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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 31 2004 : 07:33:42 AM
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Ja, Honduras face off
published: Wednesday | March 31, 2004
By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter
TONIGHT'S INTERNATIONAL friendly football match between Jamaica and Honduras will be one of the most pivotal games in preparing Jamaica for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers beginning in June, said national coach Carl Brown.
Brown was speaking at a press conference yesterday at the Jamaica Football Federation's office in Kingston ahead of tonight's game at the National Stadium, which starts at 7:30 p.m.
"This game will be treated very seriously. It's about trying to organise our team and develop consistency," Brown said. "(Honduras) is one of the top three teams in Central America and they've always produced good players and good teams in terms of their approach and so they are a very good opponent to test us and see how our players take up their responsibilities on the field in a game such as this," he said.
Though a friendly game, Brown stressed the importance of staying above the bar they set for themselves when they defeated Uruguay 2-0 last month.
EXPECTATIONS
"The expectations are high from the public and this puts us under a lot of pressure," the coach claimed. "It is important for us to perform well. There is the possibility of meeting them in future rounds (of World Cup qualifying games) and if we do, we will know exactly what to do against them."
Brown also summoned the support of the public and the media, which he claims were integral in the team's last victory, in rallying behind the Boyz in the their 'Road to Germany 2006' campaign.
Like Brown, Honduras' renowned coach Bora Milutinovic said his country has high expectations of not only qualifying for the World Cup but winning all their friendly encounters. However, he said in the midst of fulfilling his country's wish, the team would remain true to their form of play.
OWN PACE
"We have to know what we can do and work at our own pace. How we perform is much more important than the pressure from the public. Even if we win but performed badly we would have lost," he said through an interpreter.
National midfielder Richard Langley and Honduras' Carlos Pavon and Amado Guevaro represented their teammates and the word from both camps is that the fans should expect a competitive match tonight.
"The whole team is looking to show the coach and the public what we can do on our road to Germany," Langley stated. "The spirit has been good and we have a very confident group of guys and we have a great opportunity to make it to Germany and we just want to show everyone what we can do," he said.
Pavon said: "For us, it is an important game and it's going to be a difficult match but we came to play the way we know how and it's going to be a good match for the fans."
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Karl |
Edited by - Karl on Mar 31 2004 07:34:17 AM
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Pre-World Cup 2006 qualifiers - Ja vs Honduras
