Findlay Urges Team To Push For Promotion
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermuda coach Michael Findlay has urged his players to “seize the moment” by winning their remaining two Concacaf Nations League matches to guarantee promotion from their group.
Bermuda are third in group C League B with five points from four games but can secure top spot if they defeat Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at home tomorrow [November 17] and French Guiana away next Tuesday.
Findlay admits his side have made life hard for themselves by dropping points away to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize at home but is confident they can reclaim their seat at the top table in League A.
“We’re looking forward to these two games knowing if we get six points, we will get promoted,” said Findlay, who succeeded Kyle Lightbourne as national team coach in August. “That’s the only thing we’re thinking about, and we’re thinking about it one game at a time.
“I’ve told the players there are moments in football when you get to play for something, and this is one of those moments. If we win these two games Bermuda will be in League A in 2024 – that was the original goal.
“We want our teams to be in the best competitions in Concacaf, and you need a committed mindset from top to bottom to achieve that. Promotion to League A would certainly send out a message that Bermuda is moving in the right direction.”
Losing to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4-3 away in September still rankles with Findlay, who describes the result as the biggest disappointment of his tenure so far; however, he believes his players will redeem themselves when they face the same opponents at the Flora Duffy Stadium.
“We had a six-minute phase when we didn’t show our best selves [in the away tie],” Findlay said. “We know that and have addressed that. We had six minutes of chaos and probably should have come away with a positive result. The players know deep down they need to send out a message and rebound from that.”
Findlay said he hopes winger Luke Robinson can shake off a knock in time for the game against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which kicks off at 7.30 pm.
“Luke came in with a bit of a knock that our medical team is looking at,” he added. “We have a couple of soft tissue issues, but generally speaking, we’re 95-99 per cent in a position to select the group we want. We will reassess Luke closer to the time and make a decision.”
