Tridents’ head coach proud of team

THE Barbados Tridents continue to do well on their learning curve. This from Head Coach Russell Latapy as he spoke to members of the media yesterday via Zoom about Friday’s game in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.

With the senior men pulling out a 1-1 draw against hosts Dominican Republic after leading for most of the second half, Latapy noted that it was a combination of different things that led to the team conceding the late equaliser. Going on to explain that they were asking a lot of players in each game, Latapy stated that every game was a learning experience.

“We have to learn from these games and we have to manage the game a lot better when we get to this stage of the game. And like I said, it’s a young team and we are going to learn from these experiences – maybe myself as a coach can also do things differently. Maybe we can put on defenders and we can lock down the game. But I honestly believe that in relation to the game last night, I thought that we were more than capable to go out and win a game like this based on how far we have come over the last six, seven, eight months,” he said.

Revealing that the team was disappointed with the result, Latapy said that he was proud of the game the boys played, noting that he believed that they dominated the game at certain periods and created enough chances to win the game. He also said that not being able to see the win through with five minutes to go was a tough one to take, especially in international football. However, he stated that his boys were on the right path to improving.

“At this level, it’s always a question of confidence and courage. I think it’s something that we are starting to see grow in individual players, but we could also see it grow as a team. We need more games, we need to keep working, but I am satisfied with where we are. When we look at the way we train and we see how we performed last night, we know that we are definitely moving in the right direction, but what we see in training is that we do it for longer periods. What we saw last night is that we moved the ball in spurts and our expectations is that we want the team to play like this for longer periods. I think we are getting there, but it would take a bit more work. I’m confident that we are definitely moving in the right direction and hopefully we can get this the way we want to get it and have the consistency in doing it.”

Going on to say that it was not likely for goalkeeper Kishmar Primus to be ready for Tuesday’s game against Dominica after his ankle injury, he revealed that his staff would be looking at utilising more of their young players.

“What I would say for this upcoming game, I think it’s a fantastic opportunity to have a look at some of our younger players to give them some World Cup qualifying experience. They’re here on merit – they’re working really hard and I think it is a perfect opportunity to see what they are made of, to throw them in the deep end and to start to build them and develop them. Right now I’m thinking it’s a wonderful opportunity to get some of these young players some experience and they deserve it. I think they are good enough to go forward and stake a claim to be in the starting team moving forward. I want to see some of these young players playing at the highest level and pushing some of the other ones and I think this is a great opportunity to do it,” he said.

Noting that the youngsters were onboard with what the coaching staff is doing and that they are disciplined and hard-working, Latapy commended them for the strides they were making with minimal outside support. Going on to say that the future of the sport in Barbados looked bright as there were enquiries coming from scouts and schools for several of the island’s young players, he highlighted the need for greater support for football.

Adding that the work of the Barbados Football Association was funded entirely by FIFA, Latapy noted that support was needed in providing a clear pathway for youngsters to have a future in the game.

“Just as other sports are a way for these young men to improve their lives, I think football is as well. I don’t know if it’s Government or if it’s the private sector or whoever, but if we can provide situations where we can spend more time with these young men on the field, we can feed them in the right way, we can get them into educational programmes that broaden their horizons and their way of seeing life, then it certainly will make a difference in their lives and in their families’ lives,” he said. (MP)