Boyz to face Costa Rica

[Mosiah]

Boyz to face Costa Rica
Burrell confirms Ja v Costa Rica match for Feb 6SEAN A WILLIAMS, Assistant Sports Editor
Thursday, December 13, 2007


THE Reggae Boyz will host Central American rivals Costa Rica in a football friendly on February 6 at 'The Office' at 7:00 pm.
President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, who is in Japan as a disciplinary official at the FIFA Club World Cup, confirmed the date yesterday, saying "the deal is sealed... the game is definitely on".
"Yes, we have confirmed the match with Costa Rica for the next FIFA date on Wednesday, February 6, at 'The Office'," Burrell said.
Without giving details, Burrell said based on the terms of the contract, both countries must field full strength teams for the game, which will be played on the first FIFA date for 2008.
"We expect Costa Rica to be at full strength and I know the Reggae Boyz will have all their top overseas-based players available for this game," explained the CONCACAF executive member from his hotel in Tokyo.
If fit at the time, it is expected that the likes of England-based Ricardo Gardner (captain), Ricardo Fuller, Claude Davis, Damion Stewart, Donovan Ricketts, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Jermaine Johnson, Omar Daley, Marlon King, Luton Shelton, US-based Tyrone Marshall and Khari Stephenson in Sweden should figure in the Boyz line-up.
Two weeks into its tenure, the new Burrell administration quenched the thirst of local fans with two friendly internationals four days apart, which saw the Reggae Boyz defeating El Salvador (3-0) and Guatemala (2-0) in front of crowds not seen at 'The Office' in years.
Burrell, who returned to the helm of the nation's football unchallenged after incumbent Crenston Boxhill opted out of the race, said, "Of course we're expecting another bumper crowd for the Costa Rica match."
But for drooling local fans, "high quality" opposition comes at a price, and they will be asked to pay more for the Boyz's next assignment. Supporters using the bleachers will now pay $1,000, while those sitting in the Grandstand area will pay $2,500 and $3,000 for Categories One and Two, respectively - an increase of $500 in all classes.
"I don't want Jamaicans to see this as a charge, but more as their contribution to the programme... we know that we're going through harsh economic times, but if we are to host top-class international friendlies as we try to revive football in the country, it's important for us to ask for this extra contribution," Burrell appealed.
Since retaking office as JFF president on November 5, Burrell's rhetoric and sense of mission have reignited interest in the sport which, in turn, has seemingly created a nostalgic throwback to the glorious 1998 campaign when the Reggae Boyz qualified for the World Cup Finals in France.
And with the news that Brazilian Rene Simoes, who guided Jamaica to that unprecedented feat, will be the man in charge of the football programme, starting January, a ripple of hope has already started for the South Africa 2010 qualifying campaign.
"This game (against Costa Rica) will be the first that Professor Rene Simoes will be in charge of after his return (to Jamaica) early next month," Burrell said.
Both Jamaica (ranked 98 by FIFA) and Costa Rica (69) - CONCACAF competitors - will be using this game to continue their fine-tuning for next year's World Cup qualifiers.
Jamaica will kick-start their crusade, dubbed 'Back to Africa', with a Caribbean second-round tie against either The Bahamas or US Virgin Islands in June next year.

[Mosiah]

Reggae Boyz to tackle Costa Rica
published: Thursday | December 13, 2007


Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

Rene Simoes ... will have a full squad to choose from for the February 6 friendly against Costa Rica at the National Stadium.
RENé SIMOES will have a crack squad to choose from when he makes his 'Office' return with the Reggae Boyz who are confirmed to tackle Costa Rica in an international friendly match at the National Stadium on February 6.
Additionally, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has doubled its ticket prices for the match.
"I'm confirming the staging of the biggest friendly to take place at 'The Office' in recent times on Wednesday, the sixth of February, under the new technical director René Simoes," Captain Horace Burrell, president of the JFF, told The Gleaner in an interview by phone yesterday from Japan, where he is conducting FIFA duties at the World Club Championship.
"This game will be against a full-strength Costa Rica national team," Burrell said.
"We'll also be fielding our strongest possible team in years as all our foreign-based players will be available for selection.
Top players
"It's a FIFA date and, therefore, all the players, including Marlon King, will be invited," he continued when asked specifically about the goalscoring English-based striker who was banned for two years by the previous administration but got a reprieve from the new JFF administration which lifted the ban weeks ago with immediate effect.
Regarding the significant increase in admission costs - the highest in years - Burrell reckoned it's "expensive", but "necessary".
"Because of the huge costs involved in staging a friendly international of this magnitude, the fans will be asked to pay more to attend the game.
"The fees to be charged are for the bleachers - $1,000 and for the grandstand $2,500 and $3,000, respectively," Burrell said.
Those were the ticket prices when things came to a climax during qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France, when cycle track seats were included. Jamaica played two internationals at the National Stadium last month, beating El Salvador 3-0 and Guatemala 2-0. Admission to those games was $500 for bleachers, with grandstand tickets costing $1,200 and $1,500, respectively.
Huge increase
Burrell said: "We know that this is a huge increase. However, we are asking the fans to look at this as their way of contributing to the national programme and aiding the preparation of the Reggae Boyz, who are slated to begin their World Cup qualifiers in June of next year, rather than looking at it as just paying to watch a match.
"Therefore, the federation has decided to go for stronger opposition in order to get the Reggae Boyz ready for the World Cup qualifiers," he said.
Last year, Nigeria, after accepting US$70,000 to play the Reggae Boyz, declined when the federation refused to pay their flight costs from Mexico to Kingston. The Africans, who had been in Mexico for a friendly international, said such an amount would not have been able to cover allowances for its 19-member team and staff. "Staging friendly international games at the National Stadium are, indeed, very expensive," Burrell said. "But, on the other hand, it's very necessary and we must begin to once again rebuild our fan base at home so that during the qualifiers we will have our loyal supporters filling the stadium and playing their part as the 12th man."

[Mosiah]

Can someone send the Gleaner a recent picture of Simoes, please?

[T.K.]

That's a good game for us Mosiah don't you think? It's great to see that we are going to pull another strong for the match as well. I like seeing our horses get a good run. (Zeppo 3:16)

It would be great if we could get a game with another central american country as well. Maybe a Panama? - T.K.

[Reggae-Fan]

good game this. I expect a bumper crowd (Sicko will tell you that no one will show up for this game), and I am silently praying that FSC will do the honors....which I suspect they will.

We should try get a home and away series vs a South american opponent...or at the very least, we should try playing away in South America...Chile, Peru, even Venezuela.

[T.K.]

good game this. I expect a bumper crowd (Sicko will tell you that no one will show up for this game), and I am silently praying that FSC will do the honors....which I suspect they will.

We should try get a home and away series vs a South american opponent...or at the very least, we should try playing away in South America...Chile, Peru, even Venezuela.

A game against a South American side would be great. However I'd like to see us focus on our region first. Right now we are also rans. I think we need to dominate here first and then branch out once the average game in concacaf can no longer challenge us anymore. We still haven't won a Gold Cup of all things. Everyone talks about World Cup qualifying but I really think we should focus on that tournament first and win it the next time the CONFED cup is on the line. I am sick and tired of being embarrased in that tournament. - T.K.

[Hortical]

It would be great if we could get a game with another central american country as well. Maybe a Panama? - T.K.

We have struggled every time we have played Panama, and they have our number, and I would like to see a game against them in Central America.

[Gamma]

i think i saw it somewhere that uruguay is also in the cards...it could have been that i dreamt it though.

[Reggae-Fan]

I beleive a game in south America will prepare is well for our trip to Tegucigalpa to face Honduras when the next round begins. Uruguay in Uruguay would probably be a tougher game than playing Panama in Panama. Thats the angle I was coming from.

[Jamaica2099]

RF! What's wrong with you.

Do I have to keep reminding the forumites that the game will definately be on FSC Jamaica and delayed for Sportsmax (They have exclusive rights to all the Reggae Boyz home friendly matches) later that same night.

[Reggae-Fan]

true...or any south american team in South aMerica for that matter. We need a game away...packed stadium...tense atmosphere. I am sure Simoes will organise something when he comes next year.

[Reggae-Fan]

Great! Excellent!

[Muadib]

Even shorter fuse fi any p....ssy dat decide dem waan hijack Category Two seats..

"Ah WISH ah ni@@ah.."

Black People WISH.. White people HOPE....

[Rudi]

Issues Ben, Issues. Is what the descendants of Ham do you now? other than tek you seat in a football game. You must come up north and see how we handle any red-neck (bonafide or wannabe) if dem siddown in our seats at court side. Ref call time-out and a bway get escorted anyway him want.

[Warlord]

Complete waste of time.