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Uphill task for Reggae Boyz
International senior football returned to the National Stadium with a bang recently as many fans turned out to watch the Reggae Boyz defeat Central American minnows El Salvador on November 18 and Guatemala four days later.
It was good to see many fans packed in the grandstand and bleachers dressed in yellow, cheering on their team and being entertained by top local pop stars in scenes reminiscent of the pre-World Cup qualifying years of 1996 and 1997.
Captain Horace Burrell has, in a very short time, surely rekindled interest in the national team locally after an extended period of inactivity.
His ability to sustain this 'feel good' atmosphere will depend a great deal on the performances of the Boyz in the fast-approaching 2010 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in earnest in mid-2008. Already Jamaica's Boyz are assured of an easy passage to the semi-final round. Their opponents, the 171-ranked Bahamas or British Virgin Islands ranked at 180, should get a real drubbing at the 'Office' in the second stage match.
Group of death
It is at the semi-final stage that things will really heat up. Based on the recent FIFA draw Jamaica will go into a CONCACAF 'group of death' which will likely also include perennial qualifiers Mexico (ranked 15th), Honduras (54th) and Canada (55th). The other likely groups will be far easier for top teams the USA and Costa Rica. Barring any upsets, the United States should head a semi-final group comprising Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba while Costa Rica's group should include Guyana or Suriname, Panama and Haiti.
Based on the latest FIFA rankings Jamaica, at 98, should not advance to the final round ahead of the other group members. This is the mammoth task facing new technical director Rene Simoes when he returns to the island in January to again take charge of the Reggae Boyz. With Mexico strongly favoured to advance to the final round, Jamaica will be one of three teams seeking just one spot.
Mexico's credentials are well known, having reached the second round of the last four World Cup tournaments. This year they were the beaten finalists in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Mexican team will, next year, parade two of the most exciting youngsters in world football, 18-year-old Giovani dos Santos of Barcelona, and another 18-year-old, Carlos Vela, an Arsenal player who is on loan to Osasuna in Spain.
go-to player
Honduras can call on Inter Milan's David Suazo and the robust Carlos Pavon, who is now at U.S. Major League Soccer's (MLS) Los Angeles Galaxy.
Canada's team will include Dwayne de Rosario, who scored a number of important goals for the Houston Astros, the 2007 MLS champions and Julian de Guzman of Deportivo de Coruna in Spain. Rated as Canada's best player, de Guzman is ironically of Jamaican and Filipino descent. At the 2007 Gold Cup in which Canada placed third, de Guzman was named the tournament's most valuable player. The North American country will also parade a number of players from the German league.
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will thus have a mountain to climb if they hope to get past the semi-finals. One thing is sure, the island has the talent to advance. Ricardo Gardner, Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips, Ricardo Fuller and Claude Davis and others will help form a strong enough squad to be competitive against any of the countries in the region.
The big question mark is over the preparation period. Will six or seven months be long enough to select a squad and get the right chemistry to beat two of Mexico, Canada and Honduras? The answer to this question and many others will be answered some time in late 2008.
International senior football returned to the National Stadium with a bang recently as many fans turned out to watch the Reggae Boyz defeat Central American minnows El Salvador on November 18 and Guatemala four days later.
It was good to see many fans packed in the grandstand and bleachers dressed in yellow, cheering on their team and being entertained by top local pop stars in scenes reminiscent of the pre-World Cup qualifying years of 1996 and 1997.
Captain Horace Burrell has, in a very short time, surely rekindled interest in the national team locally after an extended period of inactivity.
His ability to sustain this 'feel good' atmosphere will depend a great deal on the performances of the Boyz in the fast-approaching 2010 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in earnest in mid-2008. Already Jamaica's Boyz are assured of an easy passage to the semi-final round. Their opponents, the 171-ranked Bahamas or British Virgin Islands ranked at 180, should get a real drubbing at the 'Office' in the second stage match.
Group of death
It is at the semi-final stage that things will really heat up. Based on the recent FIFA draw Jamaica will go into a CONCACAF 'group of death' which will likely also include perennial qualifiers Mexico (ranked 15th), Honduras (54th) and Canada (55th). The other likely groups will be far easier for top teams the USA and Costa Rica. Barring any upsets, the United States should head a semi-final group comprising Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba while Costa Rica's group should include Guyana or Suriname, Panama and Haiti.
Based on the latest FIFA rankings Jamaica, at 98, should not advance to the final round ahead of the other group members. This is the mammoth task facing new technical director Rene Simoes when he returns to the island in January to again take charge of the Reggae Boyz. With Mexico strongly favoured to advance to the final round, Jamaica will be one of three teams seeking just one spot.
Mexico's credentials are well known, having reached the second round of the last four World Cup tournaments. This year they were the beaten finalists in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Mexican team will, next year, parade two of the most exciting youngsters in world football, 18-year-old Giovani dos Santos of Barcelona, and another 18-year-old, Carlos Vela, an Arsenal player who is on loan to Osasuna in Spain.
go-to player
Honduras can call on Inter Milan's David Suazo and the robust Carlos Pavon, who is now at U.S. Major League Soccer's (MLS) Los Angeles Galaxy.
Canada's team will include Dwayne de Rosario, who scored a number of important goals for the Houston Astros, the 2007 MLS champions and Julian de Guzman of Deportivo de Coruna in Spain. Rated as Canada's best player, de Guzman is ironically of Jamaican and Filipino descent. At the 2007 Gold Cup in which Canada placed third, de Guzman was named the tournament's most valuable player. The North American country will also parade a number of players from the German league.
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will thus have a mountain to climb if they hope to get past the semi-finals. One thing is sure, the island has the talent to advance. Ricardo Gardner, Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips, Ricardo Fuller and Claude Davis and others will help form a strong enough squad to be competitive against any of the countries in the region.
The big question mark is over the preparation period. Will six or seven months be long enough to select a squad and get the right chemistry to beat two of Mexico, Canada and Honduras? The answer to this question and many others will be answered some time in late 2008.
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