Argentine envoy: Trini soccer full of talent, but needs support

FOOTBALL fanatic and Argentina ambassador to TT Marcelo Suarez Salvia is still celebrating his country's 2022 FIFA World Cup title. Argentina defeated France in a thrilling final, on penalty kicks, four months ago in Qatar.

After attending a few TT Premier Football League games and watching the Soca Warriors, Suarez is convinced that TT has the individual talent to be a force on the international stage.

Suarez is a native of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina where football is lived with a passion that is different from the rest of the world.

“Soccer in Argentina is a sport that is experienced from a very early age. Children from an early age use any round object to kick. Soccer is a social tool that serves to bring the family together when their team plays.

"A club awakens passions. The adherence of an Argentine to his team is incomparable. We can change countries, partners, jobs but not support (of) our team,” Suarez told Newsday, as he stressed the connection Argentinians have with football.

“Every four years, we Argentines forget about social and economic problems and turn to the colours of the country to support our national team,” said Suarez.

He believes his country was blessed because since 1978 when they won their first World Cup, they have had some of the best players in the world, although with moments of glory and disappointment.

“We had (Diego) Maradona who took us to the 1986 title, then always with very good players who took us to the World Cup finals and the Copa América with the expectation of being champion, and the final frustration of not achieving it.

"For the Argentine people, a second place does not fill us. Being champions again in a World Cup as special as the one in Qatar brought a lot of joy, but the most important thing is that our children were able to experience the emotion that winning a World Cup arouses. It took more than 30 years and many young people had not experienced it.”

Suarez said he enjoyed the support the TT public had for Argentina in Qatar.

"In fact, Argentina had two Trinidadian fans from the zero minute of the World Cup, the chancellor (Foreign Affairs Minister) Amery Browne and the mayor of Port of Spain Joel Martínez who always believed that Argentina could win the cup, and that's how it was. It's very nice to see how people from other countries add to the same sports and social cause of our nation."

A fan of Club Ferro from his native Argentina, whose green colours he keeps in his office, Suarez has attended the revamped TT Premier Football League and has already become a fan of one team in particular: W Connection FC, who wear the green colours that filled him with memories and joys of back home.

Suarez was invited to a game by the TT Premier Football League and gleefully accepted.

"I went with the joy of knowing that soccer was returning to TT after three years, and as a soccer lover to be present and (support) the Trinidadian soccer association (TT Football Association) in the rebirth of local professional soccer," Suarez said.

“There have been three years of absence from elite soccer in TT. Precisely the time without official competitions and reopening with a new league proposal generates expectations.”

An avid football fan starved of live matches, Suarez has already attended a handful of Premier League games.

He believes more support for the game is needed.

"Soccer is a sport that, in addition to its social implications, is also financially strong in terms of expenses and investments, and seeing the lack of sponsors and advertising in those first matches intrigues me as to how these clubs will maintain themselves and that the league ends up being a success."

He said publicity is crucial.

"In Argentina, any minimal product or article that can be taken advantage of has local, national or foreign sponsors and that helps the growth of the league, as well as of the clubs and players and that ends in the growth of the national team,"

He said clubs and leaders must recognise that the sport fulfils a social function through providing an avenue for young people to stay away from drugs and crime.

After watching the games, Suarez has made a few observations on the state of local football.

He said TT has very talented individuals and teams that work very well at certain times, but are not consistent.

"Everything is the result of hard work; I think it can be improved because I see that there is talent and interest in improving."

He believes TT has the personnel resources to be very competitive.

"The potential is there. I met (St Martin-born) Kaile Auvray who is a Trinidadian-French who decided to play for TT, so I think you can do a lot of positive things with what you have." Auvray has been a bright spark for TT in midfield with his dribbling and passing.

Suarez believes there must be a little more professionalism, and players must dedicate themselves 100 per cent to the sport.

Suarez remembers moments in history when Argentine teams played against Trinidadians.

"Thirty-five years ago Argentinos Jr and Defence Force played for the Américas Cup and it was here in TT. Then a friendly between the two teams in 2014 in Buenos Aires with (Lionel) Messi even as Argentine captain," recalls Suarez.

However, being able to have the Argentine team playing a friendly in TT seems like a utopia that depends on many factors.

"There are many things that influence, but it is not impossible."

Suarez believes the TT public can support local football by encouraging the national team, always being informed of the matches and players, and generally getting more involved. He said this would make the players, coaches and managers feel important and from there they will believe they can reach the highest level.

"Even in women's soccer, TT can be a power at the regional level. TT, like most of the Caribbean islands, are competitive in athletics and it means the physical conditions for the local soccer player are there, you just have to exploit them," said Suarez.