What a great day Wednesday, November 17, was turning out to be. My swimmers had a great workout. My doubles man on Cipriani Boulevard did not sell out before I arrived. Ms Rovedas of Maria Regina primary school gave my wife a glowing report about my daughter, Rebecca. My column on Passion was published in the Sports Arena, following a faux pas the previous Sunday.
Zoran Vranes would be made to eat his words. He would quickly realise that his team had no chance; that the T&T footballers have no weaknesses—because we had the best local coaches on board; our players were superior; our crowd support and passion would spur on our boys to even higher standards of excellence, as we march straight into the final round.
Following the show, Just Talk, in which Slaughter and Kees Dieffenthaller were simply brilliant, I collected my daughter from gymnastics at Tots and Tumblers on Dundonald Street in Port-of-Spain, where she had an enjoyable session. On returning home I was met by my six-year-old son, Adam, who had just returned from football practice at Victoria Gardens with his coaches from SKHI (Skeene/Hyacenth Football Institute).
He was extremely excited to let me know that his team had won the match by two goals to nil and that he had scored both goals. What a great day!
I spent the next hour-and-a-half talking with my family, all the time making calls to Collin Borde and Anthony Sagor, confirming time and place to meet, to view the “slaughter” of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
I had decided that I would go to the uncovered stand because the weather was great and because Collin and Anthony were also going there. I purchased my ticket for $50, thinking to myself, “Pay only US$8 to see a World Cup qualifier. In other countries, the cheapest ticket is US$20.”
Eventually, I found Collin and Anthony, who in turn had found Richy Farfan and Sam Sameer. These men were so confident of victory, that they had positioned themselves directly behind the Vincentian contingent. So that when it began to rain goals, we could throw some picong at them.
Approximately 200 yellow and blue clad SVG supporters were screaming, yelling and chanting, just in front of us.
Never before had supporters from the Caribbean (excluding Jamaica) even had the confidence to identify themselves, let alone, congregate and prepare team cheers.
I quickly dismissed these thoughts by convincing myself that this show of boisterous support was nothing more than bravado.
The teams took the field; the national anthems were played. The “Vincy Crew” sang loudly and proudly. The “Trini Posse” sang louder and clearer.
“Vincy, why all yuh wearin’ blue and yellow like Brazil? The only t’ing Brazilian about all yuh football in FINTA!” (Brazilian sportswear manufacturer).
On viewing the T&T starting eleven, some questions popped into my head. Jerren Nixon in the starting 11? He is not fit enough to play 45 minutes, far more for 90 minutes of international football. Never mind it is only St Vincent, we are playing a three-five-two system, without any out-and-out wingers? Brent Sancho playing in the midfield, where he is not comfortable? Never mind. Five defensive-minded players in the midfield; how are we going to score? Never mind.
Hector Sam fit and in ripping form in England cannot start before Nixon or Mc Farlane? Never mind. No Latapy, No Dwarika, no Kerwyn “Hardest” Jemmott; no Ricky Aleong, no Nakhid? That is no problem, these players are not in the squad. Who are the creative geniuses?
Who has been chosen to put the “soca” in the Soca Warriors? Silvio Spann is potentially that creative type of player, but why is he on the bench? Isn’t Angus Eve the captain? It looks as though he has been put in charge of the bench. Never mind.
Didn’t Scott Sealy score on debut for T&T? Didn’t he score 13 goals for Wake Forest already? Isn’t he extremely fit? Isn’t this only St Vincent?
Wouldn’t it be better to start with him, knowing that if he does well he would in fact be able to run for 90 minutes—unlike Nixon? Never mind, it is only St Vincent.
The Hasely Crawford Stadium is quiet, except for 200 St Vincent supporters. The team in yellow and blue is dominating in all aspects of the game. Are we playing in yellow and blue?
Half-time and we have not settled as yet. The crowd begins to get angry; questions are being asked out loudly. No problem: Maximus Dan and Denise Saucy Wow put on an excellent show and return us all to a state of positivity and optimism.
The second half begins and the nightmare continues, climaxing with a goal for St Vincent. No movement from the bench. It appears that the coaching staff is in a similar state of paralysis to that of the entire crowd.
Eight minutes pass. Now we see some movement. Substitutes are warming up. Rougier jet-lagged and tired, is running his heart out, without support. He is looking like the most creative player on the field, continuously trying to put the ball on the carpet, but to no avail. The substitutes return to the bench. Clayton Ince continues to keep us not only in the game but also in the World Cup competition.
Bertille realises that Nixon is tired and has been tired for a long time and that Macfalane is injured. Hector Sam is on, Rahim off, Eve on, Sealy on. Fifteen minutes to go, are we about to lose to St Vincent? Twelve minutes to go, Sealy, Sam and Eve add life, creativity pride and passion to the “Joker Warriors.”
Saved by the bell, I alight from my seat unable to celebrate longer than a reflex, following Angus Eve’s brilliant, pride-saving, nation-saving, manhood-saving, FTAA-saving, trini woman-saving, soca-saving, pan saving, lime-saving, oil-saving, EMA-saving, Christmas-saving, beauty of a free-kick.
Thank you Hector Sam, Scott Sealy, Anthony Rougier, Angus Eve and Clayton Ince.
TSTT, I would like to send three urgent text messages: Please, Mr Russell Latapy, Mr Dwight Yorke and Mr David Nakhid—the message is SOS—Save our Soca Warriors.