Barbados Football team have right mix
Published on: 1/10/07.
HAS BARBADOS' FOOTBALL come of age?
This will be put to the test in the Digicel Caribbean Football Cup Final in Trinidad starting on Friday.
If there was ever a time to prove we have made some strides it is now.
We have walked for far too long in the shadow of teams like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, both of whom have qualified for the World Cup.
I drew that comparison because in times past we were considered to be the No.3 team in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Surely, in the '80s we weren't too far behind them. Since then they have galloped ahead while we have stood stationary but for a brief period in 2000 when we reached the semi-final round of the CONCACAF zone for the 2002 World Cup played in South Korea and Japan.
The current squad seems more than capable of reaching those heady heights again. All of the right ingredients are there: a well balanced unit, shaped and directed by a very knowledgeable coaching staff.
In addition, team spirit is high, definitely on par with the 2000 team.
I think we would agree that what separated teams like Trinidad and Jamaica from the rest of the pack was that they were boosted by several full-time professionals. They were at the heart of their qualification for the World Cup.
It is imperative to have these players in your ranks because their natural dedication to duty and work ethic rub off on those who play in a less demanding environment. You could say we are getting there with English-based players like Paul Ifill, Mark McCammon, Neil Harvey and Luis Soares, all of whom will be in the line-up for the Digicel Cup.
The face of the game has changed and we must not be left behind if we want to compete with the best the region and others have to give. You could add that the top teams have been able to engage the services of some of the world's best coaches at the right price, of course.
I don't believe we are prepared to pay exorbitant sums on recruiting such personnel so we have to make the best of those we have.
The team of technical adviser Keith Griffith, head coach Eyre Sealy and assistant coach Jerry Skeete are doing an excellent job right now and everything possible should be done to encourage them to keep up the good work.
So far they have assisted the team in winning their groups on their way to the final but it would be a true triumph if they were able to finish in the Top 4 or even win the tournament which has to be the main goal. Those in the Top 4 will qualify for the prestigious Gold Cup to be played in the United States in June.
I am not disconcerted by the fact that Barbados have been drawn in the group of death along with nemesis Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti and Martinique. In fact, they should see it as the impetus they need to push them to their highest standard.
I think the best is yet to come from this team and the most encouraging sign is that captain Norman Forde seems to have finally matured and ready to accept his responsibilities fully not only as captain but the midfield general.
His predecessors like Victor "Gas" Clarke, Anthony Clarke, Adrian Hall and Colin Forde distinguished themselves in that area and he has all the attributes to do the same.
The team's mindset will be important. They must believe they are as good or better than their opponents.
It is perhaps no accident that their first game will be against Trinidad and Tobago. How they do in this game could very well indicate how ready they are to elevate their status as one of the big guns in regional football.