked with the team, the boys growing, working very hard,” said Saintfiet. “And I think even the local people discovered some local players who they never expected to play on this level. So I have some good experiences of working with the boys and for sure some of the players proved that in the future they have to be in the squad or part of the squad.”
Again, Saintfiet might have overstated his case. From the 19 players he used against Suriname and Haiti, only forward Akeem Roach—who played for a total of 78 minutes—and defender Maurice Ford had not been capped before by his predecessors Stephen Hart and Hutson Charles.
Should Saintfiet retain his post for the two World Cup qualifiers in March against Panama and Mexico, he intends to spend more time with the local-based players once the TT Pro League season is concluded.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
“I think we have to use the time smartly. We can train a lot with the local-based players or players without contracts. And I’m ready to work on a daily basis the moment the [TT Pro] League stops. And hopefully we can play some friendly matches with these guys to help prepare them.
“But we know that that the professional players in MLS and Europe will not be released for non-FIFA matches.”
On 7 December 2016, Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams told Saintfiet that he could be unemployed by the end of March if he did not get the required results against Panama and Mexico.
But will Trinidad and Tobago’s results in the Gold Cup playoffs affect his job security?
“I believe people who judge about me know my work and are not influenced by public opinion,” said Saintfiet. “They can see how I train. They can see my tactical approach. They see my work and they don’t consider the Facebook [posts] or what people are writing…
“But again, Inshallah.”
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
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Roneil Walcott is an avid sports fan and freelance reporter with a BA in Mass Communication from COSTAATT. Roneil is a former Harvard and St Mary’s College cricketer who once had lofty aspirations of bringing joy to sport fans with the West Indies team. Now, his mission is to keep them on the edge of their seats with sharp commentary from off the playing field.
QqThe standard of play has dropped greatly, the fitness level has dropped, the ability to make to make on field adjustments has deteriorated. All of these are coaching problems. Fire him now
As long as King David John Williams continue to pick the team with the silent input of the Wconection coach boooooooom ?????????
Men catching cramp after 68 mins.
When u want to bench the best players then say u need them proves u have to go.
This man is a shit snake
Bring a more high budget coach that actually have results please
You want patience? Why we didn’t have it with Hart who was getting there
getting there by playing kenwyne Jones every game an he not scoring or even contributing to the game?…getting there by allowing players to do wat dey want wen dey want? that ain’t making sense
Or OK so u being selective? Weren’t Molino and others disciplined by Hart wasn’t he being hard on the indicipline? This ass of a coach picking who Carlos Edwards
That making sense?
Fact we have a shit side
This is Kenwyne Jones’ record for T&T under Hart:
Kenwyne Jones [35 starts-16 goals-6 direct assists]
That is not bad at all and quite frankly his attitude has changed for the better under Hart
One big shit side after our last wc campaign we will not reach another one until 20 50 or so
Yeh man…he have until March. The question is, then what?!
I’m still trying to come to terms with… ‘like Beenhaker’
I say give him time. If u watch gameplay, we have improved. I can see the progress.
that mad man have to really be a mad man… thinking that he could still have a job after all that mess
“like Beenhakker”? what de arse i hearing
what about this man start, quality, experience like Leo?
#not1Fork
Unless we understand the true truth of the critical importance if individual, line, and team defending, we can talk our faces blue about any chance of qualifying here or any other time. There are several important aspects/attributes that a team has to have if they are to beat other teams their equal or better, several! Bout certainly, we have to have a very good sense and attitude to the following four. T&T has had too many problems in aspects of team shaping, defense attitudinizing, and recognizing the quick-flipping essentials of the transition game, these, among off-the-field attentiveness, focus, and emotional balance and stability. Further, we have to hold steadfastly to the fact that we have to keep up and always be sharpening both our attitudes and technical and tactical abilities to scoring. Goals win matches and preventing goals also aid in winning matches. In our last four games under Tommy “Go-figure” Saintfeit, (W-L-D: 1-3-0) we scored 1, 3, 1, 3 for a total of 8, and conceded 2, 1, 2, 4 for a total of 9 (scored 8 and conceded, 9). In our six games previous to, “Go-figure” (W-L-D: 1-4-1) we had scored 7 (2, 0, 4, 0, 0, 1) and conceded, 11 (2, 4, 0, 2, 2, 3). And if we wish to include the previous four games (W-L-D: 3-0-1) we scored 12 (2, 0, 3, 7) and conceded 3 (1, 0, 2, 0) – note that in these latter games we scored 10 in two games against St, V & G.
Fire this joker and bring back our quality players molino, Hyland, Jones, Jervaine, Garcia, cyrus and Williams to name a few. Without our best players we don’t stand a chance.. What is Bostocks story???
Bostock hasn’t taken a call from the TTFA since Hart was sacked.
F*** Saintfiet!! Not wasting my time trying to find logic in the illogical. Pathetic! !
All i want is terry is dman for the job and trinidad and tobago will be good
Next coach will be Stuart Charles
Remember latapy came and save Beenhakker
Why don’t you guys make me DT already Lasana Liburd ? I will bring an Italian GK trainer and a specialist in catenaccio and counterattack
Lol
Babwah and Isaac… we see them. See them well.
Complete mess too
So babwa u get hart fire
Yh bawa resigned but was on d beanch
Anyone knows if Babwa resigned after the injuries?
As per the Haitan coach:
“Their defence is very heavy—we told the players that we saw in the first game they were very heavy at the back,” said Jean Claude, through a translator. “I was very confident and I told the players if they [scored] two we will give them three and I was confident that if they scored three we could score four. And so on and so on…….”
Smh
.Jamaal really running tings. LOL..
He compares himself to Beenhakker???? God forbid…
He really say IN SHA ALLAH? Lasana Liburd? lol
Lol. Roneil’s story! The man is looking for the muslim support!
Yea he did
4 games played
1 win
3 lost
To countries under Trinidad in the FIFA ranking
Where is Trinidad best players
What is going on with the team and management
Lasana, please remind me ‘did he have two games to cement his place?’ And would those be Suriname and Haiti ?
No. They were supposed to be the Panama and Mexico games. Although I think everyone would agree that things have gone even worse than expected.
hmmm ok! Has DJW suggested that his neck is on the block? Why he begging already ?
The man had enough short term appointments in his career to know when his patrons are getting itchy. Lol.
Lasana Liburd he must like quickies? That’s a special fetish…… poor fella
Hahaha.
I get if he had a record of successful short stints. Then you could argue he’s a short stint miracle man. This guy has no success on any level, and no long term experience. How does he keep getting hired???
Find football nations with low self esteem for starters…
He’s the ugly guy at the bar macking on all the ladies
???
Good analogy.
..You sound like an agent. LOL..
Be patient people….
Patient?? We are in the final 6 to reach to the world Cup now is not the time for patience. Now is the time for urgency.
. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE..
Mr Look Loy.. DJW does not have a clue and is out of his depth. I’m pained to say it but he has been inept thus far and certainly needs to do spectacular things to get fans happy and believing.
DJW was voted into that position, even after making silly statements. So T&T football heads knew why and what they were choosing.
..All we hearing from TTFA and its acolytes is the Sound of Silence. DJW threatened The Saint with dismissal if he lost these two matches. Well, he duly lost them. So now, having painted himself into a corner, what he go do now? Mission Impossible..
It is time to shake up the TTFA because they are destroying Trinidad football with a smile.
DJW was referring to the two World Cup Qualifiers
..Yeah? Well he should not even get close to the team after losing to NICARAGUA, SURINAME AND HAITI B..
Well said Kello.
We have always been fairly competitive against the likes of Mexico, USA and Costa Rica.. even beating them sometimes.. but there is a massive gap between us and them. I always say do not be fooled by score lines. We drew 4-4 with Mexico but when you watch the game Mexico are miles better than us and this is proven as they are consistent qualifiers for World Cups and Gold Cup champions. We have qualified for ONE World Cup.. these teams have decent leagues and a plan. We have no plan whatsoever.. it’s absolutely comical that we think we are at these countries level. Reality check; we are not until he day we get serious and start investing big money in football and have the right individuals to implement plans.,
Who is willing to walk the talk, that is the real question. All talk and no action.
What we are missing is this.. Trinidad and Tobago have always been frustratingly inconsistent and it’s because we have never had a plan. Without a plan we will play the odd good game but we would never achieve consistency without professional leadership. We are guessing and hoping for results. DJW and many before him were clueless and I just can’t see how it would change. It’s shambolic and so unprofessional it’s a joke..
Mr hart gone but terry f is dman
Guys.. I think we have been blinded by the relative “success” under Stephen Hart. Mr Hart did a decent enough job but there was absolutely no guarantee we would’ve qualified under him. The present manager, Tom Sainfiet has had 4 games. It is not enough to instil your philosophy or style. For that reason I said it was better we kept Mr Hart or who was there for a long time and knew the system he was dealing with. We weren’t prepared to get a high profile manager but she shouldn’t have settled for a manager without proven pedigree..
Equal to or better than
Terry is d man for the job know hardest s that
what a joke
How could Beenhakker have had three months before his first match? He officially took up the Head Coach position on May 1, 2005 and his first competitive match was against Panama on June 4, 2005. His first international matches were a pair of friendlies against Bermuda on May 25th and 27th.
One thing this coach does not seem to understand is the difference in pedigree between himself and Don Leo.
From his first sit down with the media he over sold and inflated himself. Sadly he has lived up to reputation and record. He has ailinated senior players and time will tell if they will return. TTFF should have had a firmer resolve when looking for new coach, either equal to or better than Hart in my opinion.
Another issue is that culturally we treat defense as ah afterthought. …somewhere to stick d “shi%%y” people and promote an attitude dat getting “shake” is to be avoided at all costs due to embarrassment so we escort attackers rather than man up and get stuck in…..as d English would say…….so we consistently produce poor defenders. We need to pay special attention to producing defenders and one dat comfortable with d ball at their feet.
Well, it wasn’t always so. Clayton Morris, Marvin Faustin, Alvin Thomas and Kelvin Jones were examples of defenders with the feet and brains of midfielders. Also the late Richard Theodore with the 1991 World Youth Cup team.
From the current lot, Joevin Jones and Aikim Andrews both broke into their national teams as full backs but ended up being drafted higher up the pitch.
Say a prayer for Marteon Watson who is a good ball defender on the same national under-20 team with Levi Garcia but went to scholarship in the US since. You know we tend to lose touch with players who go to college in the US…
I don’t think those examples invalidate your point though. Those players are definitely in the minority.
Some nice history tidbits there thanks…….I think if we were to ever see a proper development academy in our life time, that building our teams from the back should be top on d policy agenda sadly I don’t see a proper dev plan coming out this administration……especially since they came in and diligently went about breaking every good thing they met……..d fall of the women program his been particularly vexing for me and now d senior team…..well if I really said what I wanted on dat, yuh wouldn’t allow d comment.
this guy got the job but he is still interviewing and very much in the hazing phase still, eh/?
He is in the: “Oops, I think the natives are on to me…” phase if you asked me.
hahaha. i have not been paying attention. so you mean to tell me the early observations and reports as well as record showing he was a fraud, are proving true? not even a month yet?
Hahaha. Maven, if a blind got in the driver’s seat and said he taking me to Arima. I won’t need to stick around until I hear “bang!” to realise we won’t make it.
Some Trinis believe blind, mindless, naive, loyalty is a virtue though. So…
smh.
For starters Mr DeFeat shouldn’t be comparing his tenure to Beenhakker then he should get his facts straight. I didnt like his appointment based on his track-record I don’t trust him based on his perpetual misrepresentation of facts and having seen the team play under him I have no confidence in his ability to get the job he was hired to do done ie. Win the two WCQ games in March.
Co-sign.
Sounds like someone who knows he may be sacked .
I think The Saint may actually be a good coach, that’s technically and tactically. ..note…I said may.
But he seems inexperienced in how to deal and treat situations as they pop up. He’s really made himself look weak or make it look like he regret leaving out JJ now with a statement as such so early after this ousting. Smh.
Technically he begging to keep his job. After seeing him work, I have little confidence he can get us desired results even with a full strength squad.
He’ll need a miracle, but say what
Kirwin Weston, the number of inaccuracies from Saintfiet’s mouth has grown to a level that I am not prepared to call them errors anymore.
It is now dishonesty. I will have to do a piece fact checking him because he is into double figures now.
Kudos…good that you were tracking him…would love to see them all (Y)
I agree that’s lying. If he not sure…doh talk
The man even list Mekeil Williams among the players who were unavailable and that he was missing after he dropped him! Lol. Crazy.
And he knew that T&T played a Peruvian club under Beenhakker and yet still was unable to count the number of games played thereafter and find out the proper results?
He must think the entire country is as slow as the TTFA person(s) who hired him.
Lasana Liburd Mekeil my client denies any poor professional conduct with the new coaching stuff. He never had any problems in Guatemala and MLS.
As Lasana said, is there anyone that can believe Sanfeit’s words? Now he wants to let bygones be bygones…. Lol
He said he wouldn’t hold anything against the Central FC players either. And then Marvin Phillip got injured and he still refused to pick Jan-Michael Williams.
I quote “the locals are onto him”
We are defensively deficient in so many ways that i have serious issues with us defending leads by sitting back we play better when we press eapecially from the front, this is why losing keron was big….his hussle took pressure of our DMs and create issues for opposition CBs we lost a genuine bullying forward/CAM when he got shoot