Back to the drawing board, again

It is now an expectation that St Vincent and the Grenadines’ senior men’s football team will go no further than the second round of the biennial Caribbean Football Union’s competition.

The latest proof of this came last Sunday in Guadeloupe, when placed in a must win situation, the team, after being 3-1 in the ascendancy against Martinique, could not finish strong enough, and was defeated 4-3.{{more}}

This displaced the team from a berth in the finals set for Jamaica next month.

But had the team qualified for the finals, everyone would have been heaping praise on the team and the coaching staff, and more so, the executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation would have been bellowing about the tremendous programme that has been in place since 2011.

Realism, however, bore out and showed that we are as good as we are here and no more.

On the contrary, criticisms are already being made of head coach Cornelius Huggins, his limitations and the like.

However, before Huggins, the same had taken place, so there is no argument which is merited.

What is clear then, is that something is fundamentally wrong with our football, its operations and the structure of the sport on the local market.

Contextualising the demise of the team shows that it was beaten by two French teams – Guadeloupe and Martinique. In addition, St Vincent and the Grenadines conceded goals in the latter part of the matches. This is the same as in the first round, when Antigua and Barbuda came from defeat to beat the Vincentians 2-1.

In that same first round, St Vincent and the Grenadines had to ward off a relentless onslaught on their goal from the Dominican Republic. This, after taking the lead.

This was the same 10 years ago when in the World Cup Qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines enjoyed a comfortable lead, only to be defeated in the last 10 minutes of the match.

Therefore, pointing accusing fingers the current crop players will be ill-advised.

But there are some crucial pointers which should be looked at with the present team and more so their most recent sojourn.

The manner of defeat, especially in last Sunday’s match, must be apportioned in some measure to the physical conditioning of the team, as one’s concentration tends to wane when fatigue sets in.

Was there enough emphasis placed on fitness leading up to the first and second rounds of the competition?

How much has the “ninety-nine” leagues in which the players are allowed to participate affected their output, in Guadeloupe especially?

Also, how does the absence of proper international friendlies affect match readiness of the team, and an assessment cue for the technical staff?

Were any knowledge and insights done on the opponents in the second round to develop a strategy against them?

What are the other factors which are subtle, which are working against the grain of success?

The pundits and the critics would instantly call for the heads of those who are charged with preparing the team.

Whilst this is the norm with most sports around the world, the issues affecting St Vincent and the Grenadines’ football is more deep-rooted than the results over the past week.

In place at the senior level is young raw material, which can be worked with and harnessed for the next eight to 10 years.

Talent though, would not take us far, as we have seen in recent Caribbean tournaments and the four-year World Cup qualification cycles.

A look at the national competitions and their structure is of utmost importance, if we want to be competitive in the wider Caribbean.

Attention must be paid to what is taught at the various age groups, as we are all aware that some of our senior national players are uncoachable, as they have cultivated bad habits from a tender age, which are impossible to break.

Having our current national coach understudy someone for a few months will surely enhance his acumen as a coach.

And, seeking out opportunities to place more of the present national players in at least a semi-pro environment would be some boost as well.

Different results on the football pitch, however, can only come if there is a change in the cultural attitude towards sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines.