slight pepper? (and aftermath)

Is it arrogant to say ahead of time that the Soca Warriors will make a meal of Paraguay in today's match? I don't think so. This morning as I took my usual morning walk down the road to buy papers, the air was thick with confidence. I could not help but notice that all the men who passed me on the road (women didn't seem to be out yet - except for one woman in a blazing red jacket) had on what appeared to be brand new, shiny red t-shirts. Clearly one cannot wear the same old red t-shirt for history in the making.

As I passed by the guard in a nearby school, I called out to him: "You have on your red from early!" His face broke into a proud smile: " Exackkkly!" As I passed by one man who had SOCA WARRIORS emblazoned across his chest, I said to him: "Go, Warriors!" He laughed with casual confidence: "Yes! Yes!" I passed a few others along the way and what struck me about each of them was the common facial expression: a quiet, pensive, gritty determination, mixed with studious mental focus ... as though thinking ahead, projecting energy, envisioning the Warriors scoring many goals ... and, at the same time, visualising the match between England and Sweden as having 'the perfect' outcome (for T & T). We don't mind whose hair Peter Crouch pulls in that game, we don't care how many goals the referee says don't count (even though they do) ... once the score is such that T&T is guaranteed to move ahead.

Mummy just said to me: "They'd better win so they could stay on longer in Germany ... because if they don't, they'll be coming back the same day as Vanessa (i.e. my sister who's holidaying in the States). If so, she'll have to overnight in Piarco." 

"Or hitch a ride with Beenhakker," I added.

But ... I have a strong feeling there will be no Warriors in Piarco and no traffic on the road that day.

P.S. (Aftermath): Well, we didn't make a meal of them, but ...it doesn't hurt to think that we could have. Congratulations to the team. You may not have scored goals, but you scored points in many other ways.

Comments

[Janine]

Here in Canada, I wore my "Let's Go Trinidad & Tobago" jersey to work with pride. For the first time ever, tears came to my eyes when I heard our national anthem played before that match. While I was heartbroken at the loss, I found myself still filled with pride at our "small nation, big passion". Soca Warriors are now Soca Legends!

[Gayle Trini]

This is how I felt after that game.. me in my new Trini t-shirt...

I feel sad
deflated
defeated
but I wouldn't cry
why should I cry
we did well
we did great
so we can't finish
we can't score a goal
if we depended on it
(that is for our own side)
No I wouldn't cry 'cause
we did way better than expected
and
we are made proud!

Hey I proud !