Kingston:
The long awaited soccer Rhythms Clash between Trinidad
and Tobago Soca Warriors and Jamaica Reggae Boyz turned
out to be a “ Soca Warriors shocker in Jamaica”. In a
game where the Reggae Boyz dominated for over 70 minutes
of play, Trinidad and Tobago lived up to their Warriors
image by picking up a late tempo to score two goals to
secure a surprising 2-2 tie in extra time.
The
result of the Rhythm Clash was a favorable one for the
Soca Warriors and probably a blessing in disguise for
the disappointed Reggae Boyz, when you factor in the
inexperience of the T&T team and the sudden withdrawal
of their key players. Reggae Boyz on the other hand
would have to learn that the game is played for 90+
minutes and a slim 2 goal lead is erasable.
However from my vantage point the Reggae Boyz performed
to their level of physical readiness in the first half
of the game, but it could be argued that their mental
toughness may be in question and unfortunately for
Jamaica coach Rene Simoes it was public knowledge that
Trinidad and Tobago had a young and inexperience roster
especially with the absence of Kenwyne Jones, Carlos
Edwards and Collin Samuel.
I
am of the belief that Rene Simoes mistake had more to do
with his assessment of Coach Maturana T&T team
resiliency. With an attainable 2-0 half time advantage,
coach Simoes replaced goalkeeper Donavan Ricketts and
captain Marlon King at the break.
Simoes big mistake was replacing striker Marlon King
since King was the player that had the young Warriors
defender in a mess with his running off the ball. When
he was in the game the T&T defenders had no idea where
he was and where he was going to which for the most part
was behind the Warriors defense to receive his passes.
After the early tentative minutes the Reggae Boyz broke
the game open with an effective and entertaining
offensive display after missing a few chances. Marlon
King opened the scoring for Reggae Boyz at the 34th
minute on text book turn around shot after getting the
inside position on his defender.
The
Reggae Boyz fans erupted on the goal and the Rhythm
football show had began on the expense of a number of
last minute tackles and switch coverage by the T&T
defense. The Reggae Boyz fans were buzzing with
excitement and licking their chops in anticipation of a
Jamaica rout.
To
add to the celebration (TFC own) Reggae Boyz right back
Tyrone Marshall out muscled his opposing defender to
beat goalkeeper Jan Williams to give Jamaica a 2-0 lead
at the 40th minute that held up into the
half.
The
nature of the second goal must have given Jamaica coach
Simoes a false sense of security as he inserted, Deon
Burton for Marlon King at halftime and Tyrone Marshall
was given the captain’s armband.
Goalkeeper Barrett was also replaced in the Reggae Boyz
net with Duwayne Kerr which in reality was a change at
both ends of their defense, and although Jamaica
continued their dominance at the start of the second
half, their vertical game appeared to have an underlying
hint of showboating which spurred the Soca Warriors to
firm up in an effort not to be embarrassed.
As
a result T&T clawed back into the contest and was
rewarded when substitute Osei Telesford broke free on
the right from a head-on pass from Roberts to sizzle a
shot past goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr. The goal stunned the
Reggae Boyz supporters at the “Office” who at the 74th
minute mark were already leaving with what they thought
was a Jamaica win in the bag.
Then
suddenly at the announcement of two minutes play of
extra time by the fourth official, lightening struck and
this time the ”Office” crowd was shock. Warriors captain
Aurtis Whitley eluded a Reggae Boyz defender on a fail
defensive clearance and unleashed a 25 yard left footer
that deflected slightly to beat the goalkeeper into the
net to give the Soca Warriors a 2-2 tie. The equalizer
sent the small contingent of Warriors fans into a frenzy
much to the disappointment of the faithful Reggae Boyz
fans.
At
the press conference, Reggae Boyz Technical Director
Simoes was under pressure and admitted “When things are
not going good, it is me the coach that everybody will
look at. It was my decision to make the changes... it
was my decision to take out Marlon King and put in Deon
Burton.
Even JFF President Burrell voiced his opinion at the
press conference “I, too, am disappointed, to say the
least. It was very unfortunate that we did not win the
game, but when you looked carefully at what happened,
you would have seen that in the first half we had our
more experienced players on the pitch.
'But one has to also understand... that there are
players that the coach must look at with World Cup
qualifiers just around the corner in June,' Burrell
said.
Meanwhile, Trinidad's assistant coach Anton Corneal was
not at a lost for words as he praised his young side for
a gutsy second-half performance. Trinidad and Tobago and
Jamaica will play Bahamas and Bermuda respectively in
their World Cup qualifying game on June 14 and 21-22 in
a home and away series
A
Reggae Boyz team
comprising of home based players opened their seven game
Brazil tour with a 1-0 win over 2nd Division
Tigers of Brazil and a 2-2 tie in their second game
against another second division team. The results of the
game on the tour seemed to be exactly what Jamaica's
Technical director Brazilian Rene Simoes was seeking out
of their three-week camp in Brazil as he intends to play
tougher opponents towards the end of the tour. As he
insist the objective of the exercise is to develop
confidence and mental toughness in his players and he
was reported as saying that the group of players has
shown maturity and is more professional than the players
he had when he arrived in Jamaica in 1994. Based on the
performances of the Reggae Boyz of late there is no
reason to doubt that Rene Simoes and the Reggae Boyz
program may have turned the corner. Only time will tell
Jamaica Reggae Boyz vs T&T Soca Warriors
As
old man winter with his unwelcome early presence, delivered
lots of snow at our doorsteps, the Caribbean “snow
birds” are thanking the Football Federations of Jamaica
(JFF) and Trinidad and Tobago (TTFF) for their promise
of heat, fun and excitement during the
winter months.
Last Sunday the two football Federations has included a
Reggae Boyz- Soca Warriors series to their football
fun packages of International friendlies in preparation
for their World Cup 2010 qualifying second round
campaign. The first Trinidad and Tobago’s “Soca
Warriors” - Jamaica’s “Reggae Boyz” game is scheduled
for the National Stadium in Kingston on March 26.
According to TTFF President Oliver Camps “The game
comes at an ideal time as both countries will be in the
process of getting prepared for the start of their 2010
World Cup qualifying campaigns. We always have a good
rivalry with Jamaica and I expect that we will have a
team inclusive of our best players to put on a good
showing on the day,” Camps told TTFF Media on Sunday.
Jamaica’s Football Federation President Horace Burrell
reinforced Camps sentiment and is anticipating that the
game would serve well to assist his country’s build up
program for the 2010 campaign.
The Football Federations pounced on the opportunity to
fine tune their squad for their second round scheduled
in June, 2008 after both T&T and Jamaica received a
first round bye into the tournament. Both teams rosters
are expected to have their overseas-based professionals
and for this game it is a given that player motivation
would not be a factor for the “Caribbean Rhythms Clash”.
However one should be aware that
the stakes of this
game is only bragging rights and the outright winner to
the Jamaica–T&T series would have to continue to work
hard to maintain their emotional lift. The date of the
first Reggae Boyz–Soca Warriors game (March 26) is a
FIFA date and as such the second leg of the first round
of World Cup qualifiers will be playing on the same day.
The Jamaica-T&T rivalry is old hat for Jamaica new head
coach Simoes. As coach of Jamaica he tied a friendly 0-0
against T&T during his campaign to France World Cup in
1998 with the Reggae Boyz's. Simoes lost to Jamaica 2-1
when he was head coach of Trinidad and Tobago in the
closing stages of the 2002 World Cup qualifiers. Both
games were played at the Queen’s Park Oval. On the
flipside T&T head coach Wim Rijsbergen can learn from
this experience. Simoes will officially begin his duties
with the JFF on January 5.
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago 2010 campaign would end
in the preliminary phase of the World Cup qualifiers, if
T&T does not get past the winner of the Bermuda and
Cayman Islands series and Jamaica does not get past the
winner of the Bahamas/British Virgin Islands in June.
The first round will be played on February 6 and March 26.
T&T and Jamaica second round home and
away games are on June 14 and June 21. Once through to the third round
(semi-final stage), T&T could conceivably play against
the United States, Cuba and Guatemala. If the second
round is favorable for Jamaica they could potentially be
in the group of death with Canada, Honduras and Mexico
providing there are no upsets.
Prior to the “Caribbean
Rhythms Clash” between the Reggae Boyz and the Soca
Warriors, Jamaica will be prancing on Ash Wednesday
February 6 at Kingston National Stadium against Costa
Rica while T&T will be having their Carnival last lap at
the Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain against Guadeloupe
on the same Ash Wednesday.
The
Reggae Boyz technical director René Simoes returned to
Jamaica to start official duty in the company of Jamaica
Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace
Burrell on last weekend.
René Simoes tenure with
the JFF would be for the duration of three-years and his
duties as Technical Director includes all the national
football teams, including the female teams. However
Burrell revealed that Simoes was not the head coach of
the Reggae Boyz and he was quite frank when he implied
that “Jamaica simply cannot afford that”.
Simoes is expected to utilize Chico
Santos, the Brazilian coach he returned to Jamaica in
the company of, and Theodore Whitmore as his assistant
coach. Whitmore coach Jamaica to two consecutive
international friendly wins before Simoes appointment.
Jamaica Football turning
the corner
Jamaica and
Trinidad and Tobago qualify to CONCACAF
Women’s Olympic
Jamaica
joined Trinidad & Tobago into the six-
team Qualification Final Round of the
2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic as the two
Caribbean qualified for the CONCACAF
Women’s Olympic Tournament, The CONCACAF
Tournament, which will run from 2-13
April, include the defending champion,
USA along with North Zone
representatives Canada and Mexico, along
with Central American qualifier Costa
Rica with Jamaica and Trinidad and
Tobago rounding of the field. The
tournament will be
played in Chihuahua, Mexico, from April
2 to13.
Jamaica Reggae Girlz
advanced to the final round of 2008
CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualification
after defeating host Cuba 3-0 on
aggregate in Havana in the Caribbean
Second Round. The Reggae Girlz won the
first match 1:0 at the Estadio Pedro
Marrero and Jamaica completed the
two-game sweep of Cuba with a 2:0
triumph in the second-game at the same
venue on Saturday. The Reggae Girlz has
now played 450 minutes and has not
conceded a goal and has outscored their
Caribbean opponents 27-0 in CONCACAF
qualification.
Jamaica Football
Jamaica
Reggae Boyz and Jamaica Harbourview FC post
monumental victories during the last
week. Harbour View
defeated Joe Public of the Trinidad and
Tobago Pro-League 2-1 in the final
of the Caribbean Football Union Club
championship to secure a spot in the
2008 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.
In other
action the Reggae Boyz defeated
Guatemala and El Salvador 2-0 and 3-0
respectively in their
first International matches under
interim head coach Theodore Whitmore.
The wins seemed to send a signal that
Jamaica football could be on the rise
under Horace Burrell the new
leader in
Horace Burrell as President, and their new
interim coach
Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore.
In the El Salvador the
Reggae Boyz had a two goal performance
from team captain Ricardo Gardner before
an estimated 20,000 enthused fans.
In the second game Jamaica defended two
first half goals by Ricardo Fuller and
Omar Daley scored in the 10th and 22nd
minute on a wet and heavy field in
Kingston. It should
be noted that Toronto FC’s Tyrone played
the full 90 minutes for Jamaica in the
two game in the
defensive midfielder position.
Jamaica
Harbour View CFU Champions 2007
Jamaica
Harbour View FC has secured their place
in the 2008 CONCACAF Champions’ Cup
after they won the (CFU) Club Champions
2007 over Joe Public of the Trinidad and
Tobago Pro- League 2-1 in the CFU final
at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Tunapuna,
Trinidad.
Joe Public the “Eastern Lions” set the
tone of the game as they opened the
scoring at the 16th minute mark on a
goal scored by Trinidad and Tobago
midfielder Kerry Baptiste.
However Harbourview would have none of that and
returned the favour two fold with goals
by Fabian Taylor and Kavin Bryan at the
21st and 23rd minute to head into half
time.
In the second half the teams missed
scoring opportunities on both ends of
the field in a game where Harbour View
defended well and held on to win with 10
men, after their captain Christopher
Harvey was sent off in the 56th minute
for his second yellow card.
The CFU championship comprises of
champion teams of the previous year
which represent their respective country
and the win gives Harbour View its
second CFU title in three years. In 2004
Harbour View defeated compatriots Tivoli
Gardens 3-2 on aggregate in the finals
and although they lost to W-Connection
of Trinidad and Tobago in the 2006 CFU
final, this year Harbour View is making
a case that they may be the best or one
of the best team in the Caribbean in
recent
The 2007 Caribbean Football Union Club
Championship was played with Trinidad
and Tobago as the host site while in the
past the tournament was played on a home
and away basis. The adoption of a host
site was introduced due to the financial
losses of the teams under the home and
away format.
Harbour View seemed destine after they
defeated CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh
of Trinidad in the semi finals on
penalty kicks.
The Harbour View-Jabloteh
game was the first of the semi final
double header as the teams played
scoreless and fought tooth and nail up
to the end of the thirty minutes of
extra time. Although at the end of games
penalty gives the underdog a better
chance in this game the teams were even
and toe to toe and stuck together like
glue. The teams were inseparable after
the mandatory five penalty kicks as they
both perfect from the spot.
However someone had to loose and when
Jabloteh’s Carlton Murray penalty hit
the upright when Harbour View midfielder
Keith Kelly, who only two season ago
played for San Juan Jabloteh, scored the
winning kick to give his team a 10-9 win
to advance to the CFU final. Harbour View will now join defending
title-holders Pachuca CF of Mexico, DC
United of the United States, CD Motagua
of Honduras, Costa Rica’s Deportivo
Saprissa and a club from Mexico, the US
and Central America to round off the
teams for the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup
Caribbean
Football in Toronto The hype in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in the
sunmmer of 2006 was in connection with the upcoming game between a visiting Trinidad and Tobago
Invitational team and a visiting Jamaican Invitational
team at Allan Lamport Stadium in downtown Toronto. The
anxiety and questions surrounding the game was due to
the popularity of the Soca Warriors and the demand for their appearance
after their spirited performance as the underdog against
Sweden and England.
Jamaica Reggae Boyz regrouped to defeat
Canada 2-1 in their rematch game played at
the National Stadium in Jamaica. The
Reggae Boyz lost to Canada 1-0 in
Montreal Canada in September, and was
later eliminated from the Digicel Cup
after suffering a surprising 2-1 lost to
St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and
their inability to score the 3 goals
needed in their 2-0 win over Haiti.
Jamaica failure to advance in the
Digicel competition also put them out of
the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007 tournament.
In the rematch game against
Canada, the Reggae Boyz mustered enough
offense to come from behind to win
unlike their first game The Boyz fell behind in the 9th
minute of play on a goal scored by
Canada’s midfielder Tomasz Radzinski but
to their credit they kept their
composure and slowly clawed their way
back into the game. They were rewarded
when they caught Canada’s defense
napping and score two goals in quick
succession. The goals were scored by
Luton Shelton and Demar Phillips at the
35 and 38 minute respectively. The rest
of the game was a reverse in the roles
that the two teams played in their first meeting
in Montreal. This rematch ended with Canada
pushing forward in search of the tying
goal with no time left.
This was a huge win for the Reggae Boyz
heading into their next International
friendly against Peru on November
15 at the National Stadium in Jamaica.
The Reggae Boyz offense seemed to be
getting on track, but their defense
needs to keep opponents off the
scoreboard on a regular basis to allow
their offense the luxury of a lead. The
defense played well in
the second half to shut down
Canada’s aggressive offense and secure
the win.
Canada
-
Kenny Stamatopoulos, Kevin McKenna,
Marco Reda, Patrice Bernier (Ali Gerba
77th), Paul Stalteri, Julian de Guzman
(Martin Nash 58th), Tomasz Radzinski,
Rob Friend, Mike Klukowski (Gabe Gervias
24th, Adam Braz 92nd), Atiba Hutchinson,
Josh Simpson
Canada
defeat Jamaica
Canada
defeated Jamaica 1-0 at the Claude-Robillard
Stadium in Montreal, on a goal scored by
striker Rob Friend in the 41 minute of
play. The large crowd (estimated at
6,500) was treated to a well played game
as Canada controlled the first half
while Jamaica controlled the second.
The
game was a typical meeting of the two
countries whose results were dead even
in their 11 encounters with each team
with 5 wins and one tie. In the early
stages of the game Jamaica was on the
defensive while Canada systematically
moved the ball around to create scoring
chances. Canada’s best scoring
opportunity was from a volley shot by
#10 Rob Friend at the 10 minute of the
first half. He received a Julian De
Guzman cross ball just behind the
Jamaican defense but hurried his shot
which cause the ball to raise high over
the crossbar.
Friend
persistence was rewarded just before the
half when he capitalized on a blunder by
Jamaican goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers when
the keeper miss judged a cross ball to
allow Friend to score a neat header that
give Canada a 1-0 halftime lead
The second half started with the teams
more patient and deliberate in
constructing and executing their plays.
The Reggae Boyz seemed more determined
to explore Canada weaknesses by using
their elusiveness players in isolated
situations. Reggae Boyz #7 Jamal
Campbell seemed to be the target and
the designated destroyer with his crafty
moves. Campbell success
created excitement for the crowd and
attracted two Canadian defenders every
time he had possession of the ball.
This
situation created extra space for his
teammates as # 5 O’Neil Thompson was
allowed him to take controlled of the
game. The last 15 minutes of the game
was a good test for the Canadian team
defensively and was it not for
several brilliant saves made by Canada goalkeeper Greg Sutton
the out come of the game could have be
different as Canada secured
the 1-0 victory
The game was the first for Canadian
interim Head Coach Stephen Hart, a
native of Trinidad and Tobago and the
rematch is scheduled for October 8 in
Kingston, Jamaica. Judging by the
intensity of this game it is safe to say
that the rematch in Kingston should
produce more than one goal.
Caribbean International Football Update
.
Caribbean and Canadian football /soccer fans will be
getting a good taste of the best in Caribbean football
both locally and overseas. Last Sunday August 13
visiting Harbourview FC from the Jamaican Professional
Football League defeated Serbian White Eagles of the
Canadian Soccer League International Division 1-0 by
virtue of a penalty kick in the 15 minute of the second
half. It was a well played game but the pro Jamaican crowd
seemed to be a little disappointed in the play of Harbour View
in the early part of the game. The game was played at
Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke in the west end of
Toronto which also happened to be the home field of the
Serbian White Eagles in this their first year in the
Canadian Soccer League. The Serbians were attracting large crowds
with their explosive offense with an output of over 4 goals a game.
The Serbians seemed destined to blow the game wide open
and was
it not for the stubborn Harbour view defense that was
not willing to give up any easy goals the game could
have been totally one sided. The game was tied 0-0 at
the half and as a result the
Serbians were very disappointed not to be leading taking
a lead into the change room.
Harbour View started the second half with more intensity
and a noticeable improvement in their offensive play
and was rewarded at the 15 minute mark with a penalty
kick after one of the Serbian defenders misdirected a
hard shot with his hand. Harbourview converted the
penalty and but
the Serbs kept up the offensive pressure in what turned
out to be a see saw battle to the end. In this game Harbour View defense was the difference as they managed
to hold on to secure the 1-0 victory. Before this game
the Serbian only loss was at the hands of the
Toronto Lynx of the USL on penalty kicks, after the game was tied
2-2 after overtime. White Eagles loss to the Lynx was in
the Canada Cup KO Tournament.
Jamaica Reggae Boyz Tie with USA
vs
April 12, 2006
Jamaica Reggae Boyz breathes a sigh of
relief after the final whistle of their
international game with their CONCACAF
rivals USA at the SAS Soccer Park, Cary,
North Carolina. With upcoming games
against England on June 3 and Canada on
September 4 and October 4, the Reggae
Boyz were hoping to start their campaign
on a winning note and surprise the
Americans with what would have been a
historic moment having never beaten USA.
The
Boyz must have felt that the day had
come when at the fourth minute mark
Teofore Bennett pick up a Jermaine Hue
pass and outran the USA defense to beat
goalkeeper Tony Meola with a neat
placement to give Jamaica a 1-0 lead.
The goal seem to wake up the favored USA
team and they began to turn up the heat
on Jamaica pressuring the Reggae Boyz
defense who was playing well up to that
point in the game.
USA
continued to press forward running into
spaces at will and scored in the 25th
minute of the first half when Ben Olsen
received a pass in the area and drove
home a low shot under goalkeeper
Ricketts to tie the game. The run of
play balance off somewhat and the Reggae
Boyz countered well down the right
flank, putting over some dangerous
crosses that created good scoring
opportunities.
The
USA team continued their attacking style
of play in the second half and forced
Jamaica goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to
make an acrobatic save to tip Chris
Albright's header over the cross bar.
The
game was interesting until whole scale
substitutions were made for the coaches
to take a look at their player on the
bench. Towards the latter part of the
game USA took control and pressed
forward for the winner but the Reggae
Boyz defense maintained their composure
and withstood the pressure to earn a
hard fought 1-1 tie. The Reggae Boyz
will have to wait for the next meeting
of the two teams to change their 9-0-8
winless streak against USA.
TEAMS: Jamaica - Donovan Ricketts,
Claude Davis (Demar Stewart 30th),
Damion Stewart, Omar Daley, Garfield
Reid, Khari Stephenson (Oneil Thompson
71st), Jermaine Hue, Jason Morrison,
(Dane Richards 60th) Jamal Campbell-Ryce
(Fabian Dawkins 61st), Ryan Johnson
Jermaine Johnson 71st), Teofore Bennett
(Newton Sterling 61st). Subs not used: S
Sawyers
Booked: Daley
(34th) USA - Tony Meola, Frankie Hejduk, Chris
Albright, Landon Donovan, Pat Noonan
(John O'Brien 67th), Ben Olsen, Josh
Wolff (Eddie Johnson 45th), Steve
Ralston (Clint Demsey 55th), Taylor
Twellman (Brian Ching 45th), Eddie Pope,
Pablo Matsroeni.
Subs not used: M
Reis, N Garcia, K Zavagnin, Booked: Pope (20th)
Stay tuned for
Portmore Utd vs Metro Lion game summary
v
v
v
Simoes big mistake was replacing striker Marlon King
since King was the player that had the young Warriors
defender in a mess with his running off the ball. When
he was in the game the T&T defenders had no idea where
he was and where he was going to which for the most part
was behind the Warriors defense to receive his passes.
To
add to the celebration (TFC own) Reggae Boyz right back
Tyrone Marshall out muscled his opposing defender to
beat goalkeeper Jan Williams to give Jamaica a 2-0 lead
at the 40th minute that held up into the
half. 
Then
suddenly at the announcement of two minutes play of
extra time by the fourth official, lightening struck and
this time the ”Office” crowd was shock. Warriors captain
Aurtis Whitley eluded a Reggae Boyz defender on a fail
defensive clearance and unleashed a 25 yard left footer
that deflected slightly to beat the goalkeeper into the
net to give the Soca Warriors a 2-2 tie. The equalizer
sent the small contingent of Warriors fans into a frenzy
much to the disappointment of the faithful Reggae Boyz
fans.
Invitational
vs
Jamaica Reggae Boyz regrouped to defeat
Canada 2-1 in their rematch game played at
the National Stadium in Jamaica. The
Reggae Boyz lost to Canada 1-0 in
Montreal Canada in September, and was
later eliminated from the Digicel Cup
after suffering a surprising 2-1 lost to
St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and
their inability to score the 3 goals
needed in their 2-0 win over Haiti.
Jamaica failure to advance in the
Digicel competition also put them out of
the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007 tournament.
Canada
defeated Jamaica 1-0 at the Claude-Robillard
Stadium in Montreal, on a goal scored by
striker Rob Friend in the 41 minute of
play. The large crowd (estimated at
6,500) was treated to a well played game
as Canada controlled the first half
while Jamaica controlled the second.
