In football, when a team is
promoted from a lower league they usually struggle at the higher level, but
that hasn’t been the case so far with East End United. Only one loss in four
games, they may have won only one of the others, but the fact remains that they
are fourth in the Premier League and are certainly no pushovers.
Despite being one of the most
inexperienced sides in the Prem with many teenagers in crucial positions, East
End are holding their own. Credit goes mainly to technical director Thiago
Cunha who is also fitness coach for Cayman’s national team, so he obviously
knows all about conditioning and maximising all physical assets.
Cunha’s pedigree is unquestionable.
He was a pro keeper with top Brazilian side Vasco da Gama and learnt all his
basic coaching skills at the giant club before arriving in the Cayman Islands.
He is not surprised at all that his
youngsters are doing so well in the Cayman Islands Football Association Premier
League. Last season it was Rico Bodden who top scored for East End. A marked
man against tighter defences this term, he is still a nuisance to the
opposition.
“Always that we talk about East End
United we will organise a plan before any game,” Cunha said. “I’m not surprised
with the results so far, because we have been developing these players for
seven years. Now they at an age to compete against anyone in Cayman.
“The same team that started against
Elite, Scholars, Roma and Tigers, most of the players were CIFA U-23 Rally
Champions in 2005. It is the case with Roderick Pearson, we have been
developing him since 2003. We’ve sent him to train in Brazil three times
already. We always have to think about our young players and we have around ten
under-17 players that Cayman will be proud of one day.
“All East End players have love and
passion for the game. It makes it easy for the coaches to work with them. We
have to get a lot better, of course, but slowly we will reach our objectives.
Also, we have some good technical players. Those are our strengths. Our
objective is to make all players reach the same level, technically, tactically,
physically and mentally.”
Cunha is also pleased with the
progress of Dexter Benliss who is an under-23 and U20 keeper, who trained in
Brazil in 2006 and is one of the youngsters he has seen come up through the
ranks.
Although winning the league this
season is unrealistic, Cunha is determined that they finish in the top half at
least. “Tell you the truth, as a Brazilian I can’t think about another thing.
We have to play to win the games and be champions, this is the objective of
football. We’ve developed lots of players like that. They have to compete to
try to win, of course, but in life we always can’t win.
“We come from a small community,
but all East End players think like that. Myself and coach Paul Tugman always
talk with them. They have to compete fair and try their best. If they win
congratulations to all players, if they lose I’m here to put a brave face on
for them. When we see one East End team produce plenty of young players and
reach the Premier League that has plenty teams from town that didn’t accomplish
it, it is amazing what they did last year.”
Cunha makes a point of praising the
rest of his back-up people at East End, particularly coach Tugman, manager
Darcia Hamilton, youth coach Anthony Frederick and John Mclean, the
exceptionally supportive president. East End face another young side in Bodden
Town at the TE McField Annex on Sunday at 7pm. Bodden Town are always well
schooled and in top condition so despite the youth and inexperience of both
sides, it should be a classic.
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