Teams go back to drawing board
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - ALL roads lead this evening to theWarner Park Football Stadium as St. Kitts/Nevis will battle against Haiti for the top spot in Group D of the CFU Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Both teams have again beaten their opponents in the second leg of the tournament and their coaches had indicated that they were going back to the drawing board with the hope of securing wins at the final game today (July 25).
Saturday night’s (July 23) games featured St. Kitts/Nevis vs. Antigua/Barbuda and Haiti against St. Lucia. The host team secured a 2-1 victory while Haiti trounced St. Lucia 2-nil.
The final games of the Group D Qualifying Tournament are scheduled for this evening, when St. Lucia will tackle Antigua/Barbuda and Haiti and St. Kitts Nevis will square off on the field.
One of St. Lucia’s coaches, Anthony Meshach Jn. Baptiste, told SKNVibes that he was disappointed in the team’s performance during last night’s game but indicated that strategies would be revisited for the upcoming game.
“We did change our strategy between the first and second games and we will change it for the last game. We analysed the first game between Haiti and Antigua, so we planned for Haiti but our guys did not follow up to the plan. But they played much better in the second half of the game.
“I am very, very much disappointed because I know the team could play better and we have beaten them before, so I am disappointed.”
Tom Curtis, coach for team Antigua/Barbuda told this publication that his team would be reviewing its performance during last evening’s game with a view to correcting loopholes in their game plan.
The champion of Group D will be decided when teams St. Kitts/Nevis and Haiti take to the field on Monday – both having already won two games each.
Despite their wins, Haiti’s coach Edison Tavares maintains that his team is not playing in accordance with the standard to which they are accustomed. And while the team will alter some aspects of its strategy, its technical and offensive tactics will be maintained as it prepares for and enters the final game.
St. Kitts/Nevis’ Vice Captain Javeim Blanchette was excited about his team’s wins and attributed the successes to “taking it one game at a time”.
As the team readies itself for the match against Haiti, Blanchette said they have analysed the Haitians’ strategy and have begun crafting a counter strategy.
“One thing that we picked up is they are a real technical team. They like to pass a lot…pass and move. And another thing they have is their aggression; so it will be a battle on Monday night,” Blanchette said.
The first match begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. and the second one at 8:00 p.m.
