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Trinidad and Tobago still have a mathematical chance of getting to the Russia 2018 World Cup through the FIFA Play-off route but it seems naive to the point of unrealistic to expect it now.
At home, the Soca Warriors just were not good enough and, in a bottom-of-the-table CONCACAF Hex clash, contrived to finish 2-1 losers to Honduras at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)l
The Warriors must win all three remaining matches now and those include a trip to Mexico City and the dreaded Azteca Stadium. But, judging from tonight, you would not feel confident about T&T’s chances even if they played all their remaining matches right in Trinidad.
It was a shambolic end to a World Cup qualifying campaign that started so brightly last October with a 2-1 win away to Guatemala. Less than half of the starting team from that qualifier played tonight.
Captain and centre-forward Kenwyne Jones missed out through injury, winger Lester Peltier has I retired, playmaker Keron Cummings suffered an astonishing loss of form after being shot and defenders Radanfah Abu Bakr and Mekeil Williams and midfielder Andre Boucaud have been overlooked by current coach Dennis Lawrence.
It would be a brave man to say that Lawrence has improved on the squad he inherited, based on the performances tonight—individually or collectively. But the issues are far more wide-ranging than the lack of cohesion and technical flaws evident tonight.
There were just over 3,000 fans at the Ato Boldon venue tonight at kick-off and still barely 5,000 by the time Mexican referee Fernando Guerro blew his whistle for the last time—in stark contrast to the 22,000 supporters who turned out for the last Trinbago Knight Riders CPL T20 affair at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain.
(Copyright Allan V Crane/TTFA)
Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams masterminded the venue change from the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain to Couva and was publicly supported by Lawrence.
The idea, according to both men, was to create a better atmosphere by packing in a smaller ground while also benefitting from better facilities at the newer venue. There were even four extra temporary stands constructed to house the expected additional supporters in a stadium built for 10,000 patrons.
Instead, farcically, barely half the supporters who backed the team in Port-of-Spain turned up tonight while one of the light towers went out before kick-off and never came back on.
The Couva venue, as stated repeatedly in Wired868, is the most difficult venue to reach for travelling fans and not much better in terms of traffic and parking for those who drive themselves.
Throw in the fact that the game was on a week night, the stadium has no nearby ‘night life’, the TTFA did not think of offering a discount for children on the last day of the schools’ vacation and the Warriors have not won a match in almost six months and you’d conclude that there were just too many reasonable excuses for all but the most die-hard supporters to stay away.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
As the Trinidad and Tobago starting team stood at attention for the national anthems, the incompetence of their administrators was unmistakeable in the form of empty seats.
Still, the lack of visible support hardly justified what followed as the Warriors put in one of the worst 45-minute spells of the qualifying series.
“I don’t understand exactly what went on with the boys,” said Lawrence, at the post-match media conference. “I don’t know if the occasion got to them but it was not a first half that we expected.”
Within the first 30 minutes, the game already looked beyond the Warriors. Honduran playmaker Alexander Lopez scored after seven minutes as the home defence failed to clear a straightforward diagonal left-side cross—with the usually reliable goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams and defender Sheldon Bateau both culpable.
It got worse in the 16th minute as a Romell Quito squared left-side cross beat the entire defence and Alberth Ellis turned it in at the far post with a side-footed volley.
You could hear a hairpin drop at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Bateau might have pulled a goal back but headed wide from a promising position off a Joevin Jones free-kick while Cordell Cato forced opposing goalkeeper Luis Lopez into a sprawling, low save early on. But at halftime, the Warriors looked dead and buried.
Lawrence responded by changing right-backs as Alvin Jones, Joevin’s younger brother, replaced Aubrey David. It was the first time that the Jones boys shared the field at National Senior Team level. But the family affair lasted barely 11 minutes.
In the 56th minute, Alvin lunged into a tackle on Honduras midfielder Alfredo Mejia and Guerro showed him a straight red card. The Warriors were two goals and a man down.
If it were not for bad luck, Lawrence would have no luck at all.
It should have been 3-0 in the 61st minute as Honduras left-back Emilio Izaguirre picked out Ellis at the back post only for the attacker’s headed attempt to ricochet off the upright.
But then, in the 64th minute, out of nothing came a sliver of hope for the hosts. Joevin and Kevin Molino combined on top the opposing penalty area and the latter set Khaleem Hyland up with a shooting opportunity from 10 yards out.
As Hyland screwed his shot wide, Guerro ruled that Izaguirre had caught him with a late tackle and the Mexican pointed to the penalty spot and flashed a second yellow card and a red at the Honduran left-back.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Joevin converted neatly and in one swoop Trinidad and Tobago had halved the deficit and offset Honduras’ numerical advantage.
It might have been a different story if Molino had done better with a left-side Joevin cross in the 71st minute but the MLS playmaker could not disentangle his feet in time and hit woefully wide. And the Warriors could not take advantage of their improved second-half showing.
In fact, Honduras could have still easily stretched their advantage. Substitute Carlo Costly missed a free opportunity after a blunder by Trinidad and Tobago left-back Kevon Villaroel while, after ghosting past Bateau, Quito also hit over the bar from the edge of the area.
The final whistle put fans out of their misery and, almost certainly, signalled time on the Warriors’ campaign.
After today’s sorry showing—from administrators to supporters to players—the prevailing emotion might have been relief.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
(Teams)
Trinidad and Tobago (4-1-4-1): 21.Jan-Michael Williams (GK) (captain); 2.Aubrey David (16.Alvin Jones 46), 5.Daneil Cyrus, 4.Sheldon Bateau, 13.Kevon Villaroel; 19.Kevan George; 7.Cordell Cato (16.Nathan Lewis 77), 8.Khaleem Hyland, 10.Kevin Molino, 3.Joevin Jones; 20.Jamille Boatswain (9.Willis Plaza 56).
Unused substitutes: 1.Marvin Phillip (GK), 22.Adrian Foncette (GK), 6.Radanfah Abu Bakr, 11.Tyrone Charles, 12.Carlyle Mitchell, 18.Hughtun Hector, 15.Curtis Gonzales, 17.Mekeil Williams, 23.Leston Paul.
Coach: Dennis Lawrence
Honduras (4-3-3): 1.Luis Lopez (GK); 2.Felix Crisanto, 3.Maynor Figueroa, 4.Henry Figueroa, 7.Emilio Izaguirre; 20.Jorge Claros, 8.Alfredo Mejia, 10.Alexander Lopez (14.Boniek García 77); 17.Alberth Ellis (23.Jhonny Palacios 68), 9.Anthony Lozano (13.Carlo Costly 46), 12.Romell Quioto.
Unused substitutes: 18.Ricardo Canales (GK), 5.Ovidio Lanza, 6.Carlos Discua, 11.Eddie Hernandez, 15.Carlos Sanchez, 16.Jhonny Leveron, 19.Oliver Morazan, 21.Sergio Peña.
Coach: Jorge Luis Pinto
Referee: Fernando Guerro (Mexico)
Honduras won 2-1 while Jones was ejected within 11 minutes of his introduction as a second half substitute.
(Copyright AFP 2017/Alva Viarrruel)
CONCACAF World Cup qualifying results
(Friday 1 September)
Trinidad and Tobago 1 (Joevin Jones 64 pen), Honduras 2 (Alexander Lopez 7, Alberth Ellis 16) at Couva;
United States 0, Costa Rica 2 (Marco Ureña 30, 82) at New Jersey;
Mexico 1 (Hirving Lozano 53), Panama 0 at Mexico City;
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Standings
Mexico 7-5-2-0-10-2-17
Costa Rica 7-4-2-1-11-4-14
United States 7-2-2-3-11-10-8
Honduras 7-2-2-3-8-15-8
Panama 7-1-4-2-4-5-7
T&T 7-1-0-6-4-12-3
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Paim pain pain….we need to start frok scratch administratively and football wise. Whoever decided to put the fame in couva should be sumarily dismissed. The team just isnt good enough. I will always support…i was there but its very painfull.
While I do feel for Hart and sympathise with Tallest, as both their Records & Rep have been shot, its the young fragile men like Boatswain and Levi, I’m very concerned about! Levis’ club and support system may shield him from the highs and lows of this campaign, but Boatswain after the high of last season, is currently going through a seemingly rough low (country and club) and I’m not sure what protection he has against the elements…esp from the ever fickle T&T fans
Well said. Boatswain is having a tough time fitting in to his professional team in Costa Rica and last night must have been really rough on his confidence.
His strength is hustling and running on to the ball. Not getting the ball to his feet in a crowd.
High of last season? College soccer is higher level than TT Pro league, you realize that?
I’ve seen many a jaded talent come and go, from Bertille St. Clair squad from the U20 WC, who he thrashed on arrival at the Airport to B. Rahim…we don’t know how to breed, nuture nor cultivate players…we love the wagon, but only when it on flat land about to cross the line…and even then we won’t help push!
Simone Ghirlanda , no matter the league when U bussing net…even in small goal, it builds your confidence and plus, he did what he had to do, it’s the public that was clamouring for him or Plaza or anyone else to replace KJ…now we start booing the Replacements….wey we going?!?
Doesn’t matter. There are other players abroad doing better in real leagues.
There will always be the exception. Aurtis Whitley was playing in Pro League and ex-Real Madrid coach Leo Beenhakker started him ahead of foreign based players at World Cup and he more than held his own.
Cyd Gray was playing in Pro League and marked Michael Owen at the World Cup. It isn’t as simple as saying nobody from the Pro League should be considered.
Obviously those times are gone since the league now is financially insolvent
Well, you have a point there. The Pro League isn’t what it was a decade ago.
I said it’s ok to include 1-2 young players from the local league to round up the roster during official matches.
It’s also good to have a B team
local based for non Fifa dates matches.
Boss ah know yuh mean well ….but these are the things that define and make a player. If he can’t come through this then he probably not cut out for it. Two options brace yuh back and push back or give in and fall on your ass …choose one …..
#DavidJohnWilliamsOUT
?????? jus because u have to drive down couva n stick up in 2hrs traffic ????????
Nah hoss. I’ll drive to any end of the country to support the team. But it made no sense. The crowd actually doubled at halftime. Ppl were still walking in with 15 mins to go
Yip…
Our football in Trinidad an Tobago is degrading. Looking at the game it was upsetting to see how poor we perform. As a football follower I can say the team lack discipline intent the seem to had no clue what was going on,on the pitch.But I’ve always said it an would say it again t&t football lack composure. We dont seem to think. It embarrassing. In a must win game and thats the way we perform. Certainly we are not ready for the big stage.We need to get a plan an have some structure in place. Changes need to start happening. The dream of playing in a next world cup is long over now an seems far from near. Take nothing away from Honduras they played with intent with purpose they wanted it more. An hats of to Kevin molino you were the only player trying to make things happen. T&T football is like West Indies cricket poor structure poor management an no direction. Going down rather than up.
I can’t believe people went to that game and expected a victory tnt team is being run like a minor league club and john williams will destroy whats left of the warriors
Sports dead in TT!! Search for who killed it or who continues to kill itToo many square pegs in round holes. We’re done.
How we have so many t20 greats? And 400 runners and female sprinters? Sports dead u say? Smh
You would never understand don’t go there with me. Always one in a 100 why aren’t we producing more from the pack. If u don’t understand sports let’s have a civil conversation. I am up to it. Nigel Tyrell P Reid
Sports isnt dead…it can be improved a lot administratively but to say it is dead is rubbish…certain sports may be on life support but others are doing fairly well…mostly based on sheer talent, which means it can be better.
TTCB have done a pretty fair job for Trinidad to have so many outstanding T20 players must be lauded.
Did I call your comments rubbish?? I can already see you & I could no longer converse obviously you have shown me you a limited in language so I take my exit on this, you are already trying to show some kind of dominance over what I was going to consider civil. Have a bless day sir. With greatest Respec.
I salute you on your stance on this one, Gwen Smith. The fact that he referred to your comments as “rubbish” is indicative that he is not capable of engaging in civil discourse and respecting the opinion of another. There is no need to resort to insults to get one’s point across.
Btw, I agree with you that sports, like almost every other aspect of life (except carnival) in TT is DEAD or running on auto pilot.
This result should not have surprised anyone with a discerning eye for FOOTBALL. It certainly was not the fault of the current COACH or the one before him. None of the coaches utilized during the campaign fall into the category of MIRACLE WORKERS. In short, no one has as yet come up with a formula to make ‘SILK PURSES OUT OF SOWS EAR’. The fact which will never go away, is that our local competitions (football) are sub standard and incapable of producing on a sustained basis, players who can comfortably measure up to INTERNATIONAL standards. The solution lies in the full scale reorganization of TnT Football from the GROUND up.
Thank you, a man who knows football and actually talking sense.
From the ground up includes the management of TTFA
Darren Black Especially the TTFA – For this to happen true Football People have to be properly led and well organized to stage a REVOLUTION in TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO FOOTBALL, nothing else will suffice.
We should stick to cricket cuz our brand of football aint changing at all.
Agree with that change of venue was a failure.. probably had as many people outside looking for parking and trying to get in as there were in the stadium
Man this is probably as big a crossroads moment to Trinidad football like when guyana knocked team out in 3rd round in 2014 qualifiers
Considering all the administrative madness that keep going on – it further shows that in larger context of tt football, coach hart did a great job getting results out of this team
Colin its a simple fix just back up a dump truck by ttfa put djw Ewing Davis isa stuarty and the entire technical staff and head straight down the highway to beetham dump
And out who Dion? Just asking. These jobs are non-paid, thankless and highly stressful. No wonder in most sports we can’t get the best candidates
I can find at least 20 good candidates
Lasana Liburd, These foreign Ex-nationals as coaches/managers are failing because of TTFA and their short sightedness . This DUTCH model needs to change ,put policies for a T&T module , something like Gally Cummings started. JW , get rid of those dinasaurs in your team and bring in fresh blood.. Go on youtube and look at Anthony Sherwood football and see the purpose and intensity with a T&T style. Kicking a ball is not all, we want style,purpose and intensity that must come from an early age.
In the ttfa review of this particular game I hope they realize that the change of venue was a failure. Where do we go from here only God knows
Didn’t expect a different result lmao
So far all I hearing about individuals who seem good at local level but I am not hearing about teams of players. What happened to all those secondary school boys who made it big over the years from the top teams. What people forget the strike squad had a large number of schools boys in it from the wining teams like Sando Tech and John D and signal hill as well as naps and other top local footballers who where household names
The requirements of international football have long surpassed our secondary school boys, today it’s above our “Pro League”
Gerard Johnson you always on point eh with your comments. Them really good yes
Sean powder ,so true ,the present ideology is what I could reminisce about ,those analog days and models are over ,welcome to the digital age ..
That time long gone the men in the pro league not even good
The players were awful. Mentally, emotionally, and psychologically ill suited and physically underprepared for the moment.
preparation during the campaign has been illogical at best… consistently having friendlies featuring a bunch of people who wouldn’t be in the final team.
And the coach did not pick a squad to win. Do or die game and Alvin Jones is the go to guy? That tells you a lot.
We were never going to win with that squad. It lacked a genuine triangle of threat.
Who would be your do or die right back?
I prefer we go back with Edwards there ahead of Alvin Jones.
I might have even tried Abu Bakr there before Jones.
I really don’t see AJ as a more solid option than either of those two or Aubrey.
Justin Hoyte
Mekeil can play both sides
Splash can play both sides but he is not a wing back, he is a central defender. So here some of the problems stem, playing players out of their positions.
Cyprus played in that position under Hart
Half full? If it was quarter full it was plenty smh..
Feelin Sick! Campaign basically over! Once again our Administrators has killed football with ridiculous decisions and sabotaged our countries chance of going to another World Cup….
#DavidJWilliamsOUT #HeMustResign #MassiveFailure
DAVID JOHN WILLIAMS IS A MASSIVE FAILURE AND NEEDS TO RESIGN! !!!!
Brilliant post-match report: well-writ; comprehensive; and insightful.
Up now and don’t wait till 2020 to start
Well it’s not over we can start on 2022 built
When you have a lotto quick team rather than building a team from years before we will always fail. The most successful teams we ever had not counting the 2006 team where built because most of the players played together and have been playing since under 12 days coming forward. So that’s when school boys played men. Just saying
Shocking to see no defender go to ground to clear, furthermore with the center back goal side of the attacker what was the lwb doing?
Mr. Dennis Lawrence since taking up the offer of coaching the national team you have not won a game. At the end of this campaign kindly do re honorable thing which all the coaches in the past has done and resign.. Mr John Williams it seems as tho if one needs to get on the national team easily is to start playing with w connection well this is a copy cat of the way WI cricket is being handled and look at the mess it’s currently in… kindly follow sute with DL..
Another thing I forgot to mention auto boldon stadium is the home of a connection that being said.. one can only imagine the facelift that stadium must have gotten prior to this wc game… WE LAUGHING! WE LAUGHING IN THE GHETTO!!♬♫♫♬♫
You coach them nah since you have the answers. Trinidad has talent and it shows up on the field in spurs, you could see that some men hungry too, but if half the side want it and the other half just role playing then the football will be dysfunctional, that is not the coach fault, also he won against panama which kept the hopes alive, after the panama game we played the three hardest teams in the hex back to back. We expect too much from the coach and the team, can’t really put anything on them because it has men trying their hardest on the pitch but they fall short, simply a matter of not wanting it more than the opposition. Talking bout Lawrence should resign, i don’t see the coach on the field playing no football, since his arrival, the brand of football has increased, if don’t make it this WC if we let the man invest his time into the team and build, by next WCQ we’ll be good enough, but you can’t be switching coaches and because we so desperate to make a WC we putting the blame on the coach and tryna force a miracle.
Wow! If half the side want it and the other half just role playing you are correct in stating that the football will be dysfunctional. You are , however, incorrect to believe that it is not the coach’s fault. The coach is responsible for ensuring that the team is functional.
On another note, since Lawrence took over, it is my observation that the standard of play has taken a nose dive. At least we were looking the part before.
Dennis Lawrence led team to win in his first WCQ against Panama in March…
Ethan King.. while I appreciate your comments and thanks for the correction.. the statics don’t lie and the coach has full privilege on who he picks die for each game.. then it’s contradiction when you say half the team playing and the other half not pulling their weight.. DL took a seasoned team which from Ian heart and started given Amway too many soft goals.. but then that’s the price e pay for progress and as stallin will say that’s the black man choice..
Don’t worry Randy.. those are the comments you would get from blind supporters who don’t know about the game n clearly Dont have a clue what’s going in the world.. firstly… Dennis Lawrence cannot take us anywhere. Plain and simple. Secondly , it’s all politics with Williams as you rightfully said. Thirdly, while we have a school football league that swells the heads of young players who think they are stars when they are no one, kids their age are signing million dollar contracts around the world.. not 7 n 8000 tt d contracts what the tt pro league pays. The salary speaks for the quality in a nutshell . And lastly, the coach is 100% responsible for the teams performance… believe that Ethan King.. your thinking is third world , just as our football .. if there are men who want it and some who don’t on the pitch , as you said, ask your self, who selects the team??? Football is evolving and I’m really sorry, Dennis Lawrence cannot take us anywhere with his old school English brand?? I can go on and on. He doesn’t have an eye for talent, and he cannot produce a unit……
Kerron Charles I agree they were horrible yes
Kerron Charles on point brother on point..
Everytime the ball can cros the entire box while everyone watches it
https://www.facebook.com/beINSPORTSUSA/videos/1672776416095507/
Look at the comments
https://www.facebook.com/beINSPORTSUSA/videos/1672771596095989/
Lasana, teeny, tiny correction. The lights went out during the first half not before kick off…..a moot point in the grand scheme of things but ah know you’re a professional so ah just doing mih teeny, tiny part in helping you keep up your very high standards.
As for the game…..I going and roll over and go back to sleep and hope it was all a bad dream….* sigh *
The lights went out about an hour before kickoff
The lighting tower on the right side where the soca warriors kicked off was out completely before kickoff. During the first half bulbs blew in another lighting tower.
Maybe Patricia Smart was dreaming when she posted her comment eh Them really good yes.
Yeah. Was before kickoff Pat. I took a photo. Some light bulbs went off in another tower during game but that one didn’t go totally dark.
Serious?? Oh oh….my apologies. From where I was sitting I remember the lights going out and after looking around to figure out what was going on I noticed the lights over my left shoulder were out. I thought it was at that moment they were out. My bad…..it was a sign of things to come…..like the time we played Bermuda by Centre of Excellence and the used a kerchief for the TnT flag. And the anthem had to be sung because there was no recording to be played. Bermuda beat we 2 – 1. Never forgot that…..
I think it is time that we moved our sweet country to my second sweetest country eh and most definitely they will finally get things right in order to always play the beautiful game and be victorious eh. Them really good yes. hahahaha
Thanks David John Williams you took a team that had promise and totally destroyed it all because of your ego and your desire to have more of your w connection men on the squad,I hope you and your band of clowns get removed come next ttfa elections,thanks a lot from a disgruntled soca warriors fan
Thanks David John Williams you took a team that had promise and totally destroyed it all because of your ego and your desire to have more of your w connection men on the squad,I hope you and your band of clowns get removed come next ttfa elections,thanks a lot from a disgruntled soca warriors fan
Told you so.
The Couva venue is indeed the most difficult venue to reach for both travelling and driving fans and on a Friday night Trinis want to lime not be stuck in traffic.
After reading these comments it seems we are looking for every excuse except the one that mattered. We played crap. This was home field for us. Remember it was supposed to give us an advantage because Honduras had never played there before. Well we were the ones who looked like we never played there before. Honduras had no problem with their first touch, with their passing, with their trapping, with coming to the ball, with protecting the ball and with every other fundamental of the game. So let’s keep blaming it on the rain, shall we?
I left home.6.30 and at half.time still in traffic by the couva turnoff trying to get to the stadium. I left in frustration. I wonder how many fans were like me with their tickets still in hand.
Time to put some stuff in to prospective.
1. Game price way to high from r the avenger fan and not taking into consideration it’s the end of the month. Ppl just don’t have that extra cash after having to buy school supplies etc.
2. The current economic conditions the country in, most ppl cannot afford $350 & 200 just so. I had friends willing to come the game but just couldn’t afford to pay the price. Some of them wanted to bring their children but that price was way to high.
3. I don’t normally comment negative on players, but some of the players just don’t have what it takes.
4. We miss kenwin Jones. And clearly there wasn’t a team leader on the field.
5. Coach Lawrence have to rethink the use of so many foreign base players, because they just. It making any difference. So if he pool a good local base team, I think he will get more out of them.
6. Trinidad and Tobago so-called fans are just not real supporters. A bunch of bandwagoness. So the team have to start playing for themselves and forget about fans.
7. Going forward must be about rebuilding for 2022. This campaign is all but over. So even thou we still have a mathematical chance, the main focus should be beyond this campaign.
8. I believe the Current coach should be given a fear chance outside of this campaign because I have see the team improved over time. But the guys just was not ready for this game.
9. I don’t know the issue with DJW, and based on the few articles I’ve seen on this Wired868, the editors have it out for him. So I can’t judge by the lack of balance reporting on this page. I know LL was trying to get a different person elected and ever since he have been very negative towards DJW.
10. I also know LL didn’t favor Lawrence as coach but was promoting TF who is alleged to be a co-sponsor to this page.
11. Back to the football, location can’t be a excuse, because the Jamaica ?? game was at a very affordable price and in POS and still so-called fans did not show up.
12. Because I’m not familiar With the issue off the pitch, I’m only speculating eh, but there seems to be something wrong with the players passion for playing for T&T.
And finally, win lose or draw, this is my team my players and my coach. Warriors 100%
What are the bookies odds on Lawrence getting fired btw?
I was wondering the same thing myself
Anybody’s guess.
If Honduras had Kevin Harrison and Brent Sancho as managers, they would have protested the lights and got the three points before kick off!
They ever got a ruling on that game?
The same way the corrupted Jack Warner and his cronies removed the beautiful game from our communities eh, it is the same way they are trying to removed the beautiful game from the Hasley Crawford Stadium eh. Them really good yes.s teeuuppss
Kirwin not yet.
Yeah lasana for sure
If they rent those it turn out to be a waste of money yes
I may be bashed but I don’t ever ever support football in this country and will never because it’s just can’t find the word lol
We applaud your patriotism
Smart lady???
Most of the fans was in traffic for 3 hours to get in by 2nd half the stadium was full up and tickets never sell out
The stadium was filled in the second half? Are you crazy?
I feel for Coach Lawrence…but to move that match from POS to Couva backfired..
The second goal Honduras scored – free space, no marker..
To lose at home was crushing, the squad looked broken from the first Honduras goal…clearly the play on the field was sub-standard…there were issues off the field to deal with..
Not a good sign for.T&T football..and I cannot figure out why defender Abu Bakr sat out for most, if not all, the games…
Paging Mr. Bound not to score yes and can somebody please make one of these the same for Cato. steeuppss. Them really good yes hahahahaha
3 plus 9 is 12.
Lasana… Yuh giving we a CNC3 headline owa… Remove that “virtually” please !!!
Mathematically they still can… If they can win in Mexico City!
Paging Leo and Levi…
DISASTER.
I knew it but I still went and cheered them on. Messy however if I must be fair the campaign saw some rather questionable linesman calls and refereeing. Qatar maybe
Thank you for pointing that out to the non believers out there
Mark Molino it was the worst calls ever and not just this game ?
You saw it too, this is actually the first campaign that I have seen that we were robbed so many times ,which to me proved that if those results was different ,we wouldn’t be in this predicament
I hope John Williams and his crew happy with their decision to play the game there because let’s face it , it was a decision purely for his convenience to not have to trek it to town . It took us over 90 minutes to get to Couva in after work traffic leaving town , got to Couva at 7:15 to meet bumper to bumper gridlocked traffic leading into the turn off to head to the stadium and every single highway exit on BOTH sides rammed with cars not moving . Scrambled to find a park far out and got into the game at 8:02pm .
Thanks DJW , from the thousands of fans
You have real belly
I’m from SanFernando so I was rather happy to not trek back to Port of Spain though I ALWAYS go wherever they play. Logistically however Ato is a nightmare in addition T&TEC running lines taking up an entire parking lane was an added inconvenience. TTPS similar to their war on crime displayed like results in managing the flow of traffic
I consider complaining about traffic on your way down extremely selfish
How the ass could going against traffic vs going into traffic even be a discussion ? Lastly this was a do or die WCQ and we play the game in a small stadium with Savannah grass .
You wrote about it then asking why is it a discussion?
Well yes… Papa !
??♀️ spoken like a true northerner.
Telling me girl…
Next Friday would be CPL in Lara I await the comments for that too…….
DeNyssa, there will be. The Oval being sold out at 22,000 plus and Lara Stadium is 15,000 with a good percentage of those going to govt ministers… And the location by the side of the hwy. Guaranteed disaster.
But it isn’t because it isn’t in town. The Mannie Ramjohn Stadium is a very good venue. But the lights don’t work.
Lasana Liburd I am supposed to be there
Town to south/central is always longer than central/south to north.
Doesn’t understand these people with their silly childish complaints
Somebody will be in traffic either way, steupse
Lara Stadium is a horror movie for parking and accessibility in my point of view
Access roads and lack of direct taxis make Ato Boldon venue the most difficult one in the country. This isn’t about about north or south.
It is easier to get to Mannie Ramjohn in Marabella than Ato Boldon in Couva.
Kirwin Weston it’s in South ? talk done sincerely daily San Fernando to San Juan commuter
YDK DeNyssa
Lasana why even bother . They taking it as a north vs south thing . My point is strictly that to get to Couva apart from coming from South is heading directly into after work traffic and then as Lasana said the accessibility is poor hence ALL entry points from both sides of the highway were jammed !
It’s a crucial World Cup qualifier in a very poor stadium which has 8000 seats and Savannah grass . The decision was shambolic .
And don’t question my treks to see Trinidad and Tobago football. I’ve been to away qualifiers , gold cups and the World Cup to see T&T . Any logical football fan would agree that having a game of this magnitude, and the consequences around it, in Couva at that specific stadium, was for the convenience of DJW and his TTFA and not in the best interest of the national team and majority of their supporters
Lame excuse
??
Don’t forget there was cycling right next to the stadium tonight. Poor judgement to have both events there. The traffic was horrendous. This should not even be an argument.
Cheyenne, you luckier than me yes. Took me basically three hours to get to de game. Left town at 6:15pm and didn’t get to de game until 5 minutes into the second half. Now mind you, when I was exiting the highway to Couva the game didn’t even start as yet. Worst experience I’ve had for a home game.
One set of lame lame lame excuses !!!
I live about 40 minutes south of Couva. We normally leave home 3:30 or 4 pm for an 8 o’clock game in HCS.
It’s not adviseable for someone living Couva to leave home 6:15 for an 8pm game in HCS either.
This complaining and whining is nothing more than pure selfishness and childishness !!!
Kirwin the decision to shift the game was s very foolish one for many reasons if they wanted more fans to attend all they had to do was change the marketing strategy let kids come free under 12 because if a kid has to come one or both of his parents have to take him or her. Reduce the cost to 50 and a 100 , which would have allowed for the average fan the opportunity. School starts on Mon the amount of money parents just spent on books uniform etc where were they going to find 2 to 800 to take a family of 4 to the game
You make those decisions when you have idiots and dinosaurs around you giving the dumbass President advice as lasana said its a relief now that madness is over
Dion, that is not the focal point.
Couva is not West coast Venezuela…
I agree Kirwin, we’ve experienced it…then to get parking in tong, then to come out and find your car towed…people north of that bridge just don’t get it.
Talking a pack of ishhhhh !!!
Oh, I forget the crush to get in to HCS
I know what you are talking about trust me I go all over the country to watch football
But blame the venue for lack of talent…sigh
Like POS any better to find a park eh Savitri, steupse
My point is if we needed the support the game had to be played in hcs to get 25000 people to attend
Parking is way better at Ato..
Well yuh cyah teach common sense eh Dion.
Ah hear they looking to play the next game on HCS Training field with some bleachers, crowd expectancy is about 2K, so it go look full ???
Kirwin you real stupid boy . You still after a whole night
Not understanding the point .
Lasana Liburd I think logistically it is about time of day. If you add a couple thousand cars into an already bad traffic situation you get last night. I await the blame game when the traffic is as bad for the BLS for the weekday qualifiers. It is not about north or south it is about sending people into grid lock traffic. the traffic into POS is in the morning. If There was a T20 game during the week for 8 am in POS I would have to leave Arima at 4 am. Experience tells you that..So I am not sure about who is advising these changes.
The ABS cannot handle a sell out. We saw that even for the 2001 u17WC. There is traffic going south on a normal evening. The exit to the ABS will always have traffic backed up for games of that magnitude. The parking was not sufficient at the ABS so persons resorted to parking at the Cricket Centre AND still had to walk about 25 mins to get into the stadium.
If the handful of people who showed up to ABS last night showed up for a match at HCS, it would not have been all the confusion that it was.
The Jamaica match was a breeze. There was no crush. And no trouble for parking. I actually got a park on the street before the woodbrook youth center.
Last night was a logistical disaster.
It took me longer to get from my parking spot to the highway than it did from the highway entrance to grand bazaar.
Not to mention they talked about the north gate being open… but for who? They weren’t letting people park in the parking lot even though there were empty spots.
I have the same opinion of you Cheyenne, lol
Haha well look like plenty people stupid like me judging from the comments in here and all over FB and twitter that hosting a WCQ or that magnitude at the ABS was a total disaster . But say what , you and John Williams share the same brain apparently . What an accomplishment
Lol
Savitri even with that small crowd, parking was a huge issue last night.
At The Hasely Crawford Stadium, you park at Movie Town, Lions, Woodbrook youth facility, the venue and on a half dozen streets… at Couva doesn’t have as many options and parking was not allowed at venue for patrons. Ask anyone who was there.
Agreed Akins and Chabeth. Yes, there would be bad times to have game in Port of Spain too. Good point.
Parking is not normally an issue at Ato..wasn’t there so I dont know whats changed, even with that “crowd”
DISASTER.
All the way around. From entrance to exit. The empty temporary stands. And the pile on the field
Lasana in all honesty I had ah feeling this campaign would fail once we changed presidents….and so said on SWO so done……i have no doubt in my mind dat ah terribly faulty timkee was better dan DJW anyday of d week….we gone from competitive teams in women’s and men’s ball at all ahe groups to this mess
Russia 2018 campaign is over. I am sorry. Time to start doing things the right way for the next cycle. Some food for thoughts:
1- hiring an experienced coach teaching tactical discipline and defending
2- always pick the players available who are playing lots of minutes in the higher level available leagues. But also be mindful, being a rotation player in MLS or Mexico is much better than being a star in remote non-football countries like India.
3- Avoid TT Pro league based players at all cost until they first go play in a club abroad and prove they can belong. If really needed, call up only 1-2 of the youngest TT Pro league based players from the U20 to round up the roster.
4 – The National Team should never be a mean to an end, in other words a mean to showcase TT Pro players so they can get a contract abroad. Rather the other way around, first the player goes and proves himself abroad, then he gets an
opportunity at the senior national team in official matches. A local based squad for non Fifa dates can be formed.
And find Trinidad heritage players & trying to convince them to play for warriors
Been saying throughout campaign for a good few years now that what could have helped taken T&T far in hex and maybe W cup was getting English duo Bostock, Ryan Innis and MLS trio Sheanon Williams (Vancouver Whitecaps), Nick De Leon (DC United) and big fish BWP (New york Red bulls)
Stephen Hart was making these attempts in last days of his to try and get them
It’s might have covered over some cracks brining them in but reality is pro league based in many friendliest never did enough to challenge anyone in main XI
Led by Jamaica so many other Caribbean (around the world too) and tap into their diaspora and find players especially in England- except Trinidad