Costa Rica defeated Trinidad & Tobago

 

WINNIPEG, Canada, September 22, 2007.- This is always a difficult match for these teams. After a long week of volleyball it comes down to one last game. While there may not seem like much is on the line, in fact there is a great deal of pride, and both these teams are developing and would like to leave this event knowing that they finished strong.

 

Set one was closely contested with Trinidad and Tobago opening an 8-7 lead at the firs time out. The set would remain tied up at 14-14 when Costa Rica opened took the only 2-point lead of the set up 16-14 at the second official time out. Costa Rica fed off this widening the gap taking a 22-17 lead on their way to an eventual 25-19 set one victory.

 

Costa Rica seemed to find their stride in the second set jumping out to an 8-5 lead at the first break in play. The Costa Ricans continued to march on adding to their point total to lead 16-10 at the halfway point in the set. Trinidad continued to fight to get back in the set but they could not overcome the Costa Rican lead, which won the set 25-20.

 

With a rather large contingency of Trinidadian supports on hand for the match, their team seemed to be inspired by the support taking an early 8-6 lead to the delight of their fans. Trinidad and Tobago would remain in the lead through the second time out up 16-15 when tie at 19-19, Costa Rica took their first lead of the set. They would add two more to lead 22-19 forcing a Costa Rican time out. They would not be able to recover dropping the final set 25-19.

 

Post Match Quotes:

Team Costa Rica

Paola Ramirez- Captain

“I think it was good match and we were able to obtain the result we wanted. We can see that Trinidad has improved since the American Cup to today and we are happy to have won the match.”

Eladio Vargas- Head Coach

“I came to the National team 4 months ago to prepare this team for 2 important competitions, the Pan American cup and the Pan Am Games. I have seen that the conditions to work in our very difficult, but I accepted the challenge, and looking forward to starting a process with Costa Rica. Coming back from the Pan AM Games, instead of the situation improving, it has become more difficult. I told the federation that if they don’t improve the conditions after this event, I could no longer continue as head coach of the national team. I have seen the teams in this tournament and I believe that Mexico was in our possibility, if we had worked a little harder as a team before coming here. Our goal was to finish 6^th and we were not able to obtain that. Our goal today was to beat Trinidad and maintain our 7^th place ranking. It got complicated at points in the match, and if don’t take care of the situation and work hard, I think Trinidad is going to beat us very soon.”

 

Team Trinidad and Tobago

Renele Forde – Captain

“Today there were times in the game where we had the momentum, where things were going well the way they should, but then there were moments when thing went down, probably due to a lack of concentration. The results of the game today were a little disappointing. We hoped to have done much better and even won the match. I think Costa Rica played well today, they came to fight and they won. For us there is always room for improvement.”  

 

Francisco Cruz - Head Coach

“Generally we have had a good developing tournament. Considering the condition we have to train in in Costa Rica, they criteria that they handle with respect to the high performance of sport is tough for the players. It is because no one is there, the players, authorities or parents of the players. They do not recognize that importance of the high performance in sports means for the sociological development of a player. They have been changing that criteria slowing. There are people recognizing that they must think in a long-term program. If we are able to continue that you will see in a short while people will start tot talk about us in NORCECA and worldwide. I have not seem in my career as a professional coach a group of players within the conditions they have develop so quickly then the players of this team.”