The Warriors and The Magician
The Warriors And The Magician
Latapy is no Leo Beenhakker. But he is a little magician.
Russell Latapy has been the national football team’s kingpin midfielder who can immediately transform a game and now his task is to do the same to a lacklustre outfit.
The problem is that little is known of his coaching ability and next week Saturday the Soca Warriors with a mere two points in its South Africa 2010 World Cup finals mission will have home advantage against Costa Rica at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago.
Well, home advantage is not the correct word because the Soca Warriors like their opponents are not accustomed to playing there.
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation in its infinite wisdom, if not advice from advisor Jack Warner, chose this small ground instead of the Hasely Crawford Stadium or the Queen’s Park Oval grounds with which the Soca Warriors are more familiar.
They did manage to beat a representative Tobago team 10-0 in a warm-up game on Wednesday a result which may speak volumes about the standard of football in the Sister Isle rather than of a dramatic improvement in the Warriors’ play.
The local team will not be at full strength since striker Stern John will be in the United States receiving medical attention to a pinched nerve in his back and may also miss the June 10 match against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, Mexico City.
However Latapy will have Dwight Yorke, who may be a bit rusty having played little football this year; Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones, who is expected to arrive from the United Kingdom on Saturday, his team mate Carlos Edwards, Chris Birchall, Kareem Hyland, Jason Scotland, Collin Samuel, Cornell Glen, Avery John, Kerry Baptiste, goalkeeper Clayton Ince, Silvio Spann, Densil Theobald, Dennis Lawrence, Marvin Andrews, Jan-Michael Williams, Keon Daniel, Trent Noel, Devon Jorsling, Hayden Tinto, Keyeno Thomas, Nicholson Thomas, Makan Hislop, Hughton Hector, Ataulla Guerra, Radanfah Abu Bakr and Devon Jorsling.
Observers believe that Latapy will start with Clayton Ince in goal, Jones and Glenn upfront and midfielders Carlos Edwards, Silvio Spann, Chris Birchall and Khaleem Hyland, with Dwight Yorke marshalling the defence consisting of Dennis Lawrence, Avery John and Marvin Andrews.
Latapy may consider introducing himself somewhere in the proceedings as he did in the Tobago game where he scored a goal. He is still the country’s most creative midfielder.
Still a lot of work to be done; still a long way to go to South Africa.
Latapy is no Leo Beenhakker but he has the support of an enthusiastic squad and hopeful fans.
He has only been in the job for a matter of weeks after Colombian coach Francisco Maturana did the honourable thing and resigned, days after the team lost badly to the United States.
The Soca Warriors badly need victory to get their campaign back on track ahead of a possibly difficult game against strugglers Mexico.
Tickers for this crucial game can now be only obtained from scalpers.