Football commentary

SPORTS FOOTBALL COMMENTARY: SO WHAT IS NEXT FOR MATURANA- A BOOT OR A PIPE?

By Andre E Baptiste

 

 

So what Now?

A homecoming party perhaps?

What about some champagne and caviar?

By the way, has anyone mentioned, if the players have been paid for their two World Cup qualifying matches as yet?

Or what about the centennial celebrations , when are we going to have the next big bash to celebrate our 100 years existence( administrators that is)  in football, remember , people of Trinidad and Tobago, we still have six more months for the year to finish?

Trinidad and Tobago, a team that achieved the rare heights of World Cup Finals  appearances (three to be exact) in Germany, barely scrapes through against Bermuda to the semi Final stage of CONCACAF  World Cup 2010 qualification and already, all is forgotten.

All of the errors of omission – in not allowing more experienced players an opportunity to impress or fail – seemed to have been swept under the carpets ( no sorry , Rugs ) at the Football Federation’s offices.

Loyalty and sincerity have never been comfortable bedfellows in this beautiful twin island republic (we still have trouble in getting Trinidad politics to mesh with Tobago politics, even if the same political party runs both).

Most of us, have already forgotten the names of the Soca Warriors team from Germany, apart from maybe Captain Dwight Yorke and the magician Russell Latapy.

I put this to the test while producing Synergy Sports at the RED 96.7 Family Day at Queens Royal College, I asked six children , ages ranging from 9 to 14 years  ( four boys and two girls), if they liked football, and they all enthusiastically   said yes .

That was the easy part. When I asked them separately to name four players from the Soca Warriors team that represented Trinidad and Tobago in Germany, only one child, the 12 year old student of Fatima College could answer completely.

The other five, struggled (and that is being kind), they all knew of the name –Soca Warriors- , with two mentioning Yorke and Shaka Hislop. And one other youth finally saying Latapy and Yorke.

By the way, everyone knew who was – Jack Warner – as it relates to football.

This then is further testimony, that the Football Federation knows that they can do what they want to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and we will accept it.

Whether it is in the direct or indirect orders not to select certain players, whether it is in placing our football reputation at risk by playing on surfaces and at venues not convenient to our team. Or simply in appointing a coach, who they cannot understand, but are fully aware, that they will ensure that he understands them.

Colombian Francisco Maturana has without a doubt made a lot of errors, but when you appear not able to make adjustments until it is almost too late, even the Football Federation cannot be held accountable for this.

His close connections , whether perceived or real to the Corneal Clan, is not good for him or for the Corneals and most importantly does not impress the majority of the 1.3 million population, whose suspicious nature has long been aroused by families in sports. South Korea had it and it failed, Trinidad and Tobago some say, have the – Warners – and – the Corneals -.

As we look ahead to the next stage, nothing but honest, dedicated, determined and discipline hard work will allow this country an opportunity to move into the final qualifying round.

Cuba, Guatemala and USA will be comforted by our deficiencies against Bermuda.

Our comfort must be that we should not make the same mistakes over and over; these opponents unlike Bermuda will ensure we pay dearly.

Without much thinking, our greatest concern has to be our defense and our methods of scouting the opposition. Against Bermuda we fell down in both areas.

We can only improve our defense, with a change in personnel and with practice. Scouting though is basic, once we have intelligent and perceptive enough coaches or scouts. Let us hope while this country was busy struggling against Bermuda , some scouts were watching the USA demolish Barbados, Guatemala’s clinical assault on St Lucia and Cuba’s edgy performance against Antigua and Barbuda.

So what is NEXT? With or Without Maturana.

Unless we shine in this round, Maturana will be history sooner rather than later. I still believe, he is the wrong man for this job. I hope though I am wrong, for once in my sporting life.

 

:: AB