A Thorny Issue ? Next step for Barbados
Published on: 1/24/07.
THE BARBADOS FOOTBALL TEAM may have been missing some of the key players that helped them to the final of the Digicel Caribbean Cup but it would appear that an old enemy returned to plague them again and proved more crucial than any other factor.
Most would concede that without the likes of English-based players Paul Ifill and Mark McCammon along with outstanding defender Elvis Defreitas, the team would have lost a lot of their depth but it would seem that the lack of firepower upfront was the biggest let-down of all.
No one can dispute that Barbados had their fair amount of chances to score goals in their three preliminary matches, but failed to capitalise on the majority.
I am sure that's where Ifill and McCammon might have made big differences. They netted the majority of Barbados' goals in the first round in Antigua.
Major setback
However, they were unable to link since then. McCammon was unavailable for the second round in Barbados and both had to miss the finals for different reasons.
It was a major setback. The team missed their professionalism and their calmness in front of goal.
Young Neil Harvey tried and is bound to make his mark in a more profound way with a little more experience.
Perhaps a Kenroy Skinner would have helped to make a difference but he wasn't chosen for whatever reason the selectors had to leave him out.
He has good goal sense and is usually around when the ball arrives in the danger area. Predators are necessary at all levels of the game.
Another blow would have been the non-arrival of the Irish-based Eric Lavine, who can play as a striker or midfielder.
We wonder why he didn't make the trip and some of us are confused as to why they wanted to recruit a 36-year-old player in the first place when it appears nobody was quite sure whether he was active or not.
It may have been a better move in the first place to invest in some younger player who is committed to local football.
The loss of Defreitas was major because of his ability to man mark better than anybody else in Barbados.
The only other player who could have filled that role effectively was John Parris, who had to revert to the sweeper's position as the many injuries forced the coaching unit to readjust positions.
Still, it came right back to converting your chances.
From what we saw, too many went abegging. Host Trinidad and Tobago were there for the taking more than any other team but the inability to drive the nail in their coffin was detrimental to Barbados even though they drew the match 1-1.
The Trinidadians were able to regroup but we went downhill gradually. Missed opportunities are costly. Victory against Trinidad would have given the squad the early boost required to tackle the likes of Haiti and Martinique, whom we have never beaten.
Let's, though, not cry over spilt milk. What does the future hold for the team?
Surely, it could be the end of the road for veterans like Parris and Gregory Goodridge, both of whom have served the country well over the past decade. It would be pertinent to invest in some new blood as we prepare for the qualifiers of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Way forward
It would also be great if the nucleus of the team could be kept together and wherever possible the Barbados Football Association (BFA) must find quality international friendlies to help them prepare well for the big tests when they arrive.
It is also vital to seek out more profesional players and where possible have them play alongside the locally-based players to create the right mix over time.
Given the early exit of the team, do we need a technical director after all?
Yes, but only if it is one in the calibre of the world's best or just under that benchmark. Not just anyone without any outstanding track record. They won't get the job done.
Truthfully, the team of technical adviser Keith Griffith, coach Eyre Sealy and assistant coach Jerry Skeete have done a good job even though we didn't reach the semifinals of the Digicel Cup.
I assume the BFA will keep them after reviewing the season's performance that saw Barbados leap into the Top 100 of the FIFA world rankings. A year ago, lest we forget, Barbados were banned from all international play because of court proceedings in a local case.
Therefore, a lot of ground was covered in a relatively short space of time.
It is time now to regroup after the Digicel Cup and move on.
Hopefully, the next time we play in a major competition we would have solved that perennial problem of scoring lots of goals.