Francisco Maturana is either a genius or the opposite.
It is rumoured he may be sent packing regardless of the outcome against Guatemala, tomorrow, and the United States, next Wednesday in Port of Spain.
If Maturana's departure is imminent, it seems certain he will leave Trinidad as mysterious a figure as when he arrived in January 2008.
At his maiden press conference, Maturana promised to learn English by April but, if anything, his public statements have grown increasingly baffling.
He might have bested himself on Wednesday night, after Trinidad and Tobago's lopsided 9-0 win over the Dominican Republic.
Maturana's local translator, Professor Ancil Glod, attempted to interpret the Colombian's utterances after every five words, rather than at the end of a sentence or two. Throw in Glod's raspy voice and Maturana's insistence on using as many parables as possible and it should be possible to picture life on the biblical Tower of Babel.
One can only pray that communication is better in the dressing room on Saturday when the "Soca Warriors" try to rescue their faltering South Africa 2010 World Cup campaign.
The Express enquired whether Maturana selected his entire 22-man squad or if some names were penciled in for him.
His lengthy response, which did not include the word "si" or "no", suggested that he was helped by his "assistants" and even "chaffeurs" as everyone seemed to think they knew more about footballers than the two-time Colombia World Cup coach.
Maturana said he was not comfortable going into tomorrow's crucial fixture, but explained that it was the nature of his profession.
"The day I don't have that worry," said Maturana, via Glod, "I will go home to my house and see about my horses."
Trinidad and Tobago's tally against the Dominican Republic was the largest margin of victory since an 11-0 triumph over Aruba at the 1989 Caribbean Cup tournament in Barbados. But Maturana described the fixture as "a good work-out".
"It was a serious practice game," he said. "The players understood in training that they have to demonstrate how they are supposed to play. Each player played in a serious way."
For the record, the Dominican Republic-who are ranked 63 places below Barbados and 177th of FIFA's 207 member countries-travelled with just three players from the team who were eliminated by Puerto Rico in the first round of the CONCACAF 2010 World Cup qualifying series.
Still, local fans seemed to enjoy hat-tricks from Jason Scotland and Cornell Glen and an hour's work from 40-year-old Scotland-based midfield icon Russell "the Little Magician" Latapy, who hit the bar and was involved in some tidy exchanges.
The veteran has reportedly accepted his role as a player, rather than the title of player/ assistant coach offered by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF), after Maturana insisted there was no room on his technical staff.
"(Latapy) is very humble," said Maturana, "and he is ready to do good things for the team to his capacity and limitations."
Latapy's return to the national fold prompted calls from several former heroes, including Everald "Gally" Cummings and Shaka Hislop, for him to be given the job and there are suggestions that FIFA vice-president and Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) special adviser Jack Warner is seriously considering it.
It means Maturana might be tending to his horses soon. Some employees seek to leave behind a legacy, others delete files and try to sabotage office rivals. The next six days may say much about Maturana's professionalism under trying circumstances, made more difficult by the introduction of a perceived coach-in-waiting and the recall of several players, like Stern John and Clayton Ince, that the Colombian openly attempted to dump.
Read into Maturana's actions what you will. Ask him to explain them at your own peril.