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Fans abandon Soca Warriors
PETER O CONNOR Sunday, October 15 2006
JAPAN do not have a history, or really a culture, of football. They launched their first Professional League in the mid-90s, around the time that the United States also started.
Japan first went to the World Cup in France ‘98, where they lost all their matches, including being beaten by Jamaica. They co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup and reached the last sixteen, courtesy of being a seeded Home Team.
They qualified for Germany 2006 at the top of the Asian Confederation but brought nothing special to Germany however, not in playing standard, nor in “atmosphere” from their fans. Japan finished 29th out of 32 teams, with a goalless draw and two losses. They returned home without fanfare or fete.
And yet, when Japan played their first Home Friendly after their disappointing performance in Germany, the stadium was filled to its 60,000 capacity, with the fans cheering them wildly throughout the match.
With the help of that massive support, Japan beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0.
Trinidad and Tobago has a long history — 98 years — of playing and supporting football, from fete match, through Inter-Col, and sometimes real fervor for our national team.
When they qualified for Germany, our players were not expected to do well on the field. However, our fans were expected to bring something special to the streets and stadia in Germany.
Well, the Warriors surprised everyone with their play, and the fans delivered what was expected of them, enriching the carnival that is World Cup Football.
Trinidad and Tobago finished the Finals in 27th place, two ahead of Japan, with one goalless draw and two losses, goal difference separating the countries.
When Trinidad and Tobago returned home, thousands of fervent supporters were at the airport, dancing and wining for their “heroes.”
The Prime Minister was at the airport, basking in the glory of the moment.
Tens of thousands were at the Hasely Crawford Stadium two days later, wining and dancing, and lining the travel route, just to catch a glimpse of their “heroes”.
But when the Soca Warriors returned to the stadium last week for their first international friendlies, the Warriors’ fans stayed away in their thousands. Thousands who made the journey from Trinidad to Germany failed to make the trip to the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Tens of thousands who feted them at the airport last June refused to support them in their own stadium.
The Prime Minister, so eager to impose himself on the team in June, could not support them in October — and he was invited.
What is the difference between Japan, their football, their supporters, and what, or who, we are? The truth is we do not have supporters in this country.
Well, we have about 5,000 supporters, whom the team can count upon. The rest of you are just “riders”, hopping aboard when the results and the vibes are good, and jumping off until the good times roll around again.
However, right now, South Africa is still four years away, and anyway, “is only St Vincent and Panama we playing”, so to hell with the Warriors, forget our promises — “I is ah Warrior ‘till ah dead”, and we just stay away, like we have no interest. Anyway, let me acknowledge now that I was not there either. In spite of my own desires, and my exhortations to everyone to come out, I missed both matches.
Fortunately for me, both matches were carried live on NCC Channel 4. When I was involved in football I was always opposed to showing matches live on TV unless we were assured that the stadium would be sold out.
So, as I watched the matches from home, I was thankful that I am no longer involved!
And how well our Warriors played, in both matches especially considering that the Destroyer of Team Success — dissent — was hanging like a cloud over the Warriors.
What plaudits can we give to our team, who not only played under the shadow of di
PETER O CONNOR Sunday, October 15 2006
JAPAN do not have a history, or really a culture, of football. They launched their first Professional League in the mid-90s, around the time that the United States also started.
Japan first went to the World Cup in France ‘98, where they lost all their matches, including being beaten by Jamaica. They co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup and reached the last sixteen, courtesy of being a seeded Home Team.
They qualified for Germany 2006 at the top of the Asian Confederation but brought nothing special to Germany however, not in playing standard, nor in “atmosphere” from their fans. Japan finished 29th out of 32 teams, with a goalless draw and two losses. They returned home without fanfare or fete.
And yet, when Japan played their first Home Friendly after their disappointing performance in Germany, the stadium was filled to its 60,000 capacity, with the fans cheering them wildly throughout the match.
With the help of that massive support, Japan beat Trinidad and Tobago 2-0.
Trinidad and Tobago has a long history — 98 years — of playing and supporting football, from fete match, through Inter-Col, and sometimes real fervor for our national team.
When they qualified for Germany, our players were not expected to do well on the field. However, our fans were expected to bring something special to the streets and stadia in Germany.
Well, the Warriors surprised everyone with their play, and the fans delivered what was expected of them, enriching the carnival that is World Cup Football.
Trinidad and Tobago finished the Finals in 27th place, two ahead of Japan, with one goalless draw and two losses, goal difference separating the countries.
When Trinidad and Tobago returned home, thousands of fervent supporters were at the airport, dancing and wining for their “heroes.”
The Prime Minister was at the airport, basking in the glory of the moment.
Tens of thousands were at the Hasely Crawford Stadium two days later, wining and dancing, and lining the travel route, just to catch a glimpse of their “heroes”.
But when the Soca Warriors returned to the stadium last week for their first international friendlies, the Warriors’ fans stayed away in their thousands. Thousands who made the journey from Trinidad to Germany failed to make the trip to the Hasely Crawford Stadium. Tens of thousands who feted them at the airport last June refused to support them in their own stadium.
The Prime Minister, so eager to impose himself on the team in June, could not support them in October — and he was invited.
What is the difference between Japan, their football, their supporters, and what, or who, we are? The truth is we do not have supporters in this country.
Well, we have about 5,000 supporters, whom the team can count upon. The rest of you are just “riders”, hopping aboard when the results and the vibes are good, and jumping off until the good times roll around again.
However, right now, South Africa is still four years away, and anyway, “is only St Vincent and Panama we playing”, so to hell with the Warriors, forget our promises — “I is ah Warrior ‘till ah dead”, and we just stay away, like we have no interest. Anyway, let me acknowledge now that I was not there either. In spite of my own desires, and my exhortations to everyone to come out, I missed both matches.
Fortunately for me, both matches were carried live on NCC Channel 4. When I was involved in football I was always opposed to showing matches live on TV unless we were assured that the stadium would be sold out.
So, as I watched the matches from home, I was thankful that I am no longer involved!
And how well our Warriors played, in both matches especially considering that the Destroyer of Team Success — dissent — was hanging like a cloud over the Warriors.
What plaudits can we give to our team, who not only played under the shadow of di