| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Karl |
Posted - Mar 28 2003 : 09:06:18 AM
Bubbly Boyz tackle Martinique
FOOTBALL -- Gold Cup Qualifiers
IAN BURNETT & SEAN A WILLIAMS, Observer staff reporters
Friday, March 28, 2003
FOLLOWING on the heels of an emphatic 5-0 win over St Lucia inside the National Stadium on Wednesday, Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will this evening seek to overrun a desperate Martinique as the Gold Cup Caribbean Zone A qualifiers move into the second round.
Before the 7:00 pm kickoff of this game, a robust Haiti -- with a 2-1 win over Martinique -- will be bent on killing off St Lucia's hopes of progressing and at the same time advancing theirs when they meet at 5:00 in the first match of a double header.
Based on the Boyz' striking display on Wednesday night, they are expected to hurdle the French challenge, but technical director, Carl Brown, expects a tough fight. 'We will have to prepare for them ... I just said to the coach that I am almost certain that none of the two teams (Martinique versus Haiti) we saw out there tonight (Wednesday night) will play like how they played ...,' he said of the former Caribbean Cup winners.
'I have seen the Martinique team sometime last year when they played in the Cayman Islands and they looked a much better team, so I am expecting them to bring that form to the game on Friday (today),' Brown added.
In reflecting on the team's vastly improved performance in mid-week, the former national defender said, 'This is the sort of momentum that you need in a tournament like this'.
'The early goal was the right tonic that we wanted. ... in your first game, you want to get out there and do well. It only brings on the confidence of the players,' he said.
Although Jamaica enjoyed an unprecedented run of 10 games unbeaten away from home last year, Brown came under pressure after his Boyz went winless in four games to start 2003. Wednesday's convincing victory over the St Lucians did not faze him.
'I don't believe that this win will take any pressure off me, it won't take any off the players, but it is something that they (players) need to continue to do -- we just want to build on this momentum, we saw two goals on Sunday, five here tonight (Wednesday night),' Brown said with some degree of satisfaction.
The visitors never had an answer for the inquisitive Reggae Boyz, who dominated throughout as they shot to the top of the table, alongside Haiti, but with a superior goal difference.
With the game only 10 minutes-old, Andy Williams gave the home side the lead. He benefited from Gerald Neil's long throw from the right, which was headed on by striker, Kevin Lisbie, and Williams did the rest with a back header.
A minute later and Taylor, who is on top of his game at present, picked off an errant pass just outside the penalty area before unleashing a torrid left footer that lodged into the net despite being partially blocked by goalkeeper, Kester Erysthee.
Arnett Gardens midfielder, Cornel Chin-Sue, who only returned to national duties on Sunday after many moons, notched his first senior goal for Jamaica when he eluded two defenders before smartly curling a right footer well out of the reach of Erysthee.
Vastly improved defender, Claude Davis, added to St Lucia's woes on 56 minutes when he toe-poked home from close range Taylor's right-sided corner, and his Hazard team-mate, Omar Daley, completed the rout with a stunner six minutes later.
Meanwhile, Martinique, who showed glimpses of quality in their losing effort to Haiti, have promised an improved showing against the Reggae Boyz.
'For the next game against Jamaica you will see a better performance from us. It will be the same players but they will have to be at their best if we are to stay in this tournament...,' said assistant coach, Alonzeau Henri. 'We want the players to play their football, and that's passing the ball around ... What I do know is that we are not yet out of this tournament ... I still believe that we have a chance, but that will be difficult against Jamaica,' he went on. 'But as you know, nothing is impossible.'
Much will rest on Martinique's France-based players if they are to uproot the splashy Jamaican ballerinas. They are goalkeeper, Eddy Heurlier, midfielder, Fabrice Ruperme and defender, Sully Bilon.
Jamaica, with the exception of Craig Ziadie replacing Tyrone Marshall, are expected to repeat Wednesday's starting team. In goal, Donovan Ricketts, Claude Davis, Gerald Neil, Shavar Thomas, Andrew Williams, Omar Daley, Cornel Chin-Sue, Theodore Whitmore, Kevin Lisbie and Fabian Taylor.
Haiti -- after falling behind to Martinique in the fifth minute of play in their opening encounter -- should fancy their chances against the vanquished St Lucians.
'We hope to do well here ... we will be putting our hopes on team work ... also our technique is good and we have a young and talented bunch who can get the job done for us,' said a confident Haiti coach, Argentine Juan Amador Sanchez.
'The Gold Cup is very important for Haiti, and if we should qualify, we would possibly play some of the big teams like Brazil, USA, Colombia and Mexico,' Sanchez added.
The French-speaking nation will ask a lot of skipper, Jean Rebert Menelas, who had a brace against Martinique. A lot is also expected from polished midfielder, Wadson Corriolan and striker, Chrismonor Thelusma.
Obviously in a daunting position, St Lucia's national team coach, Kingsley Armstrong, is keeping the dream alive.
'Hopefully we can get a win and in our final game against Martinique, try and get a win and hopefully we will make it in the play-offs ... you can never tell,' Armstrong said. 'Football is such that even the underdogs stand a chance and even though we may go in against Martinique and Haiti as the underdogs, I think I would rate our chances as good as theirs,' he added.
And of Jamaica, Armstrong had high praise for the Boyz's dazzling performance and said his side was simply 'outclassed'.
'The Jamaicans were quicker to the ball, they are a more conditioned team, technically they are more superior, but I think we made some mistakes and we paid the price for them ...,' the former national player said.
With the winner of the zone guaranteed a direct berth to the Gold Cup and the runners-up slated for a three-team play-off with the runners-up of Zone B along with Honduras, Armstrong knows his side is in difficulties. 'Well certainly, we are under a lot of pressure ... we have to go back and take it game by game ...,' he stated.
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