FORMER national football star Leroy De Leon is urging local football authorities that they should focus on the Under-20 team if Trinidad and Tobago are to have a chance of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
De Leon, regarded as one of the best players produced by Trinidad and Tobago, had stated publicly that the Soca Warriors should not have been focusing on qualifying for the World Cup which will be held in South Africa next year.
Instead he said, the objective should have been developing a team for future competitions.
De Leon, a creative midfielder in his day, urged the public not to blame former playmaker Russell Latapy and now national coach for the TT loss to the United States at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Wednesday night.
The 1-0 defeat eliminated the 2006 World Cup finalists from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
“I really feel sorry for Latapy because he was a great player who should have stayed with Falkirk and develop his coaching, rather than come down here to play for TT in the qualifiers,” said De Leon.
“Latapy just did not have the resources to work with in the game and in the campaign, as did Colombian coach Francisco Maturana,” he said.
He made it clear that he does not agree with the transition process from player to coach.
“This is because as a player you hang out with the players as friends, you drink a beer, you probably go to parties and therefore it will obviously be difficult to try and discipline and play according to your style,” De Leon said.
De Leon also lashed out at some of the country’s overseas players. He accused them of playing as though they are on vacation when they are representing TT in the qualifiers. “I have seen some of these players perform with tremendous intensity when they are playing for their team, but when they come to represent Trinidad and Tobago they play as though they are on vacation and that they should not take extra precaution,” he said.
De Leon is advising the power that be to turn their attention on the Under-20 team for the next World Cup, as well as the Under-17s and the Under-15s.
He explained that the country does not have good youth teams which is not good for the development of the game in the twin-island republic.
Meanwhile former manager of the TT team Richard Braithwaite said while it is unfortunate that we did not qualify, there are major lessons to be learnt.
“It is very unfortunate especially since TT qualified for the last World Cup .There are some important lessons to be learnt and what is needed now is a comprehensive review of the entire campaign from the very start.
“A World Cup campaign is a three-year-odyssey at least and if you start off on the wrong foot and you continue to misstep along the way then it is difficult to succeed,” Braithwaite said.
He also sympathised with Latapy, saying it is not his fault. He feels there is a need to look deeper and analyse some of the structural issues affecting football.
“It is important to forget the blame game and the search for scapegoats. This is not rocket science and if a dispassionate analysis is conducted from the end of the last campaign to now, the issues that need to be addressed will emerge,” Braithwaite said.