The national football selection of Suriname will play in its third Concacaf Nations League match against Guatemala on Friday evening. Natio, who is alone in the lead in Group B with a full win after two matches, stamps their passports with a victory for the quarter-finals, where Mexico or Canada awaits depending on the final position. According to national coach Henk Fraser, Suriname and Guatemala are evenly matched. Both selections have individually good players and the mental toughness of both teams is also good.
Text and image Desney Romeo
Fraser made it clear during the obligatory press conference on Thursday evening that he is not a ‘math’ person. “We didn’t do that in the previous matches. I never actually do that; I didn’t do that as a player and now neither as a coach. I think you just have to go every match to win.”
About the game, he said: “Sometimes you play a little more sparkling than other times. Ultimately, we want to play a great match for our own audience, but it doesn’t always go the way you want. Ultimately, you play for points and points give you confidence for the next match.”
Fraser believes that each match should be examined to see what kind of result is achievable. “Especially if you can’t play the football you want. It also has to do with the opponent. I hope that this is a team that wants to play more football, which will also give us more space. But it can also be like the last match (against Martinique, … ed.), where the opponent comes to defend and expects a counter. It is difficult to judge the match, but I think we have to look at ourselves.”
Fitness
About the fitness of the players, he responded as follows: “It is normal that when you play so many matches in a short period of time there will always be aches and pains, but the group deals with the aches and pains very well. When I was there as an assistant last time, we had a good staff that handled these kinds of things well. And now that is the case again. Good physiotherapists, a good performance coach, fantastic doctors … and in good consultation with the players, who eat up everything that is offered to them by the professionals.”
He said the players had a day off after the match against Martinique. “And they definitely deserve it. All in all, the pain isn’t too bad.” Natio will have to do without Anfernee Dijksteel and Radinio Balker in the remaining two matches. They have now returned to the Netherlands due to limited playing minutes and injuries.
The national coach made it clear that a few people within the group will be in the starting line-up for the third time on Friday. “But you cannot avoid making changes. When you win a match well, such as against Honduras, you tend to continue with the same team again. That is the nature of a trainer, but I have to deal with a certain responsibility. To keep the players fit and fresh for our own matches, but I also have to ensure that players return safely to their teams. So that creates a calculation.”
Due to Dijksteel’s absence, Alirio Belfor and Franklin Singodikromo of the Surinamese football champion Broki trained with Natio, so that the selection was complete. According to Fraser, it went very well. The national coach indicated that he will stay in Suriname after the international match to observe the local players himself.
Restrictions
Fraser was asked how it would be easier to call up players who were not limited to play rather than working with players who have a restriction on their playing time. “That’s a good question, but the preparation was very hectic, a lot of injuries, even at the last minute during matches in the Netherlands or elsewhere. So in that respect it was very disappointing. But from the start I also said: ‘I can taste that the group that is there now has something’. This team is incredible for me. The setbacks are handled fantastically by this group and you notice that in every respect. That helps to win the matches. The next step for us is that the group wants more, but we We have to remain realistic. It will be a tough match on Friday. I think we are quite evenly matched.”
Goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen, who was also at the press conference, was asked whether his club monitored him with regard to the number of minutes to be played. “I have no problems at Groningen. We have daily contact and they know that I would prefer to play for Suriname. I am fit. As a goalkeeper you also walk less than the players at the front. On the other hand, this takes some getting used to. At my club I have now completed seven matches in seven weeks and here you play four in fifteen days. You have to manage that well and take good rest.”
