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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 18 2004 : 07:47:42 AM
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published (GLEANER): Sunday | July 18, 2004
Lazaron
Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
FOUR YEARS and one month after throwing in the towel as Jamaica's technical director in his homeland Brazil, Sebastiao Lazaroni is back.
This time, the Brazilian who succeeded Rene Simoes as Technical Director of the Reggae Boyz will assume the role of Head Coach, with his responsibility being to take Jamaica to the World Cup Finals Germany.
When Lazaroni arrived in May of 2000, he said he was hell bent on surpassing Rene Simoes' achievement. This is what he told journalists at a press conference at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) headquarters after taking up the job.
"One must do better than in the past."
Just before his first real game in charge of the Boyz, this against Panama, Lazaroni demonstrated his willingness to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Jamaican players.
"This is a chance for the coaching staff to see the players and gather all the information we can about them," said Lazaroni just before Jamaica's game against Panama on May 14, 2000.
"The information we gather should help us in formulating our plans for the World Cup elimination," added Lazaroni then.
However, Lazaroni's dream of surpassing Simoes' achievement came to naught less than three months after taking up the job. On June 18, 2000, he hopped off the Reggae Boyz' Orient Express.
LACK OF COMMITMENT
According to Captain Horace Burrell, the JFF president at the time, Lazaroni left the national team due to what he termed a lack of "commitment of overseas-based players".
At the time of calling it quits, Lazaroni was in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where the Reggae Boyz, who played without key players, were beaten for the second time in three games by club sides.
Then, the Boyz were without key players in Ian Goodison, Andy Williams and Onandi Lowe, all of whom were excused while Marcus Gayle and Theodore Withmore could not be accounted for. Others such as Frank Sinclair, Walter Boyd and Deon Burton joined the camp in Brazil later.
When Lazaroni left Jamaica, the team was in a precarious position going into the World Cup qualifiers. In fact, the Reggae Boyz were three weeks away from their first qualifying game against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in St. Vincent, a game which the Boyz later won 1-0.
# REGGAE BOYZ' RESULTS UNDER LAZARONI
Jamaica vs Panama 0-1 Montego Bay
Jamaica vs Romania 0-0 Miami
Jamaica vs Colombia 0-3 New Jersey
Jamaica vs Morocco 0-1 King Hassan II tournament in Morocco
Jamaica vs Japan 0-4 King Hassan II tournament in Morocco
Jamaica vs Portuguesa 1-1
Jamaica vs Velo Santa Clara 1-2 in Brazil
Jamaica vs Atletico Minero 1-2 in Brazil
# 'He'll be more tolerant'
Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
WHEN BRAZALIAN coach Sebastiao Lazaroni returns to Jamaica for his second spell in charge of the Reggae Boyz, "he'll be more tolerant and understanding".
So says Crenston Boxhill, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), in an interview with The Gleaner on Friday.
In his first stint as Technical Director in April 2000, Lazaroni cited the lack of support from the JFF and the lack of commitment to the programme of a number of senior players as reasons for quitting after less than three months.
Boxhill admitted that Lazaroni still won't have the core of the players right away, but he is cognisant of that fact.
"He won't be able to get them for any extended period like Simoes did. He is fully aware of that," said Boxhill.
According to the JFF president, Lazaroni coaches players at both club and national level and he knows that it is the beginning of the season and some of the players represent clubs in England and are at various camps.
"In terms of having them for World Cup games it's a must, as required by FIFA," Boxhill said. "Apart from injuries, it's impossible for clubs to say they can't come for a World Cup game."
Lazaroni was head coach of the successful Brazil team in the 1989 Copa America and was in charge at the World Cup in Italy 1990. He was also manager at Fiorentina, a top Italian club, as well as coach of some top Brazilian clubs.
©Copyright2003 Gleaner Company Ltd |
Karl |
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Lazaroni's come full circle
