Go, Soca Warriors, Go
Colin EH Croft
Published: Guardian
Sunday, July 19, 2015
When I suggested in my last article that T&T’s “Soca Warriorsâ€, despite favourites USA and Mexico, can cause serious upsets to get to the final of Concacaf Gold Cup 2015, readers and acquaintances enquired about my sanity. No, I am not mad, but I know that sports and life can throw up upsets and mind changers to not only confuse, but by their very fickleness, to confirm unpredictability.
NASA—USA’s National Aeronautics & Space Administration—recently held its collective breath as a plan in the form of a space capsule launched in 2006, with results hoped for but unsure, became reality nine years later when advanced New Horizons after travelling billions of miles, passed close to, then took photographs of, former ninth planet, now downgraded Pluto.
Dr Alan Stern, New Horizons’ top scientist, correctly boasted that this trip was “the Everest of space travel, as this is the greatest achievement in space exploration.†But it also indicates that even with so much technology to assist, nothing is guaranteed.
If you recall, West Indies could have recorded, as completed by Australia 1999, 2003 and 2007, the first ever “three-peat†in ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) history, if WI had won CWC No 3 in 1983. Favoured WI not only lost to then unfancied India in that third CWC final, but WI’s fortunes have waned badly since, while India remain very near top.
In 1974, Muhammed Ali beat favourite George Foreman in Zaire; 1980—Roberto Duran outclassed highly hyped “Sugar†Ray Leonard in Canada, their first meeting and best fight for both boxers. Then supposedly unbeatable “Iron†Mike Tyson was bludgeoned into submission by James “Buster†Douglas in Japan in 1990, Tyson never being the same after that humiliation.
Okay, so you say that was an individual sport, “mano y manoâ€, so sure, upsets will happen. True, but back to cricket. What about England, underdogs in present Ashes series, comprehensively outplaying and embarrassing quasi-unbeatable Australia in Test No 1 at Cardiff.
WI played both teams recently, and while they managed a drawn series versus England, Australia handily beat WI in two Tests. Few gave England any chances whatsoever to beat Australia in this Ashes series. Now, wavering minds are even wagering for an England series win.
Australia will come back hard, as already seen in Test No 2 now transpiring at elegant Lords Cricket Ground, London, but the Aussies are coming off a knock-down. By the time these teams get to Kennington Oval, also in London, at August’s end for Test No 5, England could even end up winning by knockout, upsetting most predictions. Who knows?
Even Pakistan’s Test series victory last week against Sri Lanka was an upset, the Lankans not the same since losing Mahela Jayawardene. But what a comeback for Younis Khan and Pakistan, who have not played Test cricket at home since that shooting incident featuring, coincidentally, Sri Lanka, in 2009. Yet, as proverbial wanderers, Pakistan always still persevere to win.
And normally lowly-considered Bangladesh are enjoying unaccustomed victory dances, having also upset highly rated South Africa in a tense one-day series, with a Test series still to come later. Upsets happen, so T&T, who have never played in a final in Concacaf Gold Cup’s history, their best being a semifinal berth in 2000, could well capitalise this time.
Soca Warriors remind me of WI circa 1970s and 1980s. Putting political and financial obstructions behind them, they are playing like men possessed, elevated by their own ambitions. But there might be much more driving T&T forward, as this must be captain Kenwyne Jones’ swan song tournament. So it could be very personal, the big man hoping to go out with a bang.
Even getting to the final, if not indeed winning the ongoing Concacaf Gold Cup, would be a tremendously appropriate farewell for Jones, the only remaining playing member of T&T’s squad for 2006 Fifa World Cup, a time past which brought much excitement and pride to all. That 4–4 tie with Mexico in their last Group C game was titillating, tantalising, even traumatic, for T&T had to come back from a debilitating, inadvertent own-goal from its leader. Luckily, livewire Yohance Marshall scored that eight and final goal almost in the final second.
Those last ten minutes versus Mexico showed magnificent fight from T&T, warriors to the end. That they celebrated like only Trinbagonians can at the end was the least they could have done. Manager Stephen Hart’s antics must have gone viral on social media. What a great show!
Anyway, 62nd Fifa-ranked Panama to date has done nothing special, drawing all three preliminary games 1–1 against adventurous Haiti, cautious Honduras and underwhelming USA, while 55th Fifa-ranked T&T impressed by beating confused Guatemala 3–1 and agile Cuba 2–0, before that 4–4 draw versus a very tough Mexico.
In today’s quarterfinal against Panama in New Jersey, T&T’s Soca Warriors must pull out all stops, digging deep while legs try to genuflect to tiredness. T&T must be actuated by adrenaline, confidently knowing that they have ample ammunition to continue winning, for there is nothing like success. So, Warriors, just win! Enjoy!
