Haiti vs. Honduras: The Missed Opportunity for Haiti to Shine on the World Stage 

The Haitian squad dubbed “Grenadier” was well positioned to make a fantastic entrance and leave an indelible impression on the world stage after being ousted for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.  They have gone completely under the radar as most reporters and soccer experts dismissed them by writing them off as not being a serious threat in group B of the Gold Cup.  No one predicted Saint- Preux to have a magnificent first half as he took the initiative to the Hondurans’ defense on each possession.  No experts from MLS or FOX Soccer saw in their crystal ball a wonderful midfielder in Jeff Louis to perform at such high level.  Jeff Louis is as skillfully crafty and stocky as we have seen from lots of good Haitian soccer players who have honed their craft in Haiti's unknown league.  I can appreciate the oversight here since no MLS team had made an attempt to recruit him.  From those reporters' perspectives, any alliance to MLS seems to convey more credence to a player, as if La Ligue 1 from France is not a far more superior league to be associated with. More on that later…

Any victory over the Hondurans would have created the last shocker that this tournament dearly needed to make it an even more competitive and more contentious.  Especially as Mexico as the ultimate favorite lost to Panama in their opening game followed by Canada’s loss in a last minute stunner by Martinique.  Undoubtedly, a win for Haiti would have even the playing field for the underdogs--so to speak.

So what went wrong?

Haitians are known to be individually gifted with the ball as they emulate the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi and Robinho and many others in past Brazilian generations.  In Haiti football is entertainment!  You play beautiful football and the rest would take care of itself—winning or losing. I knew of too many good players from past generations who never made it on any stage beyond Haiti simply because the discipline it takes to perform at a much higher level has never been part of the Haitian football DNA.   As a result, and because of many other factors that have to do with lack of basic infrastructure and organizational effectiveness, the Haitian team for the past two decades had been nothing but a shell of its former self.  The best Haitian  team the people of Haiti had ever seen had taken them to the World Cup in 1974 when color TV  had just barely made it way to Haiti. This drought to be in contention for a World Cup run or any significant cup for that matter had prolonged for too long.  Thus the deep and profound longing to see this team on HD TV do well in the Gold Cup and to support it.

So is this team the one capable of resurrecting those moments of past glories that make all Haitians reminisce for years?  My response to this daunting question is an emphatic and resounding YES. So why has this team faltered at securing a victory over a side they were technically and tactically superior to?

For starters: The need to remain highly focused and mentally disciplined!  

The two recent match ups against Italy and Spain proved that despite being an entertaining side with great midfielders such as Louis and Charles, Haitians in the backline remain suspect and undisciplined.  The goal scored by Italy in the first two minutes of the game was the embodiment of how lax their defense could be and a glimpse into how fragile this team could be--at times. The final score was inconsequential to me. You simply do not concede a goal in the first two minutes of a game, period.

Secondly: Inability to convert opportunities into concrete goals.

No game is as cruel as soccer—you would know if you’re a devoted fan or if you’ve ever played it. In fact, as an observer, I would venture to say that I have seen plenty of games where the teams that dominate often lose to their opponents. This fact alone had become an unstated rule. Too many of these opportunities had gone unfulfilled for Haiti. The effect on the players’ psyche and confidence as the game went on was evident as they became more frustrated and less organized. They lost their coherence as a team and their individualism undermined their early team cohesiveness.

In light of this:

What kind of strategic and tactical adjustment can this Cuban coach make to improve this team and to obtain the result that 10 million people are longing for?

The defense needs to be tidier. The defenders need to remain put in their respective position and learn how to better mitigate the risk associated with leaving their position.  The Haitian playmakers such as Jeff Louis must be given free rein to continue his penetration and to deliver last minute passes to those that are open.  His pace and lovely skills as well as his power shots can move the team forward and lift the sprit of the Haitian offense, bringing more confidence to the rest of the team in their own abilities to score.  The attacking players need better composure in the penalty box area.  Saint-Preux must learn from his coaching staff that-- in modern football-- less possession and less control of the football leads to much higher efficiency.  And, finally, the team simply needs to score goals to convince me that as entertaining as beautiful football is, it is heartbreaking  when it does not produce results. We’ve already have Barcelona to remind us of that notion!