By CLEMENTE LISI - NEW YORK, NY (Mar 31, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Two ties in two games is not a bad start given the 10-game schedule, but Trinidad & Tobago enter Wednesday's game against the United States in Nashville with issues on the road to South Africa. Saturday's 1-1 draw with Honduras followed an opener against El Salvador that they dominated, but couldn't win.
“We did not play well,” coach Francisco Maturana lamented after the Honduras game. “We lacked rhythm. I hope we can improve in the next game and get some points.”
That makes the objective as clear as possible. Ties are better than losing, but T&T need to turn a few games into three points to control their own fate in the Hexagonal round.
The United States - coming off their own hard-fought 2-2 draw against El Salvador on Saturday night - has never lost to Trinidad & Tobago on home soil. After clinching a berth to the Hexagonal last year, the US sent a less experienced team to Port of Spain, where T&T snagged a 2-1 victory. The US also controls the overall series 14-2-3 and has a 9-1-2 record against the Soca Warriors in World Cup qualifying. Clearly, the edge belongs to the Americans.
Despite the historical edge the US possesses, T&T has a deep roster with plenty of experienced players. Although Maturana has experimented lately with a 4-5-1 formation, he reverted back to his normal 4-4-2 system against Honduras. Maturana, famous for coaching his native Colombia at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, yearns to guide T&T to the 2010 tournament after a series of coaching failures – but it won’t be easy.
Missing will be captain Dwight Yorke, who sat out Saturday’s game because of a red card last month. His two-match ban, originally a four-game suspension that was successfully appealed, means Yorke will miss the US game. The 37-year-old remains a key player for the Soca Warriors. He missed the first U.S. qualifier last fall – a 3-0 victory for the Americans in Chicago – because of club commitments with Sunderland of the English Premier League. When Yorke did play against the US, he netted the winning goal.
Despite Yorke’s suspension, the soccer federation’s spin doctors put out a statement last week trying to argue that the veteran striker’s presence in training camp and on the bench would be a “great boost” for the other players. So far, that “boost” hasn’t really materialized for the players.
In Yorke’s absence, Trinidad & Tobago will likely rely on striker Kenwyne Jones, who was shockingly demoted to the bench against Honduras for the first time since the 2006 World Cup. In a post-game interview, Maturana claimed Jones, who finally entered the game in the 61st minute, needed rest and will be a probable starter on Wednesday. Maturana was so bombarded with questions about Jones’ limited playing time that he’s unlikely to make a similar mistake again.
One option that has worked well for Maturana is to partner Jones with Stern John, who has scored 69 goals in 107 games for the National Team. The 32-year-old forward is no stranger to fans of Major League Soccer from his time with Columbus, and remains one of the better forwards in CONCACAF.
Feeding balls to the forwards in Yorke’s notable absence will be Russell Latapy. At age 40, Latapy is the oldest player on the squad (Yorke is close at 38) and a scorer in his own right with 29 goals in 76 matches. Latapy wasn't as effective as normal against Honduras. Look for him to be more involved offensively against the United States.
With the United States holding such an advantage at home, Trinidad & Tobago are in a situation where they need to stick to the fundamentals that have gotten them to the final round of qualifying. Even without Yorke, they work the ball well out of midfield and they have established attacking options. What they still need to show is that they can hold a lead when they get it and turn a bad game into more than a tie. A lot of that is on the defense, and they'll be facing their first major test on Wednesday after two games where T&T has to believe they should have done better.
Clemente Lisi is the author of “A History of the World Cup: 1930-2006.” Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com
