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“[…] Maybe it’s time we stop calling this bad luck and start asking whether we’re doing enough to create our own luck.
“[…] The Reggae Boyz team missing eight starters, [grinded] out six points from two games: clinical, composed, and ruthlessly efficient. Jamaica didn’t wait for luck to find them. They earned it…”
The following Letter to the Editor, which suggests that Soca Warriors head coach Dwight Yorke cannot afford to wait for luck to swing his way, was submitted to Wired868 by Betterment:
(via Concacaf.)
This result against Jamaica hurts—not because Trinidad and Tobago were poor, but because they were better in so many key areas and still left with nothing.
Maybe it’s time we stop calling this bad luck and start asking whether we’re doing enough to create our own luck.
Dwight Yorke, a national legend, knows better than most what luck looks like at the highest level. He played for Manchester United during the height of the “Fergie Time” era, when the “Red Devils” were infamous for late winners, comeback victories, and things always seeming to fall their way.
Manchester United won 4-2.
(Copyright AFP 2015/ Robin Barker.)
But that wasn’t magic—it was mentality, preparation, and pressure. United made their own luck because they were built to win.
And ironically, standing across from Yorke in this Jamaica clash was Steve McClaren, former assistant at that same Manchester United side. Now he’s in charge of a Reggae Boyz team missing eight starters, yet grinding out six points from two games: clinical, composed, and ruthlessly efficient.
Jamaica didn’t wait for luck to find them. They earned it.
That’s the difference right now: Jamaica are doing what it takes to win; T&T are doing just enough to say they deserved better, but not enough to get better.
(via TTFA Media.)
More possession, more shots, better play—it’s encouraging, but that doesn’t mean anything without goals on the board and points in the table. Yorke himself said: “You can’t score three goals away from home and none of them count.”
True. But you also can’t rely on sympathy when the stakes are this high.
Jamaica are creating their luck. Trinidad and Tobago? Still waiting for it.
(via TTFA Media.)
Yorke’s United were serial winners, and that winning culture made the ball bounce their way. He knows what it takes.
The question is: can he build that same winning belief in his Soca Warriors? Because, at this level, you don’t get lucky—you force it.
If T&T want to make the 2026 World Cup, they must stop depending on “deserving better” and start delivering better.
(via TTFA Media.)
Dominate with goals, not just possession. Be ruthless in both boxes.
Then—and only then—will the luck finally swing our way.
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Removing Yorke at this time may not give a new practitioner the time to get fully acquainted with the players, and the dept of their capabilities; which will certainly impede the coach’s ability to decide on a best fit as far as positions and systems of play. However, it may be wise to bring in an experience co-coach; one who has handled national world cup teams before. To name a few: Gareth Southgate, the England manager at 2018 & 2022 World Cups; Carlos Queiroz, coached Portugal, Iran, Colombia, etc., in recent World Cup cycles, Jorge Sampaoli who led Argentina in the 2018 World Cup, Carlos Alberto Parreira is a Brazilian former football manager who holds the record for attending the most FIFA World Cup final. At worst it would provide good mentorship for Latapy and Yorke for the future, and at best it may boost our chances of qualifying even at this stage in the competition.
This is not about luck or creating luck, this is about lack of development concerning the sport. We blamed Jack Warner, Tim Keep, DJ Williams and Wallace for our football woes but did we develop the sport? We went to FIFA and begged for normalization, but did we develop the sport? We have done zero development and now that we can’t even beat Curacao, this man is talking about luck? This has nothing to do with luck but years of mismanagement, selfish leadership and a sport that we neglected to develop.
When will we learn? What’s the objective of the TTFA? To get to the World Cup? How many times we have taken this retrogressive approach to our detriment? Our approach should be to develop football at all levels with a solid structure and program in place with a long term goal in mind. That’s what Jamaica, Curacao and other regional countries are doing. Hence their success. We need to stop selecting coaches and preparing teams just to qualify for a World Cup. That’s an archiac approach.
Everything the writer wishes is true. But let’s not compare the Soca Warriors with Manchester United or even Jamaica for that matter. Jamaica, in spite of the absence of some key players is a settled team with a recent history of winning, Man U practiced every day with a settled team after years of fiddling and recruiting. (By the way, What of Man U now?). Trinidad and Tobago has been enduring a string of losses and Yorke is still a new coach trying find his best team – a team he only has a few days with on four or five occasions over the last 9 months or so. We need patience. The TTFA should be really trying for WC 2026 but aiming for 2030, grooming young players, and taking advantage of every FIFA window by providing the team with international friendlies to build confidence and cohesion . The US, for example, plays about 9 or 10 international friendlies per year. That’s how a coach finds his best players and builds his best team. Any objective and impartial observer will agree that the team is improving. But Yorke, like Fergie is not a magician. He needs loyal fans, but mostly TTFA support.
“If T&T want to make the 2026 World Cup,” this commentator writes, “THEY must stop depending on “deserving better” and start delivering better.”
“Then—and only then,” he end a few lines later on, “will the luck finally swing OUR way.”
I guess we shall find out in a month’s time whether the strength of the support Wired868 noted and reported at the Curaçao game is real—genuine, unconditional Soca-Warriors-is-my-side-win-lose-or-draw support or the same old we-does-win-but-dem-does-lose posturing we have known for many, many years now.
Fingers crossed.
You can’t get blood from a stone. Our players aren’t good. Our 1973 team would destroy this current team easily. They question is why is our football worse than 50 years ago.
It really isn’t about luck, I agree. What we are witnessing is Jamaica slowly and methodologically building a soccer program. The results are showing for themselves. You just don’t wake up one morning and get to such a position. It demands foresight, developing structures, setting targets and goals. Some how our administrators seem not to understand this. The sooner they do we’ll see improvements in our play and results. It wouldn’t happen immediately but it will happen. I’ll be harsh in asking, why should Trinidad and Tobago defeat a team or let alone qualify to go to a world cup without following these guidelines for success? The laws of nature doesn’t work that way.
My thoughts exactly. Well stated! Yorke is not a magician. The TYFA needs to get its act together.