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Can Reggae Boyz regain form?
After
a good performance at the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
the big question is can the Reggae Boyz regain
their form for the upcoming 2014 CONCACAF World
Cup qualifiers?
All things considered, Jamaica is on track to advance as one of the final six nations which will be competing for four spots to get to the 2014 World Cup Brazil. The Reggae Boyz made short work of their Group B opponents at the Gold Cup and is ranked #3 in the CONCACAF region.
Jamaica
reached the quarter finals of the Gold Cup
after
opening the tournament with three wins, no
losses and no draws in group play. One of
Jamaica victims at the
group stage was
Honduras, a team
which qualified for the last (2010) FIFA World
Cup in South Africa.
The Reggae Boyz are definitely on track but in order to accomplish their goal the Reggae Boyz will have to raise their game, exercise more discipline in movement off the ball and stick together as a team.
Jamaica 2-0
loss to USA in the quarter finals showed
that there is still
room for improvement in the Reggae
Boyz play.
Jamaica will be a force to be reckoned with since the team is almost invincible at the office in Kingston, where the crowd makes life extremely difficult for opposing teams to gain a result.
Jamaica also has depth after unveiling some young talent from their 2011 W-C team.
The Young Boyz qualify for the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico, and ended Jamaica's drought which dated back to its debut appearance in 1999.
2011 Gold Cup Review
By Michael Lewis
(concacaf.com)
WASHINGTON -- Jamaica's exit from the Gold Cup
was forgettable: a 2-0 loss to the United States
in which it was outshot 18-8 and finished with
10 men. Yet, Reggae Boyz coach Theodore Whitmore
felt his team had nothing to be ashamed of in
the tournament.
The Jamaicans won all three of their
opening-round games and outscored the opposition
7-0, the only team not to concede a goal.
Sunday's loss, however, was as one-side for the
Americans as Jamaicans were in the group stage.
"Sometimes it can be nerves. Sometimes it can be
the opposition," Whitmore told the Jamaica
Observer. "I think some of our better players
never played [Sunday], but I think overall it
was a good performance from the national team,
and with the players that we had in this
tournament, the future looks bright and I must
congratulate the players again for the hard work
throughout this tournament."
There is much to be optimistic about. More and
more Jamaican players are competing abroad. Of
the 14 Jamaicans who can play in Major League
Soccer, seven were on the Gold Cup team with
European opportunities probably developing over
the coming months.
"The fact is that doors are being opened now for
our players to go abroad to ply their trade,
which is good," assistant coach Warren Barrett
told CONCACAF.com "We have a number of players
who play here in the U.S. We have a number of
players in Europe.
"
So that has really broadened their horizons for
the national team, and also the professional
environment and attitude that they find
themselves in. Week in and week out, they play
in very strong, competitive leagues, so at the
end of the day, that enhances our national
team."
The Jamaicans are trying to emulate the success
of the Reggae Boyz of 1998, who qualified the
country for its first World Cup in France. They
have stumbled several times since, but many
observers felt that this version is the
Caribbean side's most talented and disciplined
team.
"I can say the ones in the past were way more
talented than us right now," said defender
Shavar Thomas, who plays with Sporting Kansas
City (MLS). "But we have a thing that we've been
doing since 2009, where everyone focuses as a
team. This is a team atmosphere and everybody
works for the team."
The Jamaicans' focus has changed as well.
"We have professional guys who play overseas at
big clubs, but a lot of times when they got
here, the focus was not the same as they would
do at their clubs," Thomas said. "And that's a
major difference [this year]. Since the last
Gold Cup in 2009, we said, 'We have too much
talent not to advance.' And we said that we have
to do this as a team, as a group. And that's
what's been working so far."
Ranked 55th in the monthly FIFA World Rankings
-- fourth in CONCACAF behind the United States,
Mexico and Honduras, the Jamaicans won't have to
start its World Cup qualifying run for Brazil
until the semifinal round along with the United
States, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica and Cuba.
That will allow Whitmore and his staff to make
some long-range plans.
"When we return home we will sit and discus
where we go from here because for now we just
have to concentrate on some practice games and
focus on the 2014 campaign," he told the
Observer. "We have some areas in the team that
we need to start looking at to get it more
competitive, so we have a lot of work to do."
Montego Bay Jamaica--Drawn into Group C, with Trinidad and Tobago, and Guatemala, the Young Jamaica Reggae Boyz clinched a spot in the 2011 FIFA World Cup in Mexico after winning the group and defeating Honduras 2-1 in the quarter final of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship at St Catherine Park in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
The semi final berth marked Jamaica's return to the FIFA U-17 finals after its first appearance in 1999 when the team also qualified from Montego Bay.
Jamaica
rode
a
brace scored by Jason Wright on both sides of
the half to deliver the telling
blows to Honduras.
Improving with every match,
the Young Reggae Boyz capitalized on the large turn out which allowed the players to rise to the occasion and take care of business when needed.
The Young Reggae Boyz advanced to the quarter finals after beating Guatemala 1-0 in its last group match, filtered in with a favorable tie breaker win over Trinidad and Tobago to break the Group C deadlock, and send Trinidad and Tobago in the hands of Canada while Jamaica faced what seemed to be an easier Honduras team.
The home crowd advantage loomed large for Jamaica as their youngsters gained in confidence and believed that anything was possible as the tournament progressed. Jamaica was definitely the dark horse in the race, with no pun intended, but for the upcoming World Cup the Young Reggae Boyz would have to improve on their team chemistry which showed with their timid and tentative running off the ball.
The Young Boyz defense will also need some work but they are getting consistent play from Kemo Wallace in the left wing back position and captain Omar Holness in the midfield which coach Downswell should utilize as a good area to build his team. With timely scoring from point man Wright, I would venture to say that Jamaica still needs better performances from the other positions to be a force in Mexico.
However, Pint size #19 Cardell Benbo has played well and should have be given a starting assignment at least in the third place Consolation match. Benbo not only excite the crowd off the bench but together with captain Holness seemed to be the only real creator of scoring opportunities in Jamaica U-17 midfield.
Benbo may also have to concentrate more on scoring when he breaks down defenses which he is doing with relative ease. This is an area in which Coach Wendell Downswell will have to earn his keep by coming up with more player combination and rotations of players to stimulate a better tactical game plan in order to break down the tougher defenses in Mexico.
But for the moment, the Young Reggae Boyz has done remarkably well and deserves a lot of credit for stepping up their game in the quarter finals against Honduras. They gave everything coach Downswell and the home fans could have asked, and came away with a 2-1 victory to seal Jamaica's entry as CONCACAF’s fourth and final entry to the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico.
The Young Reggae Boyz did not end their quarter final match particularly well, and allowed Honduras to make the game very interesting towards the end of regulation with a beauty of a header from Bryan Rochez in the 65th minute from a left side cross ball to cut Jamaica lead in half.
Honduras also missed two glorious scoring chances from in close that would have sent the match into overtime but Jamaica did not need a third goal, as their 2-1 lead held up as the final score. In the semi final match against USA.
The Young Reggae Boyz continued to perform under their normal standard of play and it is yet to be determined if they are up to the level of the other teams in the final four after losing to Panama in the third place match from another listless performance.
Coach Downswell has time to put together what seems to be a decent pool of talent, which has Toronto's native #20 Shawn Chaud Lawson (son of soccer star Jimmy Lawson of Magic Soccer Club) in its roster. Shawn started most of Jamaica's U-17 matches.
At the conclusion of the tournament Coach Downswell paid tribute to his players and thanked the crowd for their support and contribution.
"Full marks to the youngsters as they fought the whole way…..”I love these fans here and they supported us in a great way for the whole tournament. We just need to focus now on getting better and better as a team.” coach Downswell concluded.
I agree 100 percent with coach Downswell assessment, since the FIFA U-17 World Cup will be a lot tougher and his players will have to get better to stand any chance of going as deep at W-C Mexico.
Caribbean Soccer at its Best
Jamaica Reggae Boyz defeat Guadeloupe to retain Digicel Cup
by Aldwyn McGill
Sunday, December 5th 2010 Jamaica Reggae Boyz retained the Digicel Caribbean Cup after defeating Guadeloupe 5-4 on penalty kicks .
The final was a nail biting affair as the teams remained deadlock at one apiece from halftime to the end of overtime and took the penalty kicks down to the wire.
The Digicel Caribbean Cup soccer Championship final was played at the Pierre Aliker stadium in Dillon, Martinique, and was watched worldwide on the concacaf.com network. It was a well attended final that attracted scouts from throughout the region
With scouts in the midst it was only fitting that Jamaica Reggae Boyz striker Omar Cummings was on hand to showcase his talent. Cummings plays for the Colorado Rapids in the MLS and may be picked up by a team in Mexico or Europe sometime soon.
To expedite his case to interested cluubs, Cummings scored the opening goal from a neat set up by Luton Shelton in the 26 minute. But Guadeloupe was not going down without a fight since it was the second meeting of the teams after Guadeloupe had lost to Jamaica 2-0 in the group stage from a scoreless first half and gave up the second goal in that game in injury time.
The Frenchmen were prepared and four minutes after the Reggae Boyz surged ahead, Guadeloupe captain Stephane Auvrey equalized. Auvrey returned to the line up after serving a game suspension for accumulation of yellow cards and his contribution in the midfield was invaluable.
The teams went into the half tied 1-1 and there were no defining moment to separate the teams. It was a fitting end to the three month tournament as the standard of improve dramatically from the group stage in a highly competitive atmosphere.
At the group stage the defending champion Jamaica was going through its opposition like a hot knife through butter while Cuba also ran away with its Group H. But the domination stopped at the semi finals stage as Guadeloupe upset Cuba 2-1 and Jamaica had to grind out a close overtime win over Grenada 2-1.
Grenada contested every ball against Jamaica and competed right down to the end in a game which the Reggae Boyz eventually score in overtime for the win. Cuba defeated Grenada 1-0 for third place as the final four teams advance to the upcoming 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup in the United States.
Until such a time the next tournament the Reggae Boyz should enjoy their accomplishment as the deserving 2010 champions of the Caribbean. It is also very likely that Jamaica will give the other teams in CONCACAF a run for their money at next summer Gold Cup.
Kicking first and down to its fifth penalty Troy Smith scored while Guadeloupe’s fifth penalty was shot wide by Lamboude. Besides the Caribbean championship trophy Jamaica received a cheque for 120,000USD which is the largest cash prize for football in the region.
Guadeloupe, got 70,000 USD as runners up, while Cuba and Grenada received 50,000USD and 30,000USD respectively for third and fourth place.
The Reggae Boyz was the most consistent team at the Digicel Caribbean Championship and finished the tournament as the only team without a loss. One area in which coach Theodore Whitmore has to work on with his team is discipline.
What I witness at the 2009 Gold Cup against Costa Rica in Ohio occurred again against Grenada in the semi final match. The Reggae Boyz received a red card. In Ohio it was Rodolph Austin and in Martinique it was Sergio Campbell.
On both occasion the Reggae Boyz had to struggle after the red. Luckily in Martinique the Boyz had a 2-1 lead and could have held on for the win. In Ohio, the Reggae Boyz was not as fortunate and gave up a goal after Austin's ejection. It turned out to be a 1-0 final score and Jamaica was eliminated.
Without these incidents, I have no doubt that Jamaica can continue to enjoy success and there are positive signs. Since the 2009 Gold Cup Austin has matured and was voted the MVP of the Digicel Championship. He was also a force against Canada in the International friendly match and may be one of the upcoming leaders of the Reggae Boyz at the forceful age of 26.
Austin plays for the Norwegian Premier League side Brann, after attempts by Stoke City to acquire him failed in 2009 as it was reported that he was refused a work permit. But Brann FC has been a good developing curve for Austin who has turned into a dynamite player for Jamaica.
Coach Whitmore also deserves a lot of credit for making adjustments for the big game. In the final his team was patient and stayed the course. If these calm and collective effort continues for Jamaica, the Reggae Boyz fans will definitely have more to cheer about in the future.
Digicel Caribbean Championship 2010 Report
|
Group H |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
+/- |
PTS |
|
|
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3:0 |
7 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2:1 |
5 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1:3 |
3 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1:3 |
1 |
|
26.11.2010 |
Trinidad & Tobago - Cuba |
0:2 (0:1) |
Pierre Aliker, Martinique |
|
26.11.2010 |
Martinique -Grenada |
1:1 (0:1) |
Pierre Aliker, Martinique |
|
28.11.2010 |
Grenada- Trinidad & Tobago |
1:0 |
Pierre Aliker, Martinique |
|
28.11.2010 |
Martinique - Cuba |
0:1 |
Pierre Aliker, Martinique |
|
30.11.2010 |
Cuba - Grenada |
0:0 |
Pierre Aliker, Martinique |
|
30.11.2010 |
Martinique- Trinidad & Tobago |
0:1 |
Pierre Aliker, Martinique |
Group B
|
Group I |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
+/- |
PTS |
|
|
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
10:1 |
9 |
|
|
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2:3 |
4 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1:3 |
3 |
|
|
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1:6 |
1 |
|
26.11.2010 |
Guyana - Guadeloupe |
1:1 (1:1) |
Riviere Pilote Stadium Mart |
|
26.11.2010 |
Jamaica - Antigua & Barbuda |
4:1 (2:0) |
Riviere Pilote Stadium Mart |
|
29.11.2010 |
Antigua & Barbuda- Guyana |
1:0 |
Riviere Pilote Stadium Mart |
|
29.11.2010 |
Guadeloupe - Jamaica |
0:2 |
Riviere Pilote Stadium Mart |
|
01.11.2010 |
Guadeloupe - Antigua & Barbuda |
1:0 |
Riviere Pilote Stadium Mart |
|
01.12.2010 |
Guyana- Jamaica |
0:4 |
Riviere Pilote Stadium Mart |
| Semi Final 1 | 03/12/2010 | 17:30 |
Pierre Aliker, Dillon |
Cuba Winner H | 1:2 | Guadeloupe Runner-up I |
| Semi Final 2 | 03/12/2010 | 20:30 | Jamaica Winner I | 2:1 | Grenada Runner-up H | |
| 3rd Place | 05/12/2010 | 16:00 | Cuba Loser SF 2 | 1:0 | Grenada Loser SF 1 | |
| FINAL | 05/12/2010 | 19:00 | Jamaica Winner SF 1 | 1:1 4-5 PK | Guadeloupe Winner SF 2 |
Group I (second
match)
digicelfootball.com Report
Guadeloupe vs Jamaica-Monday, November 29th 2010 – Stade de Riviere Pilote, Martinique:
Jamaica maintained their
100% record in the Digicel Cup
tonight with a comprehensive
performance against a strong
Guadeloupe side that now assures
them of winning Group I and
qualifying to the Digicel Cup semi
finals.
Jamaica played with the slight
advantage of the wind in the first
half and were nearly in front after
only a minutes play when Dale
Richards took advantage of the
elements and let fly from all of 20
yards only for his shot to be well
saved by an alert Bus in the French
goal.
Richards continued to cause a huge
amount of trouble down the left and
when his cross was met by an
inrushing Shelton from the left, his
header shaved the far post when it
seemed as if the Jamaicans were
about to take the lead.
Richards almost went it alone soon
after when he won a dash for the
ball with French keeper Bus but when
he turned to lob the ball back in
the direction of the goal, Mocka had
managed to scramble back and safely
headed the ball away on the line.
Jamaica looked comfortable on the
ball and moved it around with
confidence and a growing swagger. It
seemed more likely they would open
the scoring soon but could not under
estimate their technically sound
opponents.
Guadeloupe were being out matched in
most areas of the field but they
still had to concede a goal which
allowed their confidence grow more
as the half wore on. With 4 minutes
to half time Gotin had their best
chance of the half when he turned
and lashed out at his shot from the
right side of the goal 8 yards out,
but his effort went harmlessly wide
and Miller was not troubled.
The French started the second half a
lot brighter than they did the first
and with Auvray making incise runs
into the box they started to look a
real threat. On 52 minutes the
French should have scored when Mocka
played a delicate chipped cross
between the Jamaican defence for
Auvray to launch himself at the ball
with a flying header but his effort
went inches past the post.
The Reggae Boyz took their warning
seriously and went straight down the
other end and scored. That man again
Dale Richards was yet again the
thorn in the side for the French and
his beautiful cross was met 8 yards
out with a firm header that Shaun
Francis met and planted into the
corner. The young Francis turned and
celebrated ecstatically in the
corner, and rightly so as he notched
his first ever senior goal for
Jamaica in this his fourth
appearance in the famous yellow
shirt.
Jamaica were presented a gift to end
this match as a contest when on 62
minutes Richards beat everyone to
the ball and cut back for top scorer
Shelton who somehow blasted over
from 5 yards when he seemed destined
to extend his lead in his search for
the Digicel Golden Boot award.
Guadeloupe kept searching for the
equalizer and the introduction of
Collet with his wicked left foot
added an attacking impetus that the
French lacked in the first half. The
Jamaicans responded with a
calculated substitute of their own
with coach Whitmore bringing on the
big target man Johnson who was
causing all sorts of trouble up
front as he combined well with
Shelton. Johnson had a chance to
finish it off on 88 minutes after
his strength saw him through two
challenges before he smashed his
shot off the legs of Bus in the
Guadeloupe goal.
With time running out Guadeloupe had
a free kick 20 yards out and well
within striking range for dead ball
specialist Jean Luc Lamboude. But
when his free kick hit the wall, the
Jamaicans broke with speed and after
the French dallied in possession
Johnson took full advantage of their
reluctance to clear the ball and
gleefully stroked Jamaica’s second
goal home in injury time.
The result now assures the Reggae
Boyz of qualification to the semi
finals of the Digicel Cup and in top
spot from Group I no matter what the
other results, will mean their
automatic qualification to the
CONCACAF Gold Cup 2011.
Guadeloupe must now win their final
game against Antigua and hope that
Jamaica keep their 100% record
against Guyana.
The Digicel Cup Finals will be
played from November 26 through to
December 5 in Martinique with live
television broadcast worldwide
courtesy of Digicel as well as live
radio coverage, images and updates
on www.digicelgroup.com.
Guadeloupe: 1 Yohann Bus 4 Ulick
Lupede 5. Dominique Mocka 6 Stephane
Auvray (Captain) 9. Ludovic Gotin
(15. Livio Nabab 67 mins)13 Jean Luc
Lomboude 18 Eddy Viator 14 Julien
Ictoi 17 Larry Hanany (8. Fabien
Belson 52 mins)19 Larry Clavier 20
Loic Loval
Coach: Roger Salnot
Jamaica: 13. Dwayne Miller 4 Shavar
Thomas (Captain) 6 Jermaine Taylor 7
Lovel Palmer 10 Keammar Daley 11
Dane Richards (2. Richard Edwards 82
mins) 14 Omar Cummings (9. Ryan
Johnson 65 mins) 15 Shaun Francis
(16. Troy Smith 75 mins) 17 Rodolph
Austin 19 Adrian Reid 21 Luton
Shelton Coach: Theodore Whitmore
Referee: Walter Lopez
(Guatemala) Assistant Referee 1:
Egbert Paesch ( Aruba) Assistant
Referee 2: Ramon Louisville
(Suriname) Match Commissioner:
Hubert Isenia (Curacao)
Group I (first
match)
digicelfootball.com Report
Jamaica vs Antigua and Barbuda
Saturday, November 27th 2010 –
Stade Riviere Pilote,
Martinique: Jamaica started the defence of their Digicel Cup title
by outclassing Antigua & Barbuda in
wet and windy conditions in
Martinique in the opening games of
Group I of the Digicel Cup Finals.
The Reggae Boyz competing in their
first game of the 2010 Digicel
Caribbean Cup started brightly but
were in a game against a lively and
energetic Antiguan side who did not
seem to be daunted by their
opponents.
That confidence was soon knocked
when after only 14 minutes play,
Dane Richards turned the ball into
the path of Luton Shelton who had
the easiest of tasks by placing the
ball past Decastro with a confident
sidefoot into the Antiguan net.
Richards almost made it 2 five
minutes later, when the pacey
striker knocked the ball over the
advancing Decastro after a long ball
had put him through, only for Dublin
to show his pace by outsprinting the
Jamaican striker to clear what would
have been a certain goal for the
Reggae Boyz.
The reigning Digicel Cup champions
looked to stamp their authority on
this game and always looked the more
likely to extend their lead as their
pace and quick passing looked as if
it would undo Antigua on a few more
occasions at least.
On 37 minutes a long ball over the
top from Shaun Francis allowed Luton
Shelton to race clear and when
confronted by keeper Decastro, he
cleverly cut back across the
retreating defenders and slotted
home to make it 2-0.
Three minutes later and the Reggae
Boyz were three up. This time Dane
Richards was the scorer after
another through ball caught the
Antiguan defence flat once again and
yet again the Jamaican striker took
his opportunity at the first time of
asking.
Antigua were given a lifeline at the
start of the second half when
substitute Gason Gregory on the
pitch only 3 minutes, made an
immediate impact when his thunderous
free kick from 30 yards flew past a
bewildered Dwayne Miller who could
only palm at the thunderbolt but not
prevent it crashing into the back of
his net.
Antigua’s confidence now rose
ten-fold and they took to their
opponents with a new found purpose.
On 55 minutes Byers looked odds on
to pull another back for Antigua as
he charged down on Jamaica’s goal
only for a wonderful one handed
flying save from Miller that turned
the ball out for a corner preventing
a second for the underdogs.
Antigua continued to play with
purpose and were testing the
Jamaican defence more and more with
Byers growing in confidence after a
wicked curling effort just flew past
the post.
Richards then broke away on 66
minutes and with two defenders to
beat, his trickery and pace got him
around those but when faced with
just the keeper, seemed to rush his
shot and blasted over the bar, when
he seemed odds on to score a wonder
goal.
The game moved equally between both
ends for the remainder of the game
with Antigua certainly looking more
purposeful and were probably ruing
those lacklustre defensive frailties
for a few mad moments in the first
half which were now looking so
costly to them.
Jamaica saw out the dying moments
pinned back and while they were on
the back foot they were comfortable
enough to ensure that the three
points were secured as they end
their opening encounter of the
Digicel Cup 2010 top of their Group
I here in Martinique.
The Digicel Cup Finals will be
played from November 26 through to
December 5 in Martinique with live
television broadcast worldwide
courtesy of Digicel as well as live
radio coverage, images and updates
on
digicelfootball.com
Jamaica: 13. Dwayne Miller 2
Richard Edwards 4 Shavar Thomas
(Captain) 6 Jermaine Taylor 7 Lovel
Palmer 10 Keammar Daley (5. O’Brian
Woodbine 74 mins) 11 Dane Richards
(8. Eric Vernon 81 mins) 13 Dwayne
Miller 15 Shaun Francis 17 Rodolph
Austin (18 Keneil Moodie 90 mins) 19
Adrian Reid 21 Luton Shelton Coach:
Theodore Whitmore
Antigua & Barbuda: 18 Keita
Decastro 5 Dave Carr 6 Joshua Parker
12 Justin Cochrane 13 Kieran Murtagh
14 Randolph Burton (2. Ranja
Christian 70 mins) 17 George Dublin
(Captain) 19 Martin McCoy 20 Akeem
Thomas (8. Quinton Griffith 90 mins)
11 Jamie Thomas (7. Gason Gregory 46
mins) 16 Peter Byers Coach: Rowan
Benjamin
Referee: Enrico Wijngaarde (
Suriname) Assistant Referee 1:
Ricardo Louisville (Suriname)
Assistant Referee 2: Egbert Paesch
(Aruba) Match Commissioner: Patrick
Beckles (Barbados)
Soca Warriors start on wrong foot
Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors got off on the wrong foot in their opening match at the final stage of the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Championship. The Warriors opened their Group H match listless as Cuba dominated for a 2-0 win. Of great significance is the fact that host Martinique came back to draw with Grenada 1-1 in the second match of the Group H doubleheader to set up what could be a race down to the wire for the group title.
If the trend continues not only the group title will be up for grabs, but also Latapy's coaching job if the Soca Warriors does not improve on their performance.
Reggae
Boyz ready to defend Caribbean title
by Aldwyn McGill
The Digicel Caribbean Championship
is in its final stage (3) with eight
teams placed into two groups (H and
I). The final stage will be played
in Martinique where the top two
teams in each group will advance to
the semi finals and automatically
qualify for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold
Cup.
Guyana is the only team which has survived from stage one of the tournament, which makes this final stage a very interesting preposition for the current champion Jamaica and its competitors in Group I.
The Reggae Boyz is in Group I with Guadeloupe, Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda, and although favored, nothing is a given. Guadeloupe is tough and Guyana should be ready to compete after playing the most games.
Guyana has also moved up in the FIFA world rankings and in the CFU rankings which is added incentive for the team to do well. A win in their opening match against Guadeloupe will give Guyana a realistic chance to advance out of the group.
Jamaica under Coach Theodore Whitmore is ready and Whitmore voiced his sentiments in an exclusive with Digicel.com. “We are feeling confident about the upcoming games…. the boys are ready to go out and represent their country and defend their title’’ said the coach.
He acknowledged that there is pressure to retain the title but emphasized his team’s anticipation of overcoming the pressure due to their preparation for the tournament.
“Yes, we are reigning champions and there is a little bit of pressure there” Whitmore continued, “Jamaica – along with Trinidad & Tobago – is one of the top two teams in the Caribbean, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a walk over… but we have prepared physically and mentally
“We played a friendly in Florida last week against Costa Rica which we drew 0-0. It was a fairly good performance and I think we achieved most of what we wanted. We were more organized and, technically, we also improved in the second half…most importantly we didn’t lose the game.
Jamaica arrived in Martinique this week, and may have to hit the ground running to get off to a good start in its first game against Antigua and Barbuda, in what will be the Reggae Boyz first competitive match of the tournament,
Teams will be without their European players since the tournament is not FIFA sanctioned. Meaning that the only overseas players available to play are the MLS players whose season is over and that certainly favors Jamaica who has a wealth of talent in the MLS.
The Reggae Boyz 2014 campaign is on track after opening with a 1-0 in their International friendly match in January against Canada and closing off the year with a 0-0 draw against Costa Rica after beating El Ticos at the office in Kingston.
Trinidad and Tobago under Coach Russell Latapy have their story to tell and should not be taken lightly, nor should Guadeloupe Cuba, or Grenada.
Grenada qualified for the first time in the 2008 version of the Caribbean championship and there is nothing like the taste of success as a motivator. Guadeloupe heads into the final stage with an unbeaten record having defeated Grenada 3-0, Puerto Rico 3-2 and St. Kitts & Nevis 2-1.
But the team with the biggest motivation is T&T which has not won the title in recent years. In fact it has been 11 years since the Soca Warriors were Caribbean champions and there is no secret that coach Latapy is under pressure to produce with his job on the line.
Thus far Latapy’s and his troops have responded and the Warriors are unbeaten after defeating Haiti 4-0, St. Vincent & the Grenadines 6-2 and Guyana 2-1. But Grenada and Cuba have also enjoyed solid performances to advance in the tournament.
The tournament kicks off this Friday with Trinidad & Tobago in tough against Cuba and host Martinique taking on Grenada in Group H action. On Saturday, Guyana will play Guadeloupe and Antigua & Barbuda will come face to face with Jamaica to open Group I.
Jamaica has beaten Trinidad and Tobago twice in its friendly matches, 3-1 in T&T and 1-0 in its return match at the Office in Kingston in preparation for the tournament. The two teams are favored to clash in the final for all the marbles, but no one told that to Cuba and Guadeloupe
Jamaica defeat Grenada 2-0 to win 2008 Caribbean Championship
Photos by Don Streete
Jamaica
Reggae Boyz King of the Caribbean
Jamaica Reggae Boyz defeated Grenada 2-0 to win the Digicel Cup and the 2008 Caribbean Championship. Luton Shelton provided the Reggae Boyz scoring from two penalties on both sides of the break. The Digicel final was played at the Jamaica National Stadium in Kingston, better known as the “office” where only the strong can survive.
Jamaica received US$120,000 for their win, while Grenada received US$70.000 as runners up. The final was the second meeting of the teams in the tournament, and although Jamaica made light work of Grenada in the first game, Grenada seem to be better prepared for the Boyz the second time around.
However in spite of their valiant efforts, the penalties at the 17th and 70th minutes left Grenada emotionally drained and seemed to remove any real prospects of a Grenada upset, especially against a Jamaica team that was no accommodating and leaving limited space for Grenada to exploit.
Jamaica proved to be King of this tournament and barring a few listless moments where the Jamaica fans found the Reggae Boyz play to be uninspiring, the Boyz deserve a lot of credit for digging deep to get their game back on track after an early exit from the 2010 W-C qualifiers.
The Boyz first glitch was on the Trinidad and Tobago group game when the Boyz struggled and allowed T&T to tie the score 1-1 towards the end of the game. At that time there were a few tremours but not enough to do any damage since T&T was out of the tournament.
Then came the unpleasantaries when the Jamaica fans felt that the Boyz was showing no urgency in their play in the first half of their semi final game against Guadeloupe and showed their displeasure by showering the Boyz with a chorus of boos at the end of the half for good measure.
The gesture worked as the Boyz responded with an inspired style of play after a listless 1-0 halftime lead to defeat Guadeloupe 2-0 and secure a spot into the final.
Cuba, the other team favored to reach the final, did not adjust and as a result was not as fortunate as Jamaica when they met Grenada. With their semi final spot secured heading into their last group game against Haiti, the Cubans opted to rest their starters for the semi final.
There plan backfired as Grenada stepped up the tempo and caused the Cubans to struggled to reestablish their defensively chemistry. Grenada gained confidence as the game progressed and managed to squeeze in a late equalizer to send the game into overtime tied at two goals apiece.
The score remained deadlock with no additional scoring in the overtime period as Grenada went on to defeat Cuba 6-5 on penalty kicks to set up a rematch with Jamaica for the final.
Guadeloupe finished the Digicel tournament with a 5-4 win over Cuba again on penalty kicks for third place over Cuba after the teams finished scoreless. Guadeloupe received US50.000 for the win, while Cuba received US30, 000 for their fourth place finish.
The 2008 Digicel tournament may mean different things to different people, but one thing that seem to be in the makings is that the four semi finalists of the Digicel Caribbean championship could make life very difficult for the top seeds at Gold Cup 2009.
The JFF and new coach and former England and Liverpool winger John Barnes and his staff also deserves a lot of credit for putting their football program and the revitalized Reggae Boyz back on the good foot to win a championship in such a short space of time.
Barnes must have been made aware that technical and tactical improvements may not have been strong points of negotiation with the JFF since winning may have been the yard stick.
However with the Digicel Cup safely in Jamaica hands, Barnes exhaled and said "After the disappointment of the World Cup qualifying campaign recently, we needed this and we did it ".
In retrospect it was Barnes who needed the win and with his added ingenuity he has now extended the Boyz undefeated streak to 8 games dating back to the beginning of October against Mexico.
Grenada is also making great strides in their football and if the 2008 Digicel Cup is any indication. The Spicy Greens created the biggest upset at the Cup after knocking Trinidad and Tobago out of Gold Cup 2009 and qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time as a result.
Jamaica
Reggae Boyz eliminated from 2010 W-C
Photos by Don Streete
The Jamaica Reggae Boyz was eliminated from the CONCACAF W-C qualifiers after they fell short of their target with a 3-0 win over Canada. The Boyz was in search of six clear goals that were projected to vault Jamaica into the final round ahead of Mexico based on goal difference while Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors defeated Cuba 3-0 at Hasley Crawford Stadium to advance into the final round of the CONCACAF W-C qualifier.
As a result, Caribbean fans did not get their early
present from Santa. They asked Mr. Claus for Jamaica
and T&T to advance into the final round, but as it
turn out it was not to be. Naughty or nice was not a
part of the equation. The rule of thumb in sports is
to have your points in hand, to
put yourself in a position to control your own
destiny.
Unfortunately for the Jamaica and their supporters,
Honduras defeated Mexico 1-0 on a Mexico own goal
that vaulted Honduras into first place with 12
points and Mexico into second place with 10 points.
Jamaica with 10 points was eliminated from World Cup
2010 South Africa on goal difference with zero
compared to Mexico’s plus three.
However, for a while in the Canada game, it seemed
like the Reggae Boyz could have scored the required
amount of goals after Luton Shelton dribbled around
Canadian goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld to score the
Reggae Boyz first goal at the 27th minute. The goal
sent the sold out crowd at the office into frenzy in
anticipation of goals galore but player pride
stepped in and Canada defense adjusted well and kept
the score 1-0 to the half.
Marlon King, recalled to the Reggae Boyz team for
his offensive threat, scored a penalty at the 58th
minute after Demar Phillips was tripped inside the
penalty area, the lights flickered, and hopes
returned as the possibility of advancing reappeared.
However, as the game progressed into the later
stages, hopes started to fail since the 6-goal
target faded. Omar Cummings scored Jamaica third
goal from an Ian Goddison’s cross at the 85 minute
to make it 3-0 for the Reggae Boyz but by then all
eyes and ears at the office were on the net trying
to find out if Mexico beat Honduras.
Under different circumstances Jamaica Reggae Boyz
would have been the story of the CONCACAF W-C
qualifier had they move onto the final round.
However, with the upcoming Digicel Caribbean
Championship finals hosted in Jamaica, it would be
interesting to see if Jamaica's new technical
director of football, John Barnes can continue to
improve the Reggae Boyz football with a roster
consisting of mostly local players.
In port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors
came alive after a tentative first half on a wet and
heavy Hasley Crawford field. However, after a
scoreless first half the cream rose to the top as
the Cuba defense weaken as the game progressed.
First, it was striker Kenwyne Jones goal at the
67-minute after moving in all alone on goal. Then
two minutes later captain Dwight Yorke scored after
breaking free unmolested to tuck the ball under the
advancing Cuba goalkeeper. Keon Daniel scored in the
closing minutes of the game to give T&T a 3-0 win
and a spot into the final round.
In T&T before the Cuba game their was a lot of
reflecting about the Warriors historic victory over
Bahrain that gave T&T a spot into W-C Germany 2006.
However after covering all the teams in this year’s
qualifier it would be safe to say that the Soca
Warriors would have to concentrate on speed, fitness
and a precise scouting report to improve their
chances of getting through to World Cup South
Africa.
last Saturday the match schedule for the six-team
'hexagonal' round was finalized and the first games
of the final round are schedule for February 11,
with Trinidad and Tobago travelling to play El
Salvador while Costa Rica stays at home to play
Honduras.
This is a good match up for the Warriors to start
their final push, but the Mexicans could be
scratching their heads in lieu of their big first
leg test against CONCACAF #1 ranked USA. This could
be the turning point for Mexico’s coach Eriksson and
his team who will be under the gun to win in the US
or else.
Final round schedule for the North, Central
America, and Caribbean Zone
Wednesday 11 February Costa Rica-Honduras El
Salvador-Trinidad and Tobago USA-Mexico
Saturday 28 March Mexico-Costa Rica Trinidad
and Tobago-Honduras El Salvador-USA
Wednesday 1 April
Costa Rica-El Salvador
USA-Trinidad and Tobago Honduras-Mexico
Wednesday 3 June Costa Rica-USA
Saturday 6 June Trinidad and Tobago-Costa
Rica El Salvador-Mexico USA-Honduras
Wednesday 10 June
Mexico-Trinidad and Tobago
Honduras-El Salvador
Wednesday 12 August Honduras-Costa Rica
Trinidad and Tobago-El Salvador Mexico-USA
The top three finishing teams automatically qualify
for South Africa 2010, while the fourth place team
will play a South American opponent for the last
CONCACAF spots.
Caribbean Soccer fans fasten Seat Belt for rough ride to 2010
The third round of CONCACAF World Coup qualifying is heading into its sixth and final game, and after the surprising results of the fifth games it is recommended that all Caribbean soccer fans fasten their seat belts for what could be a very anxious and action filled landing on the evening of November 19.
With three of the final six spots in the CONCACAF tournament still up for grabs, the games of importance are the ones in the T&T and Jamaica groups. The outcome of the respective Group A and B games will fill the three available spots into the next round. Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala is battling it out for the last spot in group A after USA clinched the other spot and the group title with a 6-1 win over Cuba.
Trinidad and Tobago: However if the Warriors performance in their 2-1 win and first ever victory over USA is any indication of things to come, I think T&T is in the driver’s seat to capture the last spot of Group A due to the fact that Guatemala will have to defeat USA in the US and hope that Cuba defeats T&T in Port of Spain, to qualify ahead of the Soca Warriors.
One thing for certain is that Yorke and Latapy have provided the Soca Warriors with the leadership that was lacking in the team earlier in the campaign but it is my belief that coach Maturana and the TTFF can only utilize Latapy and Yorke as a quick and temporary fix to a long term problem.
The lingering question for T&T coach Maturana is whether Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy can continue to man the minutes they are playing and still be effective as the tournament moves deeper into the next round.
Jamaica Reggae Boyz on the other hand seem to be ripe and ready and although the Boyz did not get the breaks at the start of their W-C qualifying campaign, I still think that Hurricane Gustav and the lack of a home game was a major hurdle for the Boyz and not the lack of leadership by fired coach Rene Simoes.
However one of the concerns of the Canadian Caribbean fans was that Jamaica and Canada were in the same group and also in tough company with Mexico and Honduras. Now three months later it seems like those sentiments has resurfaced since Canada and Jamaica will now have to play each other in a very critical game for the Reggae Boyz to advance into the next round.
Jamaica is a must win situation and to the dismay of their supporters, the Canucks seem to be enjoying their new role as spoilers after being eliminated from a 3-1 loss to Honduras in Honduras. Since then Canada has tied 2-2 with Mexico in Edmonton and forced Mexico’s celebration of clinching a spot into the next round to be posponed to their next game.
Jamaica is favored to win the game against Canada in Kingston but the Boyz are aware that the game still has to be played and Canada cannot be taken lightly. After back to back loses to Mexico 3-0, and Honduras 2-0, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) felt it was time to move in a different direction and fired head coach Rene Simoes. John Barnes was hired to take over the coaching duties in November in time for the Boyze last game.
However under interim head coach Theodore Whitmore the Reggae Boyz is on a winning streak after putting together back to back 1-0 wins over both Mexico and Honduras with the luxury of the world fastest man in Usain Bolt and his Olympic teammates at “the office” to support the team. With the present success coach Whitmore assignment was extended to the end of the round.
While most Caribbean fans are optimistic about the Boyz chances against Canada they are extremely nervous about Mexico chances of defeating Honduras in Honduras. However should the Boyz take care of business and the cards fall in their favor, Jamaica will undoubtedly be the dark horse and the team to watch in the final round of the CONCACAF qualifiers.
It is for this reason that I think that the Mexico and Honduras fans are also fastening their seat belts, since Mexico has only one point to show from their last two games after winning their first three. Honduras is also coming off a lost to Jamaica which short circuit their three game winning streak.
Mexico has 10 points to Honduras 9 points, while the Reggae Boyz are alive and still kicking in the Group of Death with 7 points. However with only two spot available the Boyz will have to defeat Canada and hope that Mexico defeat Honduras to have any realistic chance of advancing to the next round.
"Reggae Boyz still alive in Group of Death"
Jamaica Reggae Boyz under Interim head coach Theodore Whitmore kept their slim hopes of advancing to CONCACAF W-C final round alive after Luton Shelton scored at the 16th minute to give the Boyz a 1-0 win over Honduras and 7 points. Jamaica is making full use of their home field advantage at the office in Kingston, Jamaica after Hurricane Gustav forced the Boyz second game against Mexico to be moved Mexico City.
As a result the Reggae Boyz lost to Mexico 3-0 and ended up playing their first three World Cup qualifier games away from home and suffered two losses and a tie in their opening game against Canada at BMO Field to be given up for dead in the group of death.
However with the firing of Brazilian coach Rene Simoes after their first three away games the Boyz has won back to back games against Mexico 1-0, and Honduras 1-0 under interim head coach Theodore Whitmore to get a much needed spark of life as Mexico tied 2-2 with Canada and sit at the top of the Group B standings with 10 points to Honduras 9 and Jamaica 7 points.
With Mexico playing Honduras in Honduras and Jamaica up against Canada on November 19 the Boyz will have to hope for a Mexico win while they take of Canada in the friendly confines of the "office" in Kingston, to have any chance of advancing to the final round of the CONCACAF W-C qualifiers.
In lieu of the seriousness of the situation the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has extended the coaching assignment of interim head coach Whitmore to include the Canada game. Originally Joe Barnes was supposed to take over the Jamaica Reggae Boyz from November 1 but due to Whitmore and the Boyz present success the
JFF has decided to hold off on their earlier coaching change announcement.
Barnes Named New Coach Of Reggae Boyz
Jamaica Football Federation official press release - September 16, 2008
The Jamaica Football
Federation (JFF) at its Extra-Ordinary Board Meeting
held today, Tuesday, 16 September, unanimously
ratified the decision announced by its President
Captain Horace Burrell to sever ties with Technical
Director, Rene Simoes and the full contingent of
Brazilian staff with immediate effect. It was agreed
that based on recent developments, this separation
was in the best interest of the Federation.
The JFF Board expressed its profound appreciation
for the tremendous contribution to Jamaica’s
football by Mr. Simoes and wishes for him and his
Brazilian colleagues all the best in their future
endeavors. The JFF is of the view that Mr. Simoes’
legacy will forever be enshrined in the annals of
Jamaica’s sporting history and his association with
the nation’s football has created in a very
significant way the international appeal and local
enthusiasm in the football product at the levels of
players, coaches, administrators, government,
corporate and spectator support. This is the level
of popularization that the JFF is confident has
created the platform for it to build its long term
development programme.
The JFF wishes to announce the appointment of former
England International and Jamaican born, Mr. John
Barnes as the new National Coach for the Senior
Football Team. Mr. Barnes will take up official
duties on November 1 and will be in charge of the
preparation of the national team for the Digicel
Caribbean Cup (DCC) between December 1 to 15, the
CONCACAF Gold Cup scheduled for June 2009, and the
Final Round World Cup Qualifiers in 2009, should
Jamaica advance to this stage of the competition.
Mr. Barnes’ contract will be reviewed following the
afore-mentioned events.
Mr. Barnes played professional football for Watford,
Liverpool, Newcastle United and Charlton Athletic in
the Premier league and League Championship. He made
409 appearances for Liverpool scoring 108 goals. He
was voted Football Writers’ Association Player of
the Year 1988 and 1990 and PFA Footballer of the
Year 1988. In 1997 he was awarded an MBE by Her
Majesty the Queen.
In the summer of 1999 Mr. Barnes joined Scottish
giants Celtic as Head Coach, where he laid the
foundations for the club’s future success including
overseeing the redevelopment of the team with the
recruitment of Henrik Larsson among others.
He has since joined Channel 5 (England) and is the
channel’s principle football presenter and regularly
brings his insightful knowledge and understanding of
football to television screens around the world.
Further, the JFF wishes to announce that former
national player and current Assistant National
Coach, Mr. Theodore Whitmore will take charge of the
very important remaining World Cup Qualifying games
at home. Mr. Whitmore will continue as Assistant
National Coach to Mr. Barnes, following these
semi-final round games.
Mr. Barnes will attend the afore-mentioned games to
observe proceedings as well as lend moral support to
Mr. Whitmore and the national senior team. He is due
to arrive in Jamaica on Wednesday, 8 October for the
Mexico game scheduled for Saturday, 11 October, and
departs Thursday, 16 October following the Honduras
game on Wednesday, 15 October, both games to be
played at the National Stadium in Kingston.
In the meantime, the JFF has mandated its Technical
Committee to finalize work on the National
Development Plan commissioned a few months ago, in
time for presentation at the Board of Directors
Meeting slated for next November. This plan should
include the coaching recommendations for all the
remaining national teams, namely:
1. U23 Men
2. U20 Men
3. U17 Boys
4. U15 Boys
5. Senior Women
6. U20 Women
7. U17 Girls
8. U15 Girls
Also, it is expected that the national coaching
development programme will be tabled at the
afore-mentioned meeting.
Jamaica under Theodore Whitmore vs Mexico (Reggae Boyz website)
Interim National coach Theodore Whitmore wasted
little time in putting his stamp on the Jamaican
team that will be under his charge for World Cup
qualifiers against Mexico and Honduras on October 11
and 15 respectively.
The former national standout, now in his second
stint as interim coach chose a squad which saw a
massive overhaul from the previous ones selected
under the watch of former Technical Director Rene
Simoes. The man who scored Jamaica’s two goals in
the country’s historic win over Japan at the world
Cup finals in France 1998 recalled no fewer than
eight players who had not featured for Simoes.
Chief among the players called in are forward Marlon
King, midfielders Jermaine Johnson, Oneil Thompson,
Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Omar Daley as well as
defenders Claude Davis and Damian Stewart.
Midfielder/forward Dane Richards and forward Omar
Cummings have also been recalled.
The trio of King, Daley and Campbell-Ryce were not
recalled after the Bahamas qualifiers. King, who
played in the first leg against the Bahamas, Daley,
who tasted action in both legs and Campbell-Ryce who
was present but did not see a single minute of
action against them.
Thompson, who plays in Norway, last represented the
country against Guatemala and El Salvador in
November 2007. Dane Richards who also played in
those games have not donned the national colours
since.
Johnson played as a substitute against St Vincent
and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago as well as
Grenada in the matches leading up to the qualifiers
against the Bahamas but did not selected for the
squad to face the Bahamas. Damian Stewart on the
other hand last represented the country in February
against Costa Rica while Omar Cummings had a
promising cameo against Canada on August 20 but was
not invited for the Mexico and Honduras matches.
Consistent with the faith shown in the recalled
players who played an exciting brand of football for
him in his first term as Interim Coach when he had
wins over Guatemala and El Salvador, Whitmore has
again teamed up with veteran coach Bradley Stewart.
Stewart, who is regarded as one of the better
football minds in the country, has been associated
with a number of local clubs such as Duhaney Park,
Rivoli, Arnett Gardens, Hazard and Waterhouse in
different capacities. He is also a former coach of
the then Jamaica Juvenile team and was also actively
involved in the development of Women’s football in
the country.
The players will arrive in the island between Sunday
October 5 and Monday October 6, 2008 for the games
which will now be played at 7:00pm.
Walter Enrique Quesada Cordero of Costa Rica will be
the man in the middle for Jamaica’s crucial game
against Mexico. He will be assisted by compatriots
Leonel Leal Bermudez and Osvaldo Luna Gutierrez with
Vinicio Gerrardo Mena Solano serving as fourth
official. Trinidad and Tobago’s Osmond Downer will
be the Referee Assessor while Hugo Salcedo of the
United States has been given the assignment of
Commissioner.
For the Honduras game four days later a Trinidad and
Tobago quartet will be in
charge. Referee Neal Brizan will be assisted by
Michael Ragoonath and Simon Baptiste. Victor Moore
of Barbados will assess the referees while Victor
Hugo Estrada Barrios is the assigned Commissioner.
Jamaica’s Full Squad: Goalkeepers – Donovan
Ricketts, Shawn Sawyers; Defenders - Ricardo
Gardner, Ian Goodison, Claude Davis, Damian Stewart,
Tyrone Marshall, Jermaine Taylor, Shavar Thomas,
Demar Stewart; Midfielders – Rodolph Austin, Demar
Phillips, Oneil Thompson, Jermaine Johnson, Omar
Daley, Wolry Wolfe, Jamal Campbell-Ryce; Forwards -
Ricardo Fuller, Marlon King, Luton Shelton, Dane
Richards, Omar Cummings.
Jamaica
fire Simoes after
Honduras loss
The Jamaica Football
Federation
(JFF)
fire
Technical Director
Rene Simoes after
the Reggae Boyz lost
to
Honduras 2-0 in their third game of the CONCACAF third
round World Cup qualifiers. The Reggae Boyz
are in last place in Group 2 with one point
after losing to
Mexico 3-0 and tying
with Canada in
Toronto in their
first two matches.
Horace Burrell the JFF President announced the firing of Technical Director Rene Simoes after the team suffered two successive losses to Mexico and Honduras and seemed confident that the firing is the right move. Burrell is optimistic that the Reggae Boyz can get back on track.
"I could have allowed things to go on as they are, but honestly I would not be performing my duties in the way that it is expected and to push Jamaica's football forward," Burrell stated
"We are not out, first of all, and we have three games at home (remaining in the semi-finals)," he said. "We are going to get re-energised and we are going to hope for good results." Burrell is expected to name a successor to Simoes within the coming week.
Anxious
moments for Canadian Caribbean soccer fans
09-09-2008: Just when the Canadian Caribbean fans were anxiously awaiting their teams making a move for the top two positions of group 2 of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, the Canucks blew an early lead and came up short in a 2-1 loss to Honduras. Jamaica Reggae Boyz on the other hand did the unthinkable and gave up an early goal against Mexico in Mexico City to set the tone for a smothering 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Mexicans.
Haiti did not do much for their cause and got trounced by El Salvador 5-0, while Cuba was on the short end of a 1-0 loss to USA. As a result the Canadian Caribbean fans World Cup hopes are quarely on the shoulders of the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors who slipped up somewhat by conceding the equalizing goal to Guatemala at the 95 minute after taking the lead in the game ten minutes earlier.
In retrospect the Honduras game was a devastating loss for Canada and with Mexico on their plate this Wednesday, the Canucks could find themselves up a creek without a paddle in Mexico City in search of at least a point to have any chance of advancing out of the Group.
Heading into the Honduras game last Saturday I though the odds balanced out since Canada had the home field advantage. But that theory was blown to bits when I arrived at Montreal's Saputo Stadium and it looked like San Pedro Sula Stadium in Honduras. There was an 8:1 advantage of Honduras supporters present and in national (blue/while) colours.
In spite of the disparity in supporters Canada scored on a powerful header by Adrian Serioux from a Patrice Bernier left side corner kick to silence the crowd as a small number of Canada fans celebrated the goal.
Honduras clawed back into the game and adapted to the heavy stadium field a lot better. To add to Canada woes their best performing offensive player in the game midfielder Thomasz Radzinski had to leave at the 15th minute mark. Radzinski received a serious cut to his hand after he slid into the touch line signage while making a last effort to convert on a scoring opportunity.
Radzinski lost was a big blow for Canada since their offensive punch disappeared and Honduras took control of the game with long periods of ball possession. Honduras struck for two goals just after halftime to defeat Canada 2-1 much to the delight of the pro Honduras crowd.
The CONCACAF W/C qualifiers continues on September 10, as Canada face off with Group 2 leader Mexico in a critical game at Tuxtla Gutierrez in Mexico. Jamaica will travel to play Honduras in another tough game for the Reggae Boyz at San Pedro Sula, but Reggae Boyz coach Simoes remains optimistic that his team would perform better with the extra preparation time, after coming off the last minute fiasco of Hurricane Gustav.
The big showdown on Wednesday will be for first place in Group 1, as Trinidad & Tobago Soca Warriors clash with USA at the Toyota Park in Chicago. Guatemala on the other hand will try to get back into the swing of the group race against Cuba in Guatemala City.
Costa Rica in Group 3 will try to secure a spot into the second round when they travel to play Haiti in Port-Au-Prince and El Salvador will try to keep pace against Surinam at Paramaribo in Surinam.
Jamaica
tie Canada in W/C Qualifier first leg
August 20, 2008
The opening Group 2 World Cup qualifier match between Canada and Jamaica at BMO Field in Toronto lived up to its billing as the Reggae Boyz and Canucks continued their impressive run in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in an effort to re-emerge at a World Cup after a long absence.
The Jamaica-Canada game was played before a record crowd of 21,978 fans at BMO Field and although Canada enjoyed the better of the exchanges and the 12th man advantage, their lack of production and continuity on offense was their main obstacle.
Many die hard Canuck’s fans, think that the tie may come back to haunt the team since Canada did not capitalize on their territorial advantage. As a result, Jamaica managed to create set plays from several counter attacks down their flanks late in the first half to gain momentum heading into the second half.
To
me there was no question that the Reggae Boyz vertical
game was more dangerous than Canada’s, although it took
the Boyz a while to unleash their offense. But after
creating the space it was obvious that on every run the Boyz made on the flanks it seemed
like their player had
a clear path to goal to the delight of their cheering
fans.
I
thought the early yellow card to Dwayne De Rosario for
retaliation affected his game somewhat and work against
him. Dero did not get the benefit of a few of the
referee calls that should have gone his way.
I also thought that Canada’s Tomasz Radzinski and Bob Friend were struggling with their game in the offensive zone and I was baffled by coach Mitchell reasoning behind striker Ali Gerba's absence from the starting line up or his late replacement of Rob Friend at the 87th minute of play.
Headin
ginto the game
Ali Gerba was the second leading scorer in the CONCACAF
World Cup qualifiers and to be a
productive scorer like Gerba, one has to feel that he has
the confidence of his coach to perform and be productive
at that level.
However in spite of these offensive kinks, the two defenses played well as reflected by the 0-0 halftime score. The big question was which team would gain the early momentum at the beginning of the second half.
The answer came no sooner than two minutes into the second half, when Julian De Guzman unleashed a 25 yard grounder through the leg of a Jamaica defender and off the finger tips of Jamaica’s goalkeeper Donavan Ricketts.
Not to be outdone the Reggae Boyz responded with a goal of their own (somewhat). Jamaica equalizer occurred when Canadian goalkeeper Pat Onstad reacted late to an in swinging left side corner kick by Reggae Boyz Andrew Williams and found himself and the ball into his net at the first post.
With
two goals in seven minutes after a scoreless first half, most fans
were on needles and pins since the two defenses were now
playing a little less conservative and the winning goal
seemed to be in both teams next offensive play.
Although there was no more scoring in the game there
were a number of near misses and fantastic saves by the
goalkeepers on both ends of the field. With big saves
being the order of the day, lady luck show up for Jamaica
when “Man of the Match” Julian De Guzman sizzled a shot
of the paint of
the
cross bar at the 87 minute mark
In retrospect I think Canada missed a golden opportunity to move up in the Group 2 standings since Mexico came from behind to defeat Honduras 2-1 and now leads the Group with three points. Honduras is on the menu for Canada on September 6 in Montreal and it is imperative that Canada gain a result in that game before taking on Mexico in Edmonton.
Jamaica on the other hand dodged a bullet against Canada and should feel good about the one point gained in Toronto at BMO Field. However the Reggae Boyz are not out of the combat zone and would have to live up to their impressive home record when they meet #1 seed Mexico next at the “Office in Kingston Jamaica for their next game.
Soccer Update: Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors made a strong bid for a spot in the final round of six after defeating Cuba 3-1 in Havana. With the win T&T sits at the top of Group I standing with USA after the US defeated Guatemala 1-0 after being outplayed. Guatemala is in a must win situation and has to travel to play T&T in Port of Spain next while Cuba with lots at stake remains in Havana to play USA.
In Group 3, heavily favored Costa Rica weather the storm to defeat El Salvador 1-0, while Haiti relied on the dramatics by scoring two goals in the last minutes of play to tie Surinam 2-2. Costa Rica can move into the Group 3 driver seat with a win at home in their next game against Surinam while Haiti and El Salvador will do battle in San Salvador to fight for for the second spot of the group with Surinam .
Jamaica
ready for Big W/C Qualifier test in group 2
Jamaica
Reggae Boyz seems to be ready for the big test against
Canada, Mexico and Honduras in the third round of the
CONCACAF Group 2 World Cup qualifiers. The Reggae Boyz
advanced into the third round after disposing of Bahamas
7-0 and 6-0 in their second round games
In advancing into the third round Jamaica now find themselves in tough company in Group 2 with the likes of Honduras, Canada, and Mexico. Jamaica is on fire offensively of late and at present it seems like it would be very difficult for any team to shut down the Reggae Boyz offense.
However although Jamaica did not concede a goal against Bahamas, to move forward the Boyz will have to improve on their defense while maintaining their physical and mental toughness at home.
Honduras in this third round will have to get back to their Gold Cup form since they had to use their home field advantage to defeat Puerto Rico 4-0 after tying the first leg 2-2 in Puerto Rico. Honduras is a very capable team and showed their worth when they defeated Mexico in Gold Cup action last year, but that was then and this is now.
Until they are eliminated Mexico as always will be favored to qualify out of the CONCACAF zone, but the Tricolors were sluggish in their 2-0 first leg win over Belize which seem to indicate that their football is not out of the woods as yet when you add several other disappointing results at major tournaments over the last year.
However things are looking up for Mexico and with the hiring of Swede Sven Goran Eriksson and their decisive 7-0 win at home over Belize in their second leg that might have been just what the doctor ordered to keep the skeptics quiet until they open their third round game against Honduras.
Soca
Warriors shock
Reggae
Boyz in Rhythm Clash
VS
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, the Reggae Boyz 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. 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 biggest mistake was replacing striker #6 Marlon King since King was the player that had the young Warriors defender in a mess with his running off the ball. When King was in the game, the T&T defenders had no idea where he was and where he was heading. For the most part it was behind the Warriors defense to receive his passes.
After the early tentative minutes, the Reggae Boyz broke the game wide 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 from the left flank.
The Reggae Boyz fans erupted on the goal and the 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 to 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. 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 win in the bag for Jamaica.
The announcement of two minutes of
extra time was left as indicated by the fourth official.
Lightening struck twice and
the ”Office” crowd was in 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
Jamaica
net. The equalizer
sent the small contingent of Warriors fans into a frenzy
much to the disappointment of the faithful Reggae Boyz
fans, and the Soca Warriors escaped the Office with a
2-2 tie.
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
Teams:
TRI: - 1.Jan-Michael Williams, 5.Keyeno Thomas, 2.Kern Cupid, 15.Akeem Adams (3.Akile Edwards 46th), 13.Makan Hislop, 9.Aurtis Whitley (capt), 19.Keon Daniel, 6.Khaleem Hyland, 8.Kerry Baptiste (4.Osei Telesford 59th), 10.Darryl Roberts, 11.Randi Patterson (7.Jamaal Gay 59th).
JAM: Donovan Ricketts (Duwayne Kerr 46th), Adrian Reid, Demar Stewart, Obrian Woodbine, Oneil Thompson (Khari Stephenson), Tyrone Marshall, Rudolph Austin, Omar Daley (Ricardo Cousins 68th), Demar Phillips (Wolry Wolfe), Marlon King (capt) (Deon Burton 46th), Luton Shelton (James Thomas).
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.
Simoes insisted that the objective of the exercise was 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.
Soccer Salute in Toronto 2006
Invitational
vs
Invitational
Soccer Salute
2006 was played before a large
enthusiastic crowd at Allan Lamport
Stadium in Toronto last Sunday with
Trinidad and Tobago defeating Jamaica
1-0 on a goal scored by Kevin Jeffery in
the 75th minute of play. After the two
teams warmed up the atmosphere was very
electrifying when the fans of the two
teams started singing, chanting and
making noise with anything in their
possession in anticipation of the
friendly rivalry.
From my vantage point as T&T coach our defense had to be patient and continue to work hard to utilize the age advantage and cut down the space of Jamaica midfielders. As the game progress to the later stages Reggae Boyz goal keeper Warren Barrett was put to the test and was forced to make at least three big stops to keep his team in the game. In the meantime the Jamaican team continued to hedge goal wards but without the urgency needed to capitalize on their potential scoring chances.
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.
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.
