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“To be honest at the heat of the moment after the keeper saved the penalty I didn’t really feel anything. I think it was because there was an instant reaction for me to regain the ball after he saved it. It wasn’t until after the game it really sunk in and it felt like all eyes were on me and I’ll be honest at that time I felt like I let myself, my team-mates, staff and the fans down”, explained Cort, humbly.
He continued: “I wish I could go back in time and retake the penalty but that just isn’t going to happen. There are several moments in every athletes career where a situation arises like that, sometimes you succeed, sometimes you don’t. I can tell you though if the situation came about again I wouldn’t shy away from it. I can understand some of the fans instant negative reaction towards me, but I’m human just like everyone else and I’m not the first footballer to miss a penalty and I certainly will not be the last”.
Football is a very fickle sport and the zero to hero natural status a player can receive, changes from game to game, week to week, month to month, season to season or even as swiftly as within phases on a singular game.
Cort before taking that penalty experienced those fluctuations. He played a leading hand in the first two goals for Guyana. It was his delicate through ball that Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson latched on to for the opening goal. Secondly it was his deflected header pass that Chris Nurse latched on to for the equalizer, as his general height and presence in the “box” caused the Salvadoran defence much worries on the night.
“I’m my worst critic but I do feel I performed pretty well in general that day. Any player will tell you that they get great pleasure in playing a part in other team-mates scoring goals. For me personally missing the penalty doesn’t take away the way I felt about my performance. I wouldn’t say the two assists gave me consolation for the penalty miss. I just see it as three separate major moments of the match”.
He stated further: “It’s funny because the way some of the public look at it is in black and white. If I had scored the penalty I would have walked off that field a hero. Even with 2 assists and a good performance, because I missed the penalty I am now a villain!”, Cort reasoned.
Although Cort readily admitted that it took him a few days to get over the penalty blunder, he noted given his experience of playing at a high level, that moving on quickly from such a juncture is important for players to do.
“It took me a few days to get over what happened. I wouldn’t say because I’ve played at the highest level that it makes it a lot easier to get over.
Just like many other footballers I’ve been in a few disappointing situations in my career but I’ve learned how to get over them quicker and move on. That’s how you succeed in the game.”
Cort has thus far played five (5) internationals for Guyana since making his debut, in the now famous second round World Cup qualifier triumph, against Trinidad and Tobago last November.
He concluded his thoughts by speaking about the games he has played in the qualifiers to date, along with what he hopes to achieve at his new club, ahead of next month’s matches versus CONCACAF giants Mexico and Costa Rica.
“During the qualifying stages I’ve felt that my general performance has been okay. Yes I would have liked to have gotten my goal tally started but that just hasn’t happened yet. This is the first time for me and the rest of the players and staff performing at this level, so it is all a learning process going up against these nations who are veterans at playing as a team at this level.
I think to a certain extent Guyana has over-achieved and has come a long way over the last 2-3 years. If you were to say to the general public 2-3 years ago that Guyana would be performing against teams like Mexico and holding there own you probably wouldn’t have got a positive reaction”, Cort reflected.
“It does help a great deal now I’m playing for a club. Being able to train everyday can only help my fitness etc. There are still many things I would like to improve on in my game – the most important for me right now is improving on my general match fitness.
Due to injuries in the past and mother nature I don’t have the legs I once did and I understand that, so I try to change my game up a bit which involves more link up play and bringing other team-mates into the game”.
Captions
EL Salvador Goal-Keeper Dagaberto Portillo dives to save Carl Cort’s penalty, in the match at Providence Stadium.
Carl Cort.
