So as I went to Ashmins to purchase tickets it struck me about the dubious connection of local football to alleged Druggie Kingpins as the local sponsors were thanked on Local Television. So no different from the Russian Mafia trying to infiltrate the English League then- allegedly. At least good to see a boost in some form for Sport. Bought my yellow Polo Tee with the Golden Jaguars logo in an pure impulse buy.
The traffic cops were well organised, making their presence known on the East Bank Road by 5pm. There was parking in the Parking Lot in front of the Stadium but for some strange reason Guyanese driving monstrously oversized vehicles preferred to damage the parapets and park off-road and the Police did not seem to object and insist that they (pay) use the Car Park.
Attendance was sparse at the starting but after the first twenty minutes or so it became about 7/8ths full. The Stadium was looking a bit tatty-- the bucket plastic seats faded and across the field you could barely make out it was Orange-- good Forward-Planning whoever decided on plastic seats without a protective Cover overhead in the cruel Tropical Sun-- did you get promoted to State-Planning for this brilliant piece of decision-making? The Scoreboard was not functioning-- I felt they could have paid a man to just stick on a number/the score under two signs with the Country's name! Also contributing to the general shabbiness was the fact there was no clock - I felt this is crucial to a Game. On a positive note-- the place was wonderfully cool by the time the match started at 8pm.
The mood was buoyant and even me myself had high expectations of the guys winning. Sadly this was not to be... the Costa Ricans were definitely aggressively stalking the ball and got in two goals in the first half by sheer perseverance! The Guyana team repeated mistakes from the Mexican game- but maybe they just haven't figured out a good strategy? Just after the middle of the second half our Goalie let in two more goals-- I was astonished at the crowd's immediate reaction-- people from both the Red and Green Stands got up, voted with their feet and left! That must have been disheartening for the Players-- after the match #7 came to the Stand and had a brief discourse with a few excited and disappointed fans -- #7 seemed pretty downcast himself. It was interesting the hear all the experts in the Crowd around me and I confess, I myself who know precious little about soccer, turned to the guy next to me and confidently pontificated a couple times in disgust that you can't kick a ball without playing it to another team member. Ah well, will cancel my 2014 trip to Rio.
The traffic cops were well organised, making their presence known on the East Bank Road by 5pm. There was parking in the Parking Lot in front of the Stadium but for some strange reason Guyanese driving monstrously oversized vehicles preferred to damage the parapets and park off-road and the Police did not seem to object and insist that they (pay) use the Car Park.
Attendance was sparse at the starting but after the first twenty minutes or so it became about 7/8ths full. The Stadium was looking a bit tatty-- the bucket plastic seats faded and across the field you could barely make out it was Orange-- good Forward-Planning whoever decided on plastic seats without a protective Cover overhead in the cruel Tropical Sun-- did you get promoted to State-Planning for this brilliant piece of decision-making? The Scoreboard was not functioning-- I felt they could have paid a man to just stick on a number/the score under two signs with the Country's name! Also contributing to the general shabbiness was the fact there was no clock - I felt this is crucial to a Game. On a positive note-- the place was wonderfully cool by the time the match started at 8pm.
The mood was buoyant and even me myself had high expectations of the guys winning. Sadly this was not to be... the Costa Ricans were definitely aggressively stalking the ball and got in two goals in the first half by sheer perseverance! The Guyana team repeated mistakes from the Mexican game- but maybe they just haven't figured out a good strategy? Just after the middle of the second half our Goalie let in two more goals-- I was astonished at the crowd's immediate reaction-- people from both the Red and Green Stands got up, voted with their feet and left! That must have been disheartening for the Players-- after the match #7 came to the Stand and had a brief discourse with a few excited and disappointed fans -- #7 seemed pretty downcast himself. It was interesting the hear all the experts in the Crowd around me and I confess, I myself who know precious little about soccer, turned to the guy next to me and confidently pontificated a couple times in disgust that you can't kick a ball without playing it to another team member. Ah well, will cancel my 2014 trip to Rio.
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