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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 07 2002 : 12:12:31 PM
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Mosiah
Under-20s fail to prepare - Nodley's view
Mon Oct 7 09:59:54 2002
208.138.29.124
Sunday Gleaner Article
It came as no surprise to me on Monday when it was reported that a mandate
was given by the president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), captain
Horace Burrell, to order an investigation into the circumstances surrounding
the failure of Jamaica's Under-20 football team to advance in the World Cup
qualifiers.
In fact I had expected worse. I had expected to hear the metal-on-metal
scraping sounds of the guillotine being sharpened in preparation for the
order, "off with their heads!" especially in reference to coaches like
Wendell Downswell, being issued to the eager noblemen.
While I had expected it, such a stance is almost laughable and it could
have come about because of a number of reasons. One could be that the big man
is really not serious and is just talking.
Two, maybe he is really out of touch with the body he runs at this time.
The latter would be the more likely one as most if not all the reasons for
failure point towards the the JFF's administration and management.
To begin with, the coaching staff never had the benefit of a single
practice match against international opposition. Even in the daCosta and
Manning Cup, schools prepare for the upcoming season by playing practice
matches against other schools and clubs. Inter-squad matches or a match or
two against the senior team would have happened in a training context and
therefore would not have achieved the desired objective.
The fact that Burrell suspended the entire national programme with
immediate effect on July 4, 2002 because of "lack of funds", a few days
before the Under-20s were due to head off to Cuba for two friendly matches,
did not help. Subsequent to that without any known additional financial input
from the Government, the programme was restarted but no practice matches for
the Under-20s materialised.
Our big neighbours of the north, the United States, had no less than 30
matches for this year alone. Sure, they have far more resources than we do
but even five matches would have been something.
Interestingly, Cuba, not a traditional power, in football have advanced to
the final rounds of the Concacaf qualifiers. This, after disposing of
Trinidad and Tobago, a country with which Jamaica have battled for regional
bragging rights.
If not having any practice matches was not bad enough, then not having any
member of the coaching staff scout the oppostion (Haiti) was far worse. This
is far removed from what obtained during the six-year Brazilian reign.
How much would it have cost to send one coach to watch the Haitian team
even once? It looks even worse at a time when there is a sponsorship
arrangement with the national airline. Well maybe they do not fly to the
French and Spanish Caribbean at all or with any regularity but if they don't
then they do fly to Miami. From there a connecting flight is easily had,
which cannot be of any significant value.
Former DC United (MLS team) coach Bruce Rongen, dubbed wrong again for his
failings with that team, seems to have got the importance of scouting right
with the United States Under-20s. He was spotted at Jamaica's first leg
qualifier against Haiti at Harbour View.
After all we are such a big team, why bother to scout Haiti? Didn't we
qualify for the 1998 World Cup, the 1999 Under-17 equivalent in New Zealand
and then the Under-20 World Cup last year in Argentina? What did we have to
fear?
Maybe no lessons were learnt from the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and
Korea, where big teams such as France, Italy and Argentina fell like
nine-pins after underrating their opponents.
What would have also worked against the Under-20s is the juggling act that
the coaches had to perform with the different teams. The seniors, the
women's, the Under-20s and the Under-17s being in camp together or one after
the other. The nomadic approach to training is another negative.
The one word which sums up all the reasons for the team's failure to
qualify is preparation.
The old saying, "if you fail to prepare you prepare to fail", comes
readily to mind.
To put it bluntly, we did not deserve to qualify based on what we did and
if we are honest with ourselves we would agree.
If the coaches (local) contend that they were given baskets to carry water
while their Brazilian predecessors had steel buckets, I would agree.
So Mr. president, a little advice, order your noblemen away from the
guillotine.
Nodley Wright
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Karl |
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Under-20s failed to prepare - Nodley
