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Can someone tell TTFA president David John-Williams they were only joking when they said the Soca Warriors should quit football for underwater golf?
With the Trinidad and Tobago National Senior Team having no chance of progressing for the Russia 2018 World Cup, the local football body has just two priorities for its remaining matches: to set the tone for the future; and to not get embarrassed.
Eh… So much for that.
After setting a new national record for consecutive defeats last Friday—their 3-1 loss away to Mexico was the Warriors’ seventh in a row; all under current coach Dennis Lawrence—local football fans faced fresh indignity on Monday morning, as NBC relayed images and video clips of the bemused United States team trying to train on the “underwater” Ato Boldon Stadium venue in Couva.
One video, shared on the official US Soccer Twitter feed, showed technical staff members providing players with piggy-back rides to the field, so as to avoid the treacherous two inches of water on the running track.
Mr Live Wire can only assume that the USSF officials also dice up meat and vegetables for their macho players, cut the ends off their sandwiches and tuck them to bed too. How sweet.
In Trinidad and Tobago, players don’t even get a visit from their football president when they are nursing gunshot wounds or hospitalised for massive heart attacks.
Of course guests usually have the good manners to wait until they are safely back at their own homes before they start sharing clips of “that crazy lime we went to the other day.” But then that’s the level of respect that Trinidad and Tobago football demands at present.
With the state the Warriors are in, the TTFA’s tagline should read: “Come for the smiles, the sunshine and the three points… You won’t even notice we’re here!”
This is not to minimise the Sport Ministry’s role in this debacle, though.
The Ato Boldon Stadium belongs to the Trinidad and Tobago government and not the TTFA.
What exactly have Sport Minister Darryl Smith and Sport Company chairman Dinanath Ramnarine been doing to minimise the fall-out since the government sent eight executive officials on leave, including CEO Adam Montserin, facility manager Anthony Blake and senior manager facilities maintenance Raj Ramtahal?
Who will take responsibility for getting the waterlogged ground ready in just 24 hours? Will they send Smith to Couva with a straw?
What sense is there in wowing us with the Budget allocation for sport without the foresight and know-how to prepare a ground for an international match? How is it that there are school grounds under regular use that look in better shape than the national stadium?
Sport Minister Darryl Smith (right) makes a point to Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on 26 March 2017.
(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
And what will those images of the Ato Boldon Stadium, being beamed across the region by US Soccer, do to Trinidad and Tobago’s fanciful dreams about sport tourism?
Not that there is no silver lining to be had in all of this. Maybe US coach Bruce Arena would send for Michael Phelps.
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All yuh Trinidadians like uncle tom ting.
All yuh sick.yes. That kind of rain will cause flood anywhere. Yes, even in the land.of.the free and the home of.the brave.
Problem is, it happened in the land of corruption and murder
I have never and i will say it again never seen sitting water like that at a sporting venue in america. Rain or snow. So save me the BS
Roger come on… Flooding occurs but as mentioned the facility is either built poorly or maintained poorly, this shouldn’t surprise you. But the timing nails the coffin shut unfortunately
Search USA vs Costa Rica snow storm and then compare. This is gamesmanship
Well I expected that you will defend your own. Water up to their necks right. Setups
Now tell me what is this display?
Remember in 1989,Mr Warner said we should wet the grounds in Hasely Crawford
You have the story in reverse. It was Gally Cummings who begged them to wet the ground and Jack Warner refused.
Ok ,thought it was Jack,
It might be the God’s are with us
..They would get a better crowd at 3.45 in HCS than in ABS at ANY time,,
Hope no one in the US may think Ato Boldon owns/maintains the stadium, lol
Lol. Poor Ato.
..Not to my knowledge. But no law says it must be played at night. Honduras played them at mid-day in San Pedro Sula. The game is at ABS for worse, not better..
Agreed.
We could have given them a 3.40pm kick off like those school games.
..Exactly. But we boy hadda show people who is boss and that he knows best…
Keith, It is “the home of
Football”
Lol. I don’t think that time would be wise if they’re tryna attract a crowd though..Most people finish work 4 ish..
Cherisse judging from crowds at some school games, they woulda find a way. There were about 4,000 ppl at least for that time when Naparima played Presentation (San Fdo). That was more than at kick off in our last World Cup qualifier!
..That’s a lot of bull shit. Tactics. Steups. I wish they get the match moved though. At HCS we would get a better crowd and have better conditions..
I thought Honduras were mighty comfortable at Couva myself. But what do I know…
Have the lights been fixed at HCS? That’s the ques.
Cherisse I don’t think so. So it probably wasn’t an option for this game. But then one of the lighting towers didn’t work at Ato Boldon Stadium either. Game only played because Honduras agreed to play it.
Do you think the USA team would be as polite? Doubt it.
Agreed…i was referring to Keith’s suggestion to move the game there. But obviously that can’t be done now..
..DJW ain’t doing that. He always right..
So even if it has to be played at night….. we can’t get some lights fixed in a day???? This is embarrassing on so many levels, including the foolish commentaries about snow etc
Keith Look Loy who is that Darryl or djw? The agility might be misleading
Then again, it might be part of a brilliant strategy according to the brother of the national coach
..Well, it’s football and the ball is round, but I don’t see them losing..
considering that USA only managed a goalless draw on their last trip here, one wonders what has changed to make them so confident that they are risking alienating their hosts before a Do or die World Cup qualifier?
(I can think of a few possible changes since the last meeting…)
This is hilarious, nothing else can describe it, my shame of this place out the window years now.
Exactly how/why is this hilarious?
You aren’t looking at the picture…
Shame for what.
Woooii Fued lol
..Shaka apparently vex for no reason too..
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156609694732195&set=p.10156609694732195&type=3
The degrading remarks I read eh hmph
So you want the gov’t too go fix it.l don’t believe some smartass people .
Who is in charge of the stadia??? Is it privately owned??? I think not.
things happening these days that never occurred before
I still have not been paid to make the entrance sign. Not suprised.
??
Sad… but…
I am thoroughly disillusioned with Trinidad and Tobago.
You think a flooded field makes us an international laughing stock. I think we being ranked 99th, underneath war-torn Syria already doing that..
..Abandon all hope yes. Cool pal..
They could laugh. And so what? The stadium has it faults but it’s not abnormal for places to flood when it rains. It actually happens. And it happens in the US too. I think it has to be addressed. I also think it’s not that serious hence the reason for them making light about it. Shrugs*
https://wired868.com/2017/10/09/underwater-golf-anyone-ussf-poke-fun-at-ato-boldon-stadium-before-tuesdays-wcq/
TTFA “concerned” about USSF tweets about Ato Boldon Stadium venue; hits back with photo from SnowClásico against Costa Rica
https://wired868.com/2017/10/09/ttfa-concerned-about-ussf-tweets-hits-back-with-photo-from-snowclasico/
That is why I not seeing the problem ??
..The jokers in TTFA cannot see the difference between a!problem with Mother Nature and another with poor infrastructure..
..I guess why the USA contingent could be heard LAUGHING..
..Cool..
So we’re bull*rs in Panama and fishermen in Trinidad? Lol
Nah you talking about those things. I am saying that international laughing stock because of a flooded mondo track is an exaggeration. The problems at the stadium and all it short comings is another issue altogether. Caps lock aside.
America has bigger issues than a flooded field. They have Donald Trump.
As an adopted Trini of close of 3 years’ residency, I find allyou too sensitive and get bent out of shape too easily. Roadie anyone? Let them have their fun. It’ll be a non-issue in 2 days.
..TTFA now know it floods there? Steups..
http://socawarriors.net/federation-news/20197-ttfa-concerned-about-the-state-of-the-ato-boldon-stadium-ahead-of-usa-world-cup-qualifier.html
In all seriousness this is a non issue. Did anyone see the pitch Belgium played on on Saturday? Unless FIFA say the field unplayable, we shouldn’t necessarily care about what the US thinks
That’s was real ! I thought that was Photoshop! LOL
..We not talking about RAIN pal. We talking about FLOODING DUE TO LACK OF DRAINAGE IN A STADIUM THAT WAS PARTIALLY WITHOUT LIGHTS WHEN WE PLAYED HONDURAS. We talking about poor decision making despite ALL evidence against said decisions. That kind of idiotic decision-making is why the stadium will be empty tomorrow .
That’s not ttfa. That’s the gov’t.
I suppose you expect Ato Boldon to fix it!
What crap you asking me??? It’s not a privately owned stadia.
Did they close down the new swimming facility next door and incorporated it into the grand scheme (word!) of the new football headquarters?
These Dinsosaurs running TTFA doh learn bai!
Nope it has not happened with us before. But if we are taken to a match in Colorado and there is a snow storm it won’t heap shame on the US, international or otherwise. If we head to Costa Rica and rain a few days before flooded the hotel and field the same reasoning would apply. It rains and places flood. Even in the first world US. It’s a massive inconvenience. International laughing stock? Gross exaggeration..
Gamesmanship lol… what allyuh worried about? Some does pull fire hydrants at midnight, some does play music all night, we just happened to have ah little inches ah water. Yes man, make then uncomfortable lol
I would have rented about twenty cattle to walk on that field. ???
Lol
Lasana, what can I say that I haven’t said before. The lack of standards in this place is not funny. If we had any sense of national pride we would cease all government spending on sport until an effective and transparent means of administrating sports can be structured.
As for me, I am tired of looking at the fiasco that is Trinidad sports.
..Yeah. This is normal at World Cup venues. That happened to us when we went to play in Costa Rica? Or was it Honduras? Maybe in USA. That is some Fourth World shite right there, even if some of is don’t see it..
International laughing stock because a stadium flood? In rainy/hurricane season? I doubt it that serious..
Vernal Damion Cadogan, where yuh?!
Sports Tourism at its ……….Somebody is making ah money with the use of this stadium.
In all the melee and under water golf, may I suggest this possibility? Maybe it’s my ???? – 1-0; 2-1; and, 1-1 therefore, M, C, P, and U.
Yep not a good look. They were making fun of it on the soccer radio show today. Do we still have a functuning TTFA?
..This is nothing to laugh at. I am ashamed. THIS is what the TTFA has reduced us to by the stubborn behaviour and idiocy of its leadership. We are an international laughing stock in more ways than one..
Swimming lessons ?