Canada dry: Ecuador heartbreak as W/Warriors concede W/Cup race

At just after 8 pm yesterday, on Tuesday December 2, Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kimika Forbes lay face down inside her own penalty area and seemed to will the ground to swallow her whole. Up in the stands of the Hasely Crawford Stadium, the seats were emptying fast.

In the four minutes that flew past between Monica Quinteros’ devastating goal for Ecuador and referee Esther Staubli’s final blast of the whistle, more than 5,000 patrons found their way through the exits.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago players Kennya Cordner (right) and Anique Walker head for the dressing room after their 1-0 FIFA 2015 Women's Cup Play Off second leg defeat to Ecuador on December 2 in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago players Kennya Cordner (right) and Anique Walker head for the dressing room after their 1-0 FIFA 2015 Women’s Cup Play Off second leg defeat to Ecuador on December 2 in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

There was symmetry to the so-called 12th Warriors’ dash for their cars. Most of them had never seen the national women’s team play live before. They had paid record prices for tickets to be a part of history; not to nurse heartbroken players.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Canada 2015 World Cup dream ended so abruptly in Port of Spain that, by Christmas, maybe some would wonder if it ever happened at all. Not the heartbroken “Women Soca Warriors”, of course.

At the final whistle, young women in red shirts crumbled to the grass all over the field. Attacker Kennya “YaYa” Cordner was in tears while Sweden-based winger Ahkeela Mollon was later whisked away in an ambulance after complaining that she had difficulty breathing.

Forbes was absolutely distraught. It took a group of teammates and technical staff members to get her out of the glare of the stadium’s lights and into the tunnel that led to the women’s dressing room.

But who knows what it would take to take erase the memory of Ecuador’s late goal, which robbed Forbes, her teammates and the country of a moment in history that can never be regained.

Twenty-five years ago, Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Michael Maurice claimed to have been partially blinded by the sunlight as a speculative long ranged Paul Caligiuri effort bounced past him to give the United States a decisive lead in the race for the final 1990 World Cup berth.

At least that goal came in the first half and the “Strike Squad” needed only an equaliser, which never came. Forbes failed to spot Quintero’s flicked effort, from a left side Angie Ponce free kick, in stoppage time last night; and it meant the Women Warriors had to score twice in four minutes.

Photo: Distraught Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kimika Forbes (centre) is helped to the dressing room by (from left) assistant coach Lincoln Phillips, Rhea Belgrave and Arin King after their 1-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Ecuador in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Distraught Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Kimika Forbes (centre) is helped to the dressing room by (from left) assistant coach Lincoln Phillips, Rhea Belgrave and Arin King after their 1-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Ecuador in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Forbes held herself culpable; and maybe the team’s new-found followers might remember it that way. But those who followed this band of young women for the past three months or two years know differently.

In the end, the Warriors could not escape the sins of their poor preparation.

Win, lose or draw, the future of Ecuador’s women’s game was not in danger yesterday. Last year, the Ecuadorean Government bankrolled the South American nation’s first women’s domestic league while its fresh-faced 25-year-old coach Vanessa Arauz has benefitted from internships with professional male clubs in her homeland. And, for the first FIFA Play Off leg in Quito, the Ecuador FA embraced its own supporters by offering match tickets at between US$2 and US$10.


Ecuador’s investment in the female game is no fly-by-night affair; but a long term commitment.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) can justify its own pricing, from an economical standpoint, as the stadium was packed and ready to party at a cost of $200 and $100. But what do you make of the audience’s distraction during the game and the mass exodus before the final whistle?

The football squad took nothing for granted in the post-game press conference as it urged stakeholders not to abandon the female game again.

“It is very important moving forward that we capture the momentum and try and build it,” said national coach Randy Waldrum. “We cannot have women’s football go backward and take a back seat again.”

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago captain Maylee Attin-Johnson (centre) signals during yesterday's FIFA Play Off contest against Ecuador in Port of Spain. Looking on are teammates Arin King (left) and Kennya Cordner. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago captain Maylee Attin-Johnson (centre) signals during yesterday’s FIFA Play Off contest against Ecuador in Port of Spain.
Looking on are teammates Arin King (left) and Kennya Cordner.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Warriors captain Maylee Attin-Johnson echoed his sentiment.

“You all see now what we can give and what a little investment in women’s football can do,” said Attin-Johnson. “Hopefully the heads that be take charge and continue, not continue, start putting money into women’s football; and we can bear fruit from there.”

Waldrum described his squad as Cinderella team and there has certainly been interest from all over the globe. But, in the ending, the final scene was less a fairytale and more like a clip from “Carlito’s Way.”

The women, against all odds, willed better for themselves. They dragged themselves up from the gutter and danced around a barrage of obstacles; paradise seemed within touching distance.

And then, at almost the last second, came the assassin’s bullet.

Heartbreak did not seem inevitable at about 5 pm when the women literally danced on to the field to warm-up with 10,000 fans screaming in delight while the DJ blasted Super Blue’s infectious “Fantastic Friday.”

For the Caribbean Cup final in August, there were just over 3,000 patrons at the stadium. Yesterday, more than three times as many people were there just to watch them warm-up; and, once the action started, the attendance was about 20,000, which is just 2,000 shy of a full house.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago supporters came out to watch the "Women Soca Warriors" face Ecuador in Port of Spain. But many did not stay until the final whistle. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago supporters came out to watch the “Women Soca Warriors” face Ecuador in Port of Spain.
But many did not stay until the final whistle.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

In the opening 15 minutes, Mollon thrice tested Ecuador goalkeeper Shirley Berruz with teasing crosses while, in the 19th minute, Cordner flicked a header wide from six yards after a left side delivery from fit-again veteran Tasha St Louis. St Louis stayed down holding her left leg, though; and, 17 minutes later, she left the playing field on a stretcher.

“La Tricolor” had worked itself into the game by then and had two good scoring opportunities. First, it took a tremendous sprint and tackle from Rhea Belgrave to deny Quinteros in the 33rd minute as the striker chased a pass from teammate Ambar Torres while, two minutes later, Quinteros drove overbar from about 25 yards and Forbes had to save an overhead kick from Torres in the 44th minute.

Two minutes into the second half, the Warriors continued their habit of bright starts under Waldrum as Cordner controlled a Mollon cross and clipped the top of the bar with another overhead kick.

But the game soon returned to its pattern with Trinidad and Tobago controlling possession in non-threatening areas but relying almost solely on the pace of Mollon rather than intricate inter-play to open up the opposing team. And Mollon’s crosses were not finding their mark with enough regularity.

By the hour mark, the frustration was starting to bubble over and the Swiss referee cautioned Cordner for trying to drag the ball away from a theatrical Berruz to take a free kick.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago attacker Kennya Cordner (right) tries to escape a challenge from Ecuador right back Ingrid Rodriquez during their FIFA Play Off second leg meeting in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Trinidad and Tobago attacker Kennya Cordner (right) tries to escape a challenge from Ecuador right back Ingrid Rodriquez during their FIFA Play Off second leg meeting in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

At the time, the Trinidad and Tobago supporters were entertaining themselves with “Mexican waves.”

The Warriors’ best opportunity came in the 77th minute when Mollon slipped the ball through for Cordner on the right flank as the Ecuador defence stepped forward in an unsuccessful attempt at the offside trap.

Substitute Mariah Shade, one of the team’s best finishers at the Caribbean Cup MVP, was free in a central position. But Cordner cut inside to beat Berruz herself and was denied low by the Ecuador goalkeeper.

Shade threatened with a cross-cum-shot from an unlikely angle in the 84th minute. But, seconds before the end of regulation time, Ecuador won a free kick down the left flank and Quinteros seized the moment.

Ponce’s spot kick whizzed into a crowded penalty area and the speedy striker flicked it hopefully towards goal. Forbes would have held it easily if she was on her line. But she was not; she had been sucked into the crowd just on top of her six-yard box.

Forbes may have time for a quick prayer as she watched the ball bounced, teasingly, on the grass behind her. The stadium gasped as they wondered what would happen next.

Quinteros and Ecuador were praying too. They had never qualified for a Women’s World Cup and obviously doubted that God had a Trinidad and Tobago passport.

And then the ball crossed the line and snuggled against the net. La Tricolor roared; Trinidad and Tobago fans left.

Photo: Ecuador goal scorer Monica Quinteros (second from right) celebrates her historic strike with her squad in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: Ecuador goal scorer Monica Quinteros (second from right) celebrates her historic strike with her squad in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Brianna Ryce, the ever-bustling utility player, got the final chance of the match; but her snatched, lunging effort rolled wide and she looked as if she started crying from the moment she made awkward contact with the ball.

Staubli had seen enough and her final blast of the whistle might haunt the Warriors’ dreams for some time.

“It’s almost a replay of the guys in ‘89,” said Waldrum. “If you don’t put the team away and let them hang around, these things can happen to you. Unfortunately, football can be cruel.”

Attin-Johnson said she felt as though in a nightmare.

“I think for us even though we have inspired a lot of people and we have paved a little bit of way for women’s football,” said the team captain, “we still didn’t accomplish what we set out to accomplish. For us, we are very much disappointed in ourselves.”

Arauz was unashamedly delighted.

“I feel so good because it is the first time Ecuador (qualified) for a Women’s World Cup,” she said. “So I feel it is the best thing in the world.”

The petite Arauz, who is three years younger than Attin-Johnson, described the atmosphere as “cool.” A former midfielder who never won an international cap for her country, Arauz began coaching at 22—three years ago—after a knee injury ended her playing career.

Photo: Ecuador coach Vanessa Arauz. (Courtesy La Hora)
Photo: Ecuador coach Vanessa Arauz.
(Courtesy La Hora)

Last night, she made the biggest decision of the match by starting Quinteros ahead of her country’s poster girl, Gianina Lattanzio, who was their top scorer in qualifying. And, even as extra time beckoned, Arauz believed that choice would win the match.

“Lattanzio is a good strong player,” said Arauz, who made three personnel changes and a tactical alteration since the first leg. “But we wanted someone faster for this game.”

Waldrum, who is 53, started coaching 11 years before Arauz was born. He hopes to continue in the Trinidad and Tobago programme and the national players and the media asked for his retention during last night’s press conference.

TTFA general secretary Sheldon Phillips, who hired him in the first place, suggested, with a nod of the head, that there was no chance of the Texan leaving.

But then again, Trinidad and Tobago does not do post-mortems. This country—and least of all, the TTFA—is not fond of accountability.

Waldrum, who worked without a salary, has suffered from the farcical issues that afflicted the Warriors at times in their campaign. Yet, perhaps someone might ask why his team, despite its undeniable competence in defence, only managed three or four shots on target in Port of Spain yesterday; and just 20 shots in its last seven matches combined including an hour of extra time against Costa Rica and Mexico.

Ecuador was rewarded for supporting its own improbably youthful coach yesterday. The TTFA, despite hosting coaching courses for decades, has less confidence in its home-grown products. That might explain why Phillips was already assuring Waldrum before he had even consulted with the chairman of the TTFA’s technical committee, Richard Quan Chan.

Photo: TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee (centre) gestures to an Ecuador player before kick off while Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (right) has a word to her grandson. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee (centre) gestures to an Ecuador player before kick off while Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar (right) has a word to her grandson.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Attin-Johnson hopes to enter the local workforce soon along with Mollon. Both women hold degrees.

“In the next four years, I will be 32 with about three knee surgeries,” said Attin-Johnson. “So I am not sure what the future holds.”

With former national stand-outs like Russell Latapy still being owed money, the Warriors captain might be better off using her Sport Management degree in the public or private sector.

One can only hope that the women’s work over the past two years will not be in vain.

“As you can see, not a lot was pumped into women’s football and we reached to this point,” said Attin-Johnson. “So hopefully the younger ones coming up won’t have to go through what we went through.”

There were still about 14,000 spectators who applauded the women off the field. Maybe half that number will return if the Women Warriors take to the field within the next three months; and it could be a starting point for their continued evolution.

Forbes, the Caribbean’s top goalkeeper, will be an important part of that picture.

“Kimika is near and dear to my heart,” said Attin-Johnson. “Kimika sacrificed a whole lot and has been through it; through the good, the bad and the indifferent. (She) is a very passionate player so it is hard to calm her down at this moment…

“But I will talk to her because she has a very bright future.”

Photo: An adult and child support the "Women Soca Warriors" during their FIFA PLay Off second leg clash against Ecuador in Port of Spain. (Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
Photo: An adult and child support the “Women Soca Warriors” during their FIFA Play Off second leg clash against Ecuador in Port of Spain.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

After 1989, another 16 years passed before the men got to the World Cup finals in Germany. Hopefully the Women Warriors will not have to wait so long.

(Teams)

Trinidad and Tobago (4-1-4-1): 1.Kimika Forbes (GK); 8.Patrice Superville, 4.Rhea Belgrave, 5.Arin King, 14.Karyn Forbes; 9.Maylee Attin-Johnson (captain); 12.Ahkeela Mollon, 16.Brianna Ryce, 11.Janine Francois (7.Dernelle Mascall 80), 19.Kennya Cordner; 10.Tasha St Louis (3.Mariah Shade 37).

Unused substitutes: 17.Sandra Baron (GK), 2.Ayanna Russell, 6.Khadidra Debessette, 13.Anique Walker, 16.Jasmine Sampson, 18.Khadisha Debessette, 20.Lauryn Hutchinson.

Coach: Randy Waldrum

 

Ecuador (4-4-1-1): 1.Shirley Berruz (GK); 7.Ingrid Rodriguez, 3.Lorena Aguilar, 16.Ligia Moreira, 6.Angie Ponce; 13.Madeline Riera (19.Kerly Real 58), 20.Andrea Pesantes, 5.Mayre Olivera, 8.Erika Vasquez; 10.Ambar Torres (18.Adriana Barre 80); 14.Monica Quinteros.

Unused substitutes: 4.Merly Zambrano, 9.Gianina Lattanzio, 11.Elizabeth Caicedo, 12.Irene Tobar, 15.Palacios Mendoza, 17.Tamara Angulo.

Coach: Vanessa Arauz

 

Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

 

FIFA 2015 World Cup Play Off 

Second Leg

(Tue Dec 2)

Trinidad and Tobago 0, Ecuador 1 (Monica Quinteros 90) at Port of Spain;

 

First Leg

(Sat Nov 8)

Ecuador 0, Trinidad and Tobago 0 at Quito.

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About Lasana Liburd

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.

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68 comments

  1. I am not surprised that T&T did not win! We got a Bahrain, and deservedly so. What is Randy Waldrum’s record with this team now, not counting the CFU finals that he hoffed? The records of WIred868 will show my contributions of him playing injured players and possibly sacrificing their careers in contrast to bringing some improvement. You will see my call for national coaches to help mentor this team through at this crucial stage- interventions from Stephen Hart and Jamal. The game plan had become too generic as well. My views will go on to show how team members and coaches who made contributions before this stage should also have been compensated. The first team was loaded with foreign based in the end and did not even get enough money to buy a decent foreign used car devoid of defects. The ladies allowed themselves to be used as a public and political Brazuca then got kicked to the curb. Maylee, now you will know not to issue a call for ingrates to share in your success. It is better to play in front of 200 true faithfuls than 20000 half faithfuls. Let the TTFA buss their price cuz the scalpers give nothing back as well. Harsh reality is Neymar and Ronaldo issues caused a team to get distracted. Distractions somehow influence teams to lose no matter how good they are. Don’t ever let people ride your backs whether it be for political mileage, profit or for a holiday. Lessons learnt. Dry your tears now ladies, you have lost nothing but one game and gained far greater experiences many more young women have not achieved but can now aspire.

  2. Ecuador executed their plan excellently for me. They risked nothing first half, and defended with 9 outfielders behind the ball, while looking for the counter. Second half they threatened a bit, yet not risking too much while going forward. But we’ve been fouling a lot in our games, ever since that USA game. Remember the Costa Rica and Mexico game ? Unfortunately, giving up the soft fouls caught up with us…but that’s expected when a team’s not training.

  3. Their time will come again just like the men’s team and they will qualify.

  4. At least we on the map now with women’s football. Can’t congratulate the ladies enough for their efforts in that regard. Provided we continue to support this team the way we should, without the shortcut approach, I could see this team being quite successful in the future. Our level of play at the moment is almost as good as the Central & South American giants. In fact, I would not be surprised to see Mexico, Costa Rica and Ecuador all beating a few teams at next year’s World Cup. We must take a hold of the momentum that we have built up over the past couple of months and use it in our preparation for the future. We can’t afford to continue with these shortcut preparations just before big tournaments and expect to always come out with the right result.

  5. Lasana d thing done do not get my mouth loose like an onion bag!! Give d folks the cold hard facts!!!

  6. Ecuador knows exactly how they scored that winner. They have been a threat at set pieces in both legs. For me, Trinidad and Tobago did not test the Ecuador goalkeeper enough with shots on target.
    Trinidad and Tobago was very good in the defensive third, okay in the second third and not decisive enough in the final third.
    It wasn’t a great game for us. The tournament is over and I still feel we haven’t fulfilled our potential. That is the sad part. I think we can play better than we have done. And I think our attacking trio of Cordner, Maylee and Ahkeela are even better than they looked and we would see that if our offensive game was properly configured.

    • Lasana so agree your post eh. Reading it just brings back that feeling of that night. It was like I couldn’t move from my seat and amazing to see how people was just getting up and walking out the stadium around me. For a lot of them it was probably the first and last time they’ll watch these girls play.
      Our attacking players seemed to lack that patience and composure of front and really seemed to be trying too hard. From the CFU tournament to now I’ve seen little improvement in Mollon’s game and often feel sometimes she wears blinds and is programmed to go down the line, which Ecuador was happy to let her because it yielded little results. They seemed to lack that dynamism and creativity to play through the middle. Despite that we were not short on chances and most definitely should have converted at least two of them. The defence was absolutely superb and midfield held its own. I think coach Waldrum would do well to look at players that could shoot the ball as well and are not afraid to have a go from distance.
      I do applaud the girls and all LOYAL Warriors fan. Together WE Aspire, Together WE Achieve!

  7. We tried to take a shortcut. The girls tried so damn hard that we came within a whisker of the prize. But shortcuts rarely work.
    It is amazing that the girls got here considering all the obstacles. I know they will feel they could have gone that extra inch and that would hurt. Their effort deserved that and more.
    But it is not normal for a team to get to a World Cup in the way we tried to.

  8. What can you do, what can you say…

  9. Girls should have won that easy really. Classic case game of one team totally dominant and failing to put away their chances. Would love to see posession stats of the game though, TT would be more than 60% i strongly believe. Ecuadar don’t know how they scored that winner & didn’t really make a serious attempt on goal, except that one break away.

    Thought Maylee was pretty excellent in mid-field though. Womens football can be a little hard to watch at times, because you don’t see much registra mid-fielders that control like in the men’s game – lots of long ball, attack down the flanks play.

    So her play dictating on the play and general energy in the center of the park, was a refreshing sight for once in the ladies game.

  10. As Lasana keeps saying, preparation is key. Not only in sport, but in life. Good preparation is the foundation for success, the girls just did not have it.

  11. Teams need to train regularly to have “game plan”. The women’s team was Inactive for about 18 months, came together in August/September thereabouts to try and get something going…with no funding…then boom…opportunist show up like kidnappers trying to steal the show. Including a Prime Minister and 20,000 odd fans looking for a fete. Man, just weep and move on yes. I won’t say a word on the girl’s performance, just an unfortunate situation.

  12. Goals win matches!
    We failed to score. Ecuador did.
    Talk done!

  13. Maria Antonia Sagar, did Tim Kee get any testing questions btw?

  14. The reality is that Ecuador wanted to go to the World Cup just like us.
    If both teams want the same prize just as badly, who gets it?
    I think it is the one that prepares better.
    I’m really sorry for the girls. They were let down by the administrators and all the rest of us who could have helped over the last two years.
    We were hoping for a shortcut. And that is a rare thing in life.

  15. For me, the evolution of a team is (1) create a structure to kelp your opponent out (2) create a style of play to overwhelm your opponent when you have the ball.
    I have no complaints about step one. But our low shot count doesn’t speak well of step two in my opinion.

  16. Liburd I agree with your analysis and looking at the game on TV and listening to Andre’s commentary on radio, it was obvious the Ecuadorians came to absorb pressure and rely on a quick counter attack. I am yet to figure out our game plan. Ecuador did well to eliminate St Louis from the game because for all her dribbling skills, Shade is not on her par. Cordner threw away the game through selfish play but the bandwagonist crowd as Ken Butcher pointed out on radio, do not have a clue what it means to support a team. During the lulls in play they should have been urging them on. Our skipper did well to try to push the play forward as the clock wore down but as Dennis said, they had our number and we did not have theirs. The goal was the first time I saw Forde lapse and it comes down to a panic moment, she should have held her line or go all out to get rid of the cross. They played well but the young girl coach had a better game plan and as Maylee said, goals win matches

  17. Ecuador population 15Mil. Most popular sport Football. They were never going to be a walk over. We fought the good fight..

  18. I felt like i just read a death anouncement in the daily paper… sad just sad. Just the other day i wittness these lovely ladies beat Jamaica at this same stadium and the seat i sat in…. the silence of that goal was the silence of us. It felt like a knife to the chest…. these girls worked sooo hard to reach to that stage and in a matter of three injury minutes, 1.5 mins remaining it was horriffic… TTFA MADE $1.8 mil in uncovered + $400000 in covered, totalling to $2.2MTT / US$350000. Yes…. they should feel some sort of accomplishment… Where and How will this money be spent…. No one knows….

  19. From the time the goal scored Auntie Kamla and her entourage left, she did not stay to congratulate the team or thank them for a job well done. I wonder whether she would have walked if Trinidad had scored and won.

  20. thats the thing eh Sharmain…we have a way of turning EVERY occasion into a Carnival all-inclusive

  21. Real fans were supposed to recognize the fighting spirit of the warriors in this historic campaign and slow call at the end of the game and demand they do a lap around the field because we support grit determination passion and spirit.this was. World cup qialifying match and not a fete.benjai was jooking waist in front of the girls in a manner not seen in any professional sport and truly the PM should have known when to step back.ir was just a football game.

  22. Mollon-2-YaYa is this team’s main trick.
    any opponent with an internet connection could have seen that coming and plotted a way to nullify that threat. we came at them with a blunt force when we had the tools for more subtle ways to get into goal. I saw the Jamaica team nullify T&T’s too often predictable offense and Ecuador was MUCH better than Jamaica.
    im not hating eh—the women will always have my full support—but we gotta keep it real.
    thankfully, this is NOT the end for this team.

  23. They opened people’s eyes to women’s football,they will get their chance again

  24. Arsenal Ladies Team is the top team in the UK eh

  25. Some are already playing in the US, I mean the locally-based players

  26. I hope now some of these ladies will be offered contracts in Europe where they can hone their skills and play regularly rather than waiting for the TTFA to organise a friendly to keep fit.

  27. This squad has some very skilful players and Akheela Mollon needs someone else with her speed racing to goal as she found herself without support too many times if Cordner was not with her. The team had some good opportunities but unfortunately did not capitalize. They lost looking good so I congratulate them on a good showing. The game could have gone either way. They were not outplayed. They have my total support.

  28. what was the “REAL” supporter supposed to do?
    riot? stone the ref? the opponents?
    like REAL sports fans in Europe and the US do?
    we are Trinis. This is the SECOND TIME this same exact thing has happened—and we did the same EXACT THING in 1989 too…
    i see a pattern here, and I’m happy the way we are.

  29. sooo…what yuh saying is that there’s a PROPER protocol for 20,000 bandwaggonists to celebrate a loss?
    if so, then what would that have been?

  30. i was amaze to see the number of fans that walk out when that goal was scored and the rest that started to fete at the end of the match, while our ladies lay heart broken on the field , that is when they needed our support, but then again loosing the game spoil their jump up through the streets of port of spain or their lime by smokey and bunty

  31. Lawd!! How much more dotish can he sound. Now Dotish is a word Rowley likes to use so i guess that’s the reason why Tim Kee is still the Mayor and don’t forget De Treasurer. LOL!!!

  32. well at least he afforded me a good laugh this morning, in spite of the disgust I felt listening him try to defend the awesome twosome, he tried to rip up his fellow PNMIte Louis Lee Sing. well, I laugh. Then he talked about the owner of Greyfriar paying a fine of $4,000 if he broke the law because as he had a huge lucrative deal from a developer. Tim Kee, as ‘mayor’ said, heck yes, he would have done the same thing if he were in the situation……. ahhhhh yes, does that not speak VOLUMES about the man and the way the whole TTFF MELIEN/PHILLIPS situation played out??? shighhh, mouth open… too much jumps out yes.

  33. That’s the problem with LIARS Maria! they ALWAYS forget their lies and make FOOLS of themselves. SMDH!!.

  34. almost everything he said was a contradiction. He does not listen to himself!!!

  35. Thank God i slept late. Ah mighta pelt something at meh TV and ah really cyah afford another one at the moment. That Bloodsucker!!

  36. ent, Debbie, you didn’t see Tim Kee on television this am….. Or gorrrm, sigh, just what I needed to see before I started my day!

  37. I think he was laughing at the TTFA Brent not the Ladies. All our “Boi” studying is how he could hide some of the 2M in gate receipts from last night. Steups!!

  38. Keep the nucleus together but not the entire team. Unfortunately we have been saying that since I played for the national U14 team in 1986 and it has never happened. Go figure…. unlucky ladies….

  39. the women gotta pick themself up after this. they cant let this be the end the way the Strike Squad died after 89…and a MAJOR part of that falls into the hands of this TTFA

  40. If a quarter of the fans stick around to help the squad rise from this, they will be off to a very good start. Hopefully, one day we will realise that support is not just showing up and waiting for something good to happen though…

  41. I am by no means a football fan, but I admire courage and passion and love of country. So win, lose or draw – I support these Warriors!

  42. Please TTFA keep this team together!

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