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Reggae Boyz ready to deliver Burrell mandate
By Ainsley Walters, [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]Freelance [COLOR=blue! important]Writer[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
Captain Horace Burrell - Peta-Gaye Clachar
AFTER defeating an [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]El [COLOR=blue! important]Salvador[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] side with six 2007 Gold Cup players and national Under-23 defender Luis Hernandez Campos on Sunday, the Reggae Boyz face [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]Guatemala[/COLOR][/COLOR] at 7:00 p.m. this evening with sceptics questioning the pedigree of the visiting Central American teams.
However, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president and FIFA disciplinary committee member, Captain Horace Burrell, who said he used his regional clout to confirm both games two days after taking office on November 3, has dismissed the allegations as "absolute nonsense", a claim given credence by the recent Gold Cup squads of both teams.
When the Boyz tackle Guatemala this evening, they will face an 18-man squad packed with 11 players who participated in the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they placed third overall behind champions the United States and Mexico.
El Salvador, who have been in the process of re-tooling their squad for next year's [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]World [COLOR=blue! important]Cup[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] qualifiers, finished third in Group B of the preliminaries after beating last-placed Trinidad and Tobago 2-1, but lost to group winners the United States and Guatemala 0-4 and 0-1 respectively.
Jamaica will be without captain Ricardo Gardner, who scored twice in Sunday's 3-0 win, as well as fellow midfielder Jermaine Johnson, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and defender Damion Stewart.
However, the [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]England[/COLOR][/COLOR]-based quartet have given way to three other professionals out of Britain, defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, goalie Donovan Ricketts and midfielder Omar Daley.
Best team
Burrell was last night livid at comments that El Salvador came with a young team, which made the Reggae Boyz look good.
"It is not true," he said. "The question was asked during the press conference, which followed the match and the coach said they put their best team forward so this notion about an under-23 team is not true," he pointed out.
Burrell said Guatemala would also field their strongest possible national team after losing 0-1 to Honduras in Miami on Saturday.
"What happened was that our players performed quite well and were determined to put up a good performance.
"They all realised the importance of the game. When I had a briefing with the team before the match, I impressed the importance of both friendly games. Football was at a low ebb and I made it quite clear it was important to put up a sturdy performance to bring back the fans to the stadium and also give the programme some hope.
"I was given full commitment by all the players and it was no surprise they performed well," he added.
Started shakily
Reports out of Miami indicate Guatemala, playing a 4-5-1 formation, started shakily against the tricky and speedy Hondurans but improved as the game progressed.
According to the report, Guatemala were weak on the flanks, an area which Jamaica dominated against El Salvador through Demar Phillips on the left and Campbell-Ryce on the right.
Phillips is expected to retain his position but Daley could very well come in on the right side of coach Theodore Whitmore's 3-2-3-2 formation.
Gregory Ruiz, who caused some trouble for Honduras on the flanks, was injured on Saturday and will have to be watched as he is said to be pacey, while their lone striker, Dwight Pezzarossi, showed his strength in the air off crosses.
Burrell said the Guatemalans are a serious bunch and are coming to give their all.
"Whenever you engage the Centeral American teams, they give a hundred per cent," he said. "Football is a way of life for them, but we are also prepared," he added.
By Ainsley Walters, [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]Freelance [COLOR=blue! important]Writer[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]
Captain Horace Burrell - Peta-Gaye Clachar
AFTER defeating an [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]El [COLOR=blue! important]Salvador[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] side with six 2007 Gold Cup players and national Under-23 defender Luis Hernandez Campos on Sunday, the Reggae Boyz face [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]Guatemala[/COLOR][/COLOR] at 7:00 p.m. this evening with sceptics questioning the pedigree of the visiting Central American teams.
However, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president and FIFA disciplinary committee member, Captain Horace Burrell, who said he used his regional clout to confirm both games two days after taking office on November 3, has dismissed the allegations as "absolute nonsense", a claim given credence by the recent Gold Cup squads of both teams.
When the Boyz tackle Guatemala this evening, they will face an 18-man squad packed with 11 players who participated in the recent CONCACAF Gold Cup, where they placed third overall behind champions the United States and Mexico.
El Salvador, who have been in the process of re-tooling their squad for next year's [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]World [COLOR=blue! important]Cup[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] qualifiers, finished third in Group B of the preliminaries after beating last-placed Trinidad and Tobago 2-1, but lost to group winners the United States and Guatemala 0-4 and 0-1 respectively.
Jamaica will be without captain Ricardo Gardner, who scored twice in Sunday's 3-0 win, as well as fellow midfielder Jermaine Johnson, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and defender Damion Stewart.
However, the [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]England[/COLOR][/COLOR]-based quartet have given way to three other professionals out of Britain, defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, goalie Donovan Ricketts and midfielder Omar Daley.
Best team
Burrell was last night livid at comments that El Salvador came with a young team, which made the Reggae Boyz look good.
"It is not true," he said. "The question was asked during the press conference, which followed the match and the coach said they put their best team forward so this notion about an under-23 team is not true," he pointed out.
Burrell said Guatemala would also field their strongest possible national team after losing 0-1 to Honduras in Miami on Saturday.
"What happened was that our players performed quite well and were determined to put up a good performance.
"They all realised the importance of the game. When I had a briefing with the team before the match, I impressed the importance of both friendly games. Football was at a low ebb and I made it quite clear it was important to put up a sturdy performance to bring back the fans to the stadium and also give the programme some hope.
"I was given full commitment by all the players and it was no surprise they performed well," he added.
Started shakily
Reports out of Miami indicate Guatemala, playing a 4-5-1 formation, started shakily against the tricky and speedy Hondurans but improved as the game progressed.
According to the report, Guatemala were weak on the flanks, an area which Jamaica dominated against El Salvador through Demar Phillips on the left and Campbell-Ryce on the right.
Phillips is expected to retain his position but Daley could very well come in on the right side of coach Theodore Whitmore's 3-2-3-2 formation.
Gregory Ruiz, who caused some trouble for Honduras on the flanks, was injured on Saturday and will have to be watched as he is said to be pacey, while their lone striker, Dwight Pezzarossi, showed his strength in the air off crosses.
Burrell said the Guatemalans are a serious bunch and are coming to give their all.
"Whenever you engage the Centeral American teams, they give a hundred per cent," he said. "Football is a way of life for them, but we are also prepared," he added.
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