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TEST FOR SIMOES as Boyz tackle Costa Rica
Los Ticos hunt experience against Boyz in friendly
Ian Burnett, Sports Editor
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Members of Jamaica's Reggae Boyz, including captain Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner (seated at left foreground), in a relaxed mood at the end of a stretching exercise following a training session at the National Stadium last night. Teammates (from 2nd left) are Marlon King, Rudolph Austin, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Ricardo Fuller and Demar Phillips, while members of the backroom staff (standing from left) Donovan Duckie, Lenworth Hyde, Theodore Whitmore and Pablo Camargo look on. (Photo: Karl McLarty)
When Trinidadian referee Neil Brizan whistles the start of play between Jamaica and Costa Rica at the National Stadium at 6:00 pm today, spectators are again expected to be filled with nostalgia, as they hope to rekindle past glory.
The friendly international between the Reggae Boyz and The Ticos, the third since Captain Horace Burrell regained control of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) last November, will signal the return of Brazilian Rene Simoes as technical director of the football programme.
The little mustachioed Brazilian last guided a Reggae Boyz senior outfit at the 'Office' in a 2-2 draw with the United States on September 8, 1999.
It will also signal this administration's official launch of the 2010 'Back to Africa' FIFA World Cup campaign, which will see the Boyz kicking off their qualifiers against either the British Virgin Islands or The Bahamas on June 14.
But for today, all eyes will be on Simoes and his Boyz, even as the nation celebrates the birth of the late great reggae icon, Bob Marley.
There will be some similarities to Simoes' first game in charge in November 1994 (a 0-3 loss to the US). Then, he took charge of a team ranked 92nd on the FIFA list. This time the team is ranked 98th, and fans are already expecting the same levels of success, including World Cup Finals qualification.
Randal Azofeifa (left) and Cristian Montero of Costa Rica challenge for possession of the ball during a training session at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
Simoes guided the team to a low of 96th at the end of December 1994, before riding a crest to an all-time high of 27th in July 1998. At the end of 1996 when the team was ranked 32nd, the little nation, renowned for its track and field exploits, was awarded FIFA's 'Best Mover' of the year.
Thirteen overseas-based players have been included in today's squad, which will be reduced to 18, including Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner, who will captain the team, Ian 'Pepe' Goodison and Donovan 'Tall P' Ricketts, who were members of Simoes' history-making squad which qualified for the France 1998 FIFA World Cup Finals.
The core group of foreign-based players arrived in the island on Sunday night and held two training sessions at the National Stadium - Monday night and last night.
In what was the team's only intense session on Monday, Simoes employed a 4-4-2 formation, a change from his preferred 5-3-2 formation which he used successfully in the 1998 campaign, with Ricketts in goal, guarded by Goodison and Damion Stewart in central defence, with Gardner at left back and Tyrone Marshall at right back.
Jason Morrison and Rudolph Austin manned central midfield in a square position, with Demar Phillips on the left and Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the right. The inform pair of Ricardo Fuller and Marlon King were entrusted with getting goals as the strikers.
On Monday, 11 local-based players were selected, but only five are expected to suit up today.
"The sessions have been good, I think the players try hard and they are very knowledgeable about football," Simoes told the Observer at the end of last night's session, which was comprised of mainly tactical drills.
"It is a matter of how you see the game. As Brazilians we like ball possession, with good movement and beautiful passes and they are getting there," he added.
At the time the coach said he had not yet finalised the 18-man squad, but he confirmed that he would be utilising the 4-4-2 formation.
"We play the 4-4-2 formation. The majority of the players are playing this style (at their clubs) and I think there is no sense in changing the way they play. It is not what I like, but what the players can play well. but sometimes we can change to a diamond midfield or a square midfield, so we have options."
And looking at his return after more than eight years, he said he was pleased to be back at the 'Office'.
"It is good, wonderful to return, but I am not looking for the past, it is a new job, new players, everything is new. What I did is there, now I have to work hard to be competent. There is only one place where the past is important and that is the museum."
The Ticos, meanwhile, led by former all star player now coach, Hernan Medford, arrived in the island on Monday night and held a training session at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday afternoon.
According to Medford, the Central Americans are here with a very strong team and while the result is important, he argued that the team's performance held more priority.
"We have our players from Europe and we want to see how they play," he said of the team which only last week ended 1-1 with Iran in Tehran.
"Every time a win is important, but for me the most important thing is that the team is learning. we have a little bit of everything, we have strong players, the most important thing is what we can do in the game, if we win or lose that is secondary," he added.
However, the coach was unimpressed with the training facility at Tivoli Gardens. "Training was not so good," he complained. "The big problem in Jamaica is the fields... and if you don't have a good field it is difficult to have a good game. The field is bad for Costa Rica and for Jamaica. when the field is not good you can't expect a good game."
Costa Rica were forced to train at that facility because the National Stadium was being used for the Eastern Athletics Championships.
Meanwhile, the JFF wishes to advise members of the public that tickets for the game will not be sold at the National Stadium today.
Tickets may be purchased at the following locations on the day of the game:
York Pharmacy, New Kingston Golf Academy, Rory's Service Station and Petcom Portmore.
The Federation has also advised that no offensive weapons will be allowed inside the stadium; no umbrellas with sharp tips are allowed; no pyrotechnics/fireworks etc; no igloos; no throwing of objects; no seating in the isles.
The JFF has also asked that all patrons should be seated in accordance with their ticket assignment.
Also, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be providing additional transportation for spectators returning from the Reggae Boyz match. The buses will offer express service at a cost of $80.
There will be three number 21 buses, three number 3A, 12A, 16A/20A buses, two number 83 and one number 83.99 bus.
Jamaica's Starting 11 - Gardner (captain), Ricketts, Goodison, Stewart, Marshall, Austin, Morrison, Phillips, Campbell-Ryce, Fuller and King.
Los Ticos hunt experience against Boyz in friendly
Ian Burnett, Sports Editor
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Members of Jamaica's Reggae Boyz, including captain Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner (seated at left foreground), in a relaxed mood at the end of a stretching exercise following a training session at the National Stadium last night. Teammates (from 2nd left) are Marlon King, Rudolph Austin, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Ricardo Fuller and Demar Phillips, while members of the backroom staff (standing from left) Donovan Duckie, Lenworth Hyde, Theodore Whitmore and Pablo Camargo look on. (Photo: Karl McLarty)When Trinidadian referee Neil Brizan whistles the start of play between Jamaica and Costa Rica at the National Stadium at 6:00 pm today, spectators are again expected to be filled with nostalgia, as they hope to rekindle past glory.
The friendly international between the Reggae Boyz and The Ticos, the third since Captain Horace Burrell regained control of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) last November, will signal the return of Brazilian Rene Simoes as technical director of the football programme.
The little mustachioed Brazilian last guided a Reggae Boyz senior outfit at the 'Office' in a 2-2 draw with the United States on September 8, 1999.
It will also signal this administration's official launch of the 2010 'Back to Africa' FIFA World Cup campaign, which will see the Boyz kicking off their qualifiers against either the British Virgin Islands or The Bahamas on June 14.
But for today, all eyes will be on Simoes and his Boyz, even as the nation celebrates the birth of the late great reggae icon, Bob Marley.
There will be some similarities to Simoes' first game in charge in November 1994 (a 0-3 loss to the US). Then, he took charge of a team ranked 92nd on the FIFA list. This time the team is ranked 98th, and fans are already expecting the same levels of success, including World Cup Finals qualification.
Randal Azofeifa (left) and Cristian Montero of Costa Rica challenge for possession of the ball during a training session at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)Simoes guided the team to a low of 96th at the end of December 1994, before riding a crest to an all-time high of 27th in July 1998. At the end of 1996 when the team was ranked 32nd, the little nation, renowned for its track and field exploits, was awarded FIFA's 'Best Mover' of the year.
Thirteen overseas-based players have been included in today's squad, which will be reduced to 18, including Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner, who will captain the team, Ian 'Pepe' Goodison and Donovan 'Tall P' Ricketts, who were members of Simoes' history-making squad which qualified for the France 1998 FIFA World Cup Finals.
The core group of foreign-based players arrived in the island on Sunday night and held two training sessions at the National Stadium - Monday night and last night.
In what was the team's only intense session on Monday, Simoes employed a 4-4-2 formation, a change from his preferred 5-3-2 formation which he used successfully in the 1998 campaign, with Ricketts in goal, guarded by Goodison and Damion Stewart in central defence, with Gardner at left back and Tyrone Marshall at right back.
Jason Morrison and Rudolph Austin manned central midfield in a square position, with Demar Phillips on the left and Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the right. The inform pair of Ricardo Fuller and Marlon King were entrusted with getting goals as the strikers.
On Monday, 11 local-based players were selected, but only five are expected to suit up today.
"The sessions have been good, I think the players try hard and they are very knowledgeable about football," Simoes told the Observer at the end of last night's session, which was comprised of mainly tactical drills.
"It is a matter of how you see the game. As Brazilians we like ball possession, with good movement and beautiful passes and they are getting there," he added.
At the time the coach said he had not yet finalised the 18-man squad, but he confirmed that he would be utilising the 4-4-2 formation.
"We play the 4-4-2 formation. The majority of the players are playing this style (at their clubs) and I think there is no sense in changing the way they play. It is not what I like, but what the players can play well. but sometimes we can change to a diamond midfield or a square midfield, so we have options."
And looking at his return after more than eight years, he said he was pleased to be back at the 'Office'.
"It is good, wonderful to return, but I am not looking for the past, it is a new job, new players, everything is new. What I did is there, now I have to work hard to be competent. There is only one place where the past is important and that is the museum."
The Ticos, meanwhile, led by former all star player now coach, Hernan Medford, arrived in the island on Monday night and held a training session at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex yesterday afternoon.
According to Medford, the Central Americans are here with a very strong team and while the result is important, he argued that the team's performance held more priority.
"We have our players from Europe and we want to see how they play," he said of the team which only last week ended 1-1 with Iran in Tehran.
"Every time a win is important, but for me the most important thing is that the team is learning. we have a little bit of everything, we have strong players, the most important thing is what we can do in the game, if we win or lose that is secondary," he added.
However, the coach was unimpressed with the training facility at Tivoli Gardens. "Training was not so good," he complained. "The big problem in Jamaica is the fields... and if you don't have a good field it is difficult to have a good game. The field is bad for Costa Rica and for Jamaica. when the field is not good you can't expect a good game."
Costa Rica were forced to train at that facility because the National Stadium was being used for the Eastern Athletics Championships.
Meanwhile, the JFF wishes to advise members of the public that tickets for the game will not be sold at the National Stadium today.
Tickets may be purchased at the following locations on the day of the game:
York Pharmacy, New Kingston Golf Academy, Rory's Service Station and Petcom Portmore.
The Federation has also advised that no offensive weapons will be allowed inside the stadium; no umbrellas with sharp tips are allowed; no pyrotechnics/fireworks etc; no igloos; no throwing of objects; no seating in the isles.
The JFF has also asked that all patrons should be seated in accordance with their ticket assignment.
Also, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be providing additional transportation for spectators returning from the Reggae Boyz match. The buses will offer express service at a cost of $80.
There will be three number 21 buses, three number 3A, 12A, 16A/20A buses, two number 83 and one number 83.99 bus.
Jamaica's Starting 11 - Gardner (captain), Ricketts, Goodison, Stewart, Marshall, Austin, Morrison, Phillips, Campbell-Ryce, Fuller and King.