Wired868 Wired868 for smart sport news and opinion
“[…] We were decent in attack in patches, especially after the introduction of the incisive Judah Garcia, who looked (to me) the most technically gifted and tactically effective attacker.
“[…] However, the wing backs barely made it into the opponent’s half [and] there was a permanently available space behind Neveal Hackshaw’s back on the left side of the defence…”
The following commentary, on Trinidad and Tobago’s 3-0 win over Guyana in their opening Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifying match, was submitted to Wired868 by former Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) technical committee chairman Keith Look Loy:
(via TTFA Media)
Our first win in God knows how long, and a necessary win with a performance adequate to the level of the opponent.
Guyana were surprisingly poor, even if we take into account their change to younger personnel and their lack of training matches. (For those reasons I think the Guyana coach adopted the wrong match strategy, as was evidenced.)
The team selection was good, based on the evident tactical approach. We benefited from a poor referee decision to donate the third goal to our cause, but we were decent in attack in patches, especially after the introduction of the incisive Judah Garcia, who looked (to me) the most technically gifted and tactically effective attacker.
Ball possession needs consistency and calculated patience, and our play was too often vertical. But Daniel Phillips had a good debut and looks promising, while the other midfielders were competent. However, the wingbacks barely made it into the opponent’s half. They left the attacking to the front three. Modern attacking tactics require so much more of them.
(Copyright Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)
Even with our dominance, there were serious issues of:
- Concentration among the defenders, who gave several opportunities to a poor opponent—opportunities that a better opponent would seize;
- Defensive cover, as there was a permanently available space behind Neveal Hackshaw on the left side of the defence that Guyana never seriously exploited, although they hit the post from that position while goalkeeper Nicklas Frenderup stood and judged the ball as wide of the mark (he was otherwise solid).
All in all, a good start, which places us in the expected pole position to win the group. But Puerto Rico at home should not be taken for granted. Every dog bad in their own yard.
St Kitts and Nevis should despatch Bahamas and move on to six points, so we keep an eye on them for a showdown in next window.
The Soca Warriors will face USA in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, which will be their third meeting in the Read more
Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker passed away today at the age of 82. Beenhakker won three titles at the helm of Read more
“[…] You’d be lucky to find five kids who can name five national players they admire. The conversations have vanished. Read more
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFA) has confirmed the Soca Warriors’ participation in the 2025 Unity Cup, an ‘Afro-Caribbean Read more
“[…] The pattern is familiar: someone speaks up, gets labelled, and only later do we come to understand the weight Read more
“[…] The administration should set in place a programme to begin teaching the youngsters the technical aspects of the game. Read more
Want to share your thoughts with Wired868? Email us at editor@wired868.com.
Please keep your letter between 300 to 600 words and be sure to read it over first for typos and punctuation.
We don’t publish anonymously unless there is a good reason, such as an obvious threat of harassment or job loss.
