Well, that was quick.
A little over a month after being appointed head coach of Trinidad & Tobago, Tom Saintfiet resigned from his post on Tuesday. Saintfiet's decision came after Trinidad & Tobago suffered a 4-3 loss to Haiti in extra time on Sunday that cost the Soca Warriors a spot in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Belgian manager, however, cited a lack of support as the reason for his departure in a statement he released.
“From the first day of my unveiling, I did not get the support of the (Trinidad & Tobago Football Association) and its president, support which is needed to be able to do my job in a professional and successful way," said Saintfiet. "I never got the chance to work with the players nor staff requested. Perhaps I should have taken this decision right from day one of my appointment, after the president openly second guessed his own choice of employing me."
While the breakup may seem like a good thing given Trinidad & Tobago's poor results under Saintfiet and his issues with certain players, it leaves the Caribbean nation without a manager two months before it is set to resume World Cup Qualifying against Panama and Mexico. The Trinidadians are currently in fifth place in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying with zero points from two matches.
How this will affect MLS-based players like Kenwyne Jones (Atlanta United), Kevin Molino (Orlando City), and Joevin Jones (Seattle Sounders) remains to be seen, but it is clear that Trinidad & Tobago are in a mess that they need to sort out quickly if they wish to keep their 2018 World Cup dreams in tact.
