Please do not ignore it! The details of the message stem from five years of development, whereby literally the same youngsters had been methodically prepared for the future of T&T’s football.
The team has qualified, and honestly, I am not surprised. But more than that, they demonstrated a sense of commitment, an energising performance level, comparable to the more experienced opponents, who dominated for many years in age group soccer in the region. Now, the national coaching staff is faced with an option which presents some outstanding potential in the U-20 squad against the backdrop of a group of ageing players in the senior national team whose reputations are rapidly diminishing, plus others, whose predetermined ability has not been recognised on the field of play.
The messages from the youngsters are powerful and demanding. The speed, aggression and ball-winning ability of left wing back Akeem Adams, the creativity and passing skill of Leston Paul, the stability in defense of Sheldon Bateau, Robert Primus, and Curtis Gonzales, must shake the imagination of Messrs Maturana and Latapy and bring some reality into their perception, especially after recent senior team performances in the areas which are referred to. Therein lies the value of development in Football, where today’s players are gradually heading southward and are pushed by tomorrow’s stars.
The exposure which was previously missing in our development process has now been rectified and the results are beginning to show themselves on the field. Transition is inevitable and courage mixed with reality must now challenge the nostalgic emotions of yesterday’s stars. To ignore this new look picture, judging from the recent performances of the past two years, is to destroy the planned concept which has worked.
Surely, the mixture of youth and experience will be the ideal situation, but they must be made to gel into performances which will bring a new dimension of intensity, aggression, and commitment to complement the wisdom of the older players. No, we have not forgotten Jagdeosingh, Telesford, Guerra, Roberts, Nigel Daniel, Hyland, with additions of Trent Noel and Kerry Baptiste who have shown their quality in the pro league. The big question will certainly be, whether or not the coaching staff will recognise the new look players in the U-20 squad, especially those with exposure to one world Cup finals and qualified for another. It is actually a pleasant type of problem which can easily determine the kind of chance our soca warriors will have to make it to the finals.
After Wednesday’s penalty victory over Panama, a performance which assistant coach Russell Latapy described as low keyed, but well structured play by both teams, the inclusion of the present U-20 standouts were not considered good enough just yet, while the veterans were once again given the task of taking us past Honduras next Saturday. Critical observations from now on, must guide the minds of the leaders, whereby every performance should be analysed carefully and utilised to the benefit of a better team in the long run. There is still time and the entry of the youngsters into the participation of the proleague may provide some more answers. There is need for caution in this exercise. We must remember that this squad must now be in search of a variety of opponents with styles synonymous with the ones they will face in Egypt.
So maybe one round of matches against the Pro league clubs, properly spreaded among some travel trips to prepare mentally for the tournament in September, may be the ideal environment for the task ahead. Of course, in order to gain the best performance from the pro clubs, they must be allowed to benefit by way of points when they defeat the U-20’s, while the youngsters are not considered as contenders of the big money prize. A well-orchestrated plan for the months leading to Egypt 2009 can bring us more than just three matches in the World Cup, but probably our first victory (or two in official world Cup competition.
In the meantime, the test against Honduras is severe and crucial for earning points at home. The number of loopholes which were recognised in the first match in El Salvador, may pay a higher price against this improved Central American competitor. They have also used the exposure of a number of their players to the English premier league and championship division, plus two in Italy. Having lost against Costa Rica in San Jose, they may decide on their full strength to gain points to stay in the race. Surely the decisions of the matches on Saturday will offer a guide to the chances of the teams. Let us hope that our Warriors send us in the right direction with victory.