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Trinidad and Tobago Men’s National Senior Team caretaker coach Derek King closed his first match window at the helm without a win, as the Soca Warriors were held goalless by French Guiana tonight in Concacaf Nations League A action at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet.
The result did little favours for either team, although the Soca Warriors—who are bottom of Group B at present—can still retain their League A standing with a win and a draw in a home and away contest with Cuba next month.
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Two wins in the next match window and, perhaps improbably, Trinidad and Tobago might even advance to the quarterfinal stage, as sacked head coach Angus Eve did just months ago.
But it was not a night when optimism permeated the air.
Twenty-one minutes into the contest, a light tower went out at the Dwight Yorke Stadium and Dominican referee Adonis Carrasco was obliged to temporarily lead the players off the field.
Whether the lights ever truly came back on is open to debate. But, despite the clear attacking intent by both teams, it was truly a dim affair.
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“The vibes real low right now,” an anonymous Soca Warriors player told Wired868 last night—as he complained about their vain efforts to collect unpaid match fees.
On an overcast night with a small crowd, the feeling of melancholy was unshakeable in Bacolet.
King made five changes to the team that fell 4-0 away to Honduras last Friday, with centre forward Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, playmaker Duane Muckette, combative midfielder Daniel Phillips, left back Triston Hodge and central defender Leland Archer replacing Reon Moore, Steffan Yeates, Dantaye Gilbert, Andre Raymond and Justin Garcia respectively.
Woodley, who grew up in Charlotteville, featured heavily in pre-game advertisement. It was an appeal which seemed to suggest that the rare chance for Tobagonians to see the nation’s best footballers was not as enticing as seeing a local boy in red, black and white strip.
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Not even that seemed to prompt Tobagonians to brave a drizzle.
However, Showtime showed that he was far more than a marketing gimmick with a fine finish—just 47 seconds into the affair—after a clever, flicked pass by attacker Ryan Telfer.
Unfortunately for Trinidad and Tobago, assistant referee Jose Bare correctly spotted that the 38-year-old journeyman forward had just strayed offside.
The Soca Warriors, one thought, would surely get more chances to put the game away. And they did.
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But a certain conviction, or fizz, seemed lacking.
Muckette exchanged passes with Phillips and then Woodley before testing opposing goalkeeper Fei-hong Faham with a shot that forced a corner kick in the 25th minute.
Phillips struck the upright in the 39th minute with a shot from distance, after a driving run from flanker Real Gill. And Woodley and Muckette then created openings for themselves before promptly muffing them in the 40th and 45th minutes respectively—although Muckette should have probably teed up an unattended Ryan Telfer instead.
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Yet, in the 27th minute, King would have breathed a sigh of relief after a turnover by Phillips in the defensive third of the field allowed French Guiana captain Ludovic Baal a crack at goal that also failed to hit the target.
Trinidad and Tobago were a touch sloppy on either end as it slowly began to dawn on everyone involved that French Guiana might leave Tobago with something.
Visiting defender Thervilus Ericsson failed to cut out a speculative long ball from Warriors right back Alvin Jones in the 64th minute, leaving Moore alone with the goal at his mercy. But the former soldier sent his angled attempt into the side netting.
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Midfielder Noah Powder, who replaced Muckette, offered little more than a backpass to the French Guiana goalkeeper in the 66th minute, after another presentable chance created by Jones.
Jones nearly conjured up a third major opportunity in the second half with a lofted pass that was inches away from substitute Kaïlé Auvray.
But, at the other end, French Guiana attacker Arnold Abelinti also had two late sniffs that might have stolen three points for the visitors.
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Trinidad and Tobago were better on the night. But a draw was probably fair. The hosts lacked the conviction to finish off their guests.
The final stats read 583 passes to Trinidad and Tobago who also had 61% possession. French Guiana had 366 passes.
Yet, the shots on target count was two for the hosts and one to the visitors.
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On a low voltage night, the Soca Warriors seemed to be going with the flow. And it leaves them at the foot of the Group B standings.
King, in the post-match press conference, criticised the frequent lateral and backward passes from his players.
“Our ball movement was a bit slow,” said King, “but we still created chances and I think we should have got three points tonight.
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“[…] Our intensity and ball speed has to be much better to compete with the best teams in Concacaf.”
David, the team captain, suggested the Warriors strayed away from the things that brought the team success and have to recapture their mojo.
“It is a draw that actually feels like a loss for us,” said David. “[…] Three points tonight would have put us in a good position in the group again.
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“[…] Sometimes you take things for granted […] and then you have to look yourself in the mirror… We need to have a bit more hunger.”
Teams
Trinidad and Tobago (4-3-3): 22.Denzil Smith (GK); 16.Alvin Jones, 5.Leland Archer, 2.Aubrey David (captain), 3.Triston Hodge; 18.Andre Rampersad, 4.Daniel Phillips (15.Dantaye Gilbert 71), 10.Duane Muckette (19.Noah Powder 62); 11.Real Gill (20.Kaïlé Auvray 56), 23.Kevon Woodley (13.Reon Moore 56), 7.Ryan Telfer (12.Steffan Yeates 62).
Unused substitutes: 1.Christopher Biggette (GK), 21.Aaron Enill (GK), 6.Andre Raymond, 8.Isaiah Lee, 9.Nathaniel James, 14.Shannon Gomez, 17.Justin Garcia.
Coach: Derek King
French Guiana (4-1-4-1): 1.Fei-hong Faham (GK); 17.Thomas Vancaeyezeele, 14.Gregory Lescot, 5.Thervilus Ericsson, 3.Yohan Marmot; 13.Mickael Colino; 15.Keddy Baal (9.Arnold Abelinti 58), 21.Loic Baal, 10.Ludovic Baal (captain) (8.Dany Florentine 58), 19.Yvelin Nozile (6.Thomas Nemouthe 66); 11.Joel Sarrucco (7.Jules Haabom 81).
Unused substitutes: 16.Marcos Buisan (GK), 2.Yorick Gaillou, 12.Augustin Kwasiba, 18.Yannis Letard, 20.Jimmy Benice.
Coach: Jean-Claude Darcheville
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Lasana Liburd is the managing director and chief editor at Wired868.com and a journalist with over 20 years experience at several Trinidad and Tobago and international publications including Play the Game, World Soccer, UK Guardian and the Trinidad Express.
The same Honduras who drop four on us cannot defeat Jamaica. Jamaican soccer maybe as much as a country Mile ahead of us at the moment and steadily pulling away from us. The question is, what are these teams doing that we aren’t…..it may simply lie in their organizational capabilities/leadership (the programs they have in place). TTFA time to step up, we are not looking good.