Due
to the performances of the teams in their recently
concluded International friendly matches the Reggae Boyz
would be favored over the Soca Warriors heading into the
Caribbean Rhythms Clash on March 26 encounter at the
National Stadium in Kinston, Jamaica
After watching the Jamaica Reggae Boyz and T&T Soca
Warriors teams performed against Costa Rica and
Guadeloupe respectively, I am of the belief that the
play of the Rhythms teams were in different spectrum of
the scale.
Jamaica was impressive in their play against Costa Rica
and although the Reggae Boyz had to come from behind to
tie the game 1-1 in stoppage time, they were the better
team on the day and were deserving of the final result
and a bit unlucky not to secure the win.
The fact that the National Stadium in Kingston was close
to capacity with Jamaican supporters also speaks volume
for the present state of soccer in Jamaica as the Reggae
Boyz control the game against Costa Rica and stuck
together as a team to equalized and give themselves a
chance to win just moments later.
In contrast Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors
performance against Guadeloupe was less than impressive
with only fragments of a crowd in the stands and the
Queens Park Oval team in a terrible condition from the
carnival festivities.
However the two teams played the game on the Oval field
and Guadeloupe was by far the better team having 65%
possession of the ball. T&T players showed no
confidence in each other and as a result the creation of
space by the running off the ball was nonexistent. In
defense of interim head coach Francisco Maturana, this
was his fist official game in a matter of days with all
the players and team chemistry is not an overnight
success story.
For the local soccer fans Toronto FC defender Tyrone
Marshall scored the equalizer on a header for Jamaica
while his TFC team mate Collin Samuels was one of a few
bright spots for the T&T Soca Warriors in their last
game.
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.
