All right, ah admit it.

Ah admit mih attempt tuh watch de whole match larse night was weak. Call it feeble see eef I care.

Is not like ah didn’t prefer tuh watch de Soca Warriors play de second half, is just dat mih spirit get break early — inside 20 minutes. De defense look like it was always ready tuh give up ah goal orn every ah Honduras infrequent attacks. Meantime, de players in de middle seem content tuh just get de ball in de general direction of de fowards an watch dem engage in de equivalent ah suicidal attacks when all dey needed was ah lil help tuh spread de Honduras defense.

Not dat mih spirit was all dat shatterproof. Ah did done know from hearin unrealistic optimists an excuse makers dat eef tork could win football matches de Warriors would ah done qualify fuh Russia 2018 long long time.

Bottom line?

Ah had tuh clear mih head an ah could afford to since I wasn’t orn de field.

But after de match, all de tork ah hear had mih tinkin: “What eef dis was de start ah de revival an ah gorn an miss it wid mih dotish self?”

So ah check de Soca Warriors forum an find ah was indeed dotish buh fuh tinkin de Warriors would ah win. Not wid all de fundamental flaws dat now innate tuh de players’ game.

One example ah dat was where ah Warrior had de ball. Ahead ah him an nearer de Honduran goal, was anudder Warrior, unmarked. Between dem was only grass, savannah-length. Player One make de parse. Up in de air de ball gorn. By de time it start comin back dong Player Two lookin tuh jump wid ah Honduran player fuh it. Eef yuh eh know yuh wid want tuh blame Player Two fuh not winin de header.

Now look how much time dat scene go replay in mih head. Steups.

Since ah know how fair I as, I know not tuh blame de players alone as dey are products ah de system an mightn’t know what dey don’t know. Yes, wantin tuh know yuh flaws so yuh could wuk tuh eliminate dem is ah sign of a serious eef not mature player, buh dat is ah different discussion.

Dat said, de difference in skill an football awareness between de fellas orn de team larse night who does play MSL football an dey teammates was profound.

Tuh me dat was one ah de reasons de team was more like eleven fellas playin individual football fuh de same team wid ah few instances of true collaboration. When it happened, I would jump up an beg fuh more ah dat.

Let we face facts. Ah slightly more organized an purposeful Soca Warriors team would ah win dat match an, could ah win udders it lorse.

Dat go keep happenin until de fellas train as ah team an play quality warm-up opponents.

Dis business is nonsense. Ah dey wid de idea ah de entire team not tuhgedder tuh gel until only days before ah tournament because de overseas players not available.

It have tuh have options.

Start wid hungry local players wid sound fundamentals who know dey part of ah team an understand dey role in it but dey don’t have enough international experience. Review de current process ah player selection an team preparation

I want tuh take it furdah doh.

Dem overseas leagues in “non-football places” like Vietnam, India, Israel an all dem udders? Dem really better dan what if have in T&T? Or is it more ah de same ancient misguided belief dat “foreign” automatically mean better?

I say, yes footballers, go make as much money as you can plyin yuh craft. Buh, eef you is ah big fish in ah small pond an yuh not gettin pushed tuh better yuh skills, you not just ah footballer, yuh also ah mercenary. Nuttin rong wid dat, just doh play fuh yuh country.

Statistical possibility or not, people wid common sense done know de onlyest way de Warriors could end up in Russia in 2018 is eidder goin before de tournament when nobody dey or, after it done an everybody gorn back home. So coach, why not use de remainin matches in dis campaign tuh start tryin tings fuh 2022. Where else an when could T&T get quality “warm up matches” like dem remainin games? Potential players fuh dem games already playin U23, U20, U19 an U17.

It eh have no reason tuh believe management, includin coaches, don’t know about de same flaws. De question is de plan an timeframe fuh eradication.

De flaws in de senior men’s team probably done ingrained in dem udder age groups doh. In dis one I go blame any footballer who say he or she serious about dey game yet not interested in masterin fundamentals. I know it in de U15 who just get spanked in de recent 2017 CONCACAF Under-15 Championship.

Dey also in de Women’s U17. Dat might come as ah surprise since de team just blow away de US Virgin Island an Curaçao in de latest rongs ah dey own World Cup preparation. However Grenada, yes Grenada, give de team all it could handle wid de game ending 2 – 2.

But look at play in dem first two game. Eef yuh ever coach lil chirren learnin tuh play football; tell me you eh get de occasional flashback watchin dese games? I did. An eef T&T couldn’t beat Grenada, who go be de bobolee in de next qualifications rongs wid tougher opponents?

Orn dat note, let mih add I watch as much ah dem two one-sided games as ah could stomach an me eh see nuttin tuh suggest T&T U17s learn anyting from de Italian coach who pack up an went back home. Could it be Jamaal Shabazz uncoach, or is it decoach it out ah dem?

So where to next T&T football?

I eh tink de focus should be different wid de women just because dey in active pursuit of ah place in ah championship. Knowin how tuh control, dribble an parse is Football 101 an yuh go fail widout dem skills.

I also eh tink it cyar be business as usual, includin endless tork. It have ah word fuh doin dat an gettin de same resuts — madness.

Chances are nuttin go change wid me doh. Yes ah couldn’t take de second half larse night but by de time de next major international game come arong, guess who go be dey.

De real question is will dat, “major international game” be de next one de senior team have in dis unsuccessful 2018 campaign? An will de players be playin because dey have tuh be orn de field. Or, will dey be lookin tuh get valuable international experience wid de eye tuh 2020?

Okay, it had more dan one question dey. Of course ah care.