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Simoes lauds Jamaica's 'discipline'
published: Friday | August 22, 2008
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
Canada's midfielder Julian de Guzman (right) gets by Jamaica's Ricardo Gardner during the first FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Toronto on Wednesday night. The [game ended 1-1. - AP
TORONTO, Canada:
AFTER HOLDING Canada to an admirable 1-1 draw at the BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, on Wednesday night, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) technical director René Simoes praised his players for their tactical discipline.
"It was good," said Simoes after the game. "That was the strategy, hold them, make them frustrated, don't make any space for number six and number 14 and in the end of the game put in three strikers. We wanted to win the game."
Luton Shelton and Omar Cummings were added late in the second half to add firepower to that provided by Deon Burton, who started as the only forward.
He harassed the Canada defence and helped the Jamaican team to hold the home team, which assembled a strong squad with 13 European-based players, to a 0-0 first-half finish.
Quick-fire response
Julian de Guzman, who represents Spain's Primera Liga team Deportivo de la Coruna, fired the Canadians into the lead at the 47th minute, but Andy Williams made a quick-fire response by scoring directly from a corner kick to level the scores.
"Andy is a terrific freekicker and on the corner. That is not the first one he has scored," Simoes said. "We had some luck, but you need luck because if you don't have any, when you cross the street, a car will come and hit you. It was not surprising that he scored."
Canada's goalkeeper, Pat Onstad, made a faulty play on the goal, advancing too far in reaction to Burton attacking the near post, but the ball curled beyond his grasp, hitting his outstretched hand on its way into goal.
Jamaica suffocated Canada's attacking style and played a possession game most times in the first half. The Reggae Boyz also crowded the midfield and disrupted Canada's passing flow, a plan which Simoes says worked perfectly.
"I analysed Canada and they don't press you at home. So, we held the ball at the back. If they don't come at us we will keep it for the entire 90 minutes and the game ends 0-0, no problem."
When asked about the upcoming match against Mexico, Simoes said: "I'll not say anything about the game. I don't want to give any ammunition to the Mexico team ... I think that Mexico will face some problems."
Jamaica play Mexico at the National Stadium in their second Group Two CONCACAF semi-final round qualifier, on September 6. Dale Mitchell, coach of Canada, who played a strong second half and made some excellent chances that were thwarted by Jamaica's custodian, Donovan Ricketts, said the result was all part of the game.
Played to a plan
"That's World Cup qualifying," Mitchell said. "You can see that it's going to be different to the practice games that we played.
"Teams go on the road to get a result and that's what Jamaica did. They played to a plan. We tried to play and there was nowhere to go through. The goal against us was unfortunate. There were chances for us to win the game, but it didn't happen."
Continuing, Mitchell said he was comfortable with their display.
"I think if we play five more games like that we'll have a good chance of qualifying. We've a point from the game and we'll take that and move on."
Canada's game included a lot of crosses from the flanks and they were obviously planned, but Mitchell said the Jamaican 'keeper was better than he thought, even though Guzman hit a shot against the crossbar four minutes from time. "I said before there are four tough teams in the group. The result tonight showed that none of the teams will be easy to win against. There were some chances but we didn't put them past Ricketts."
published: Friday | August 22, 2008
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
Canada's midfielder Julian de Guzman (right) gets by Jamaica's Ricardo Gardner during the first FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Toronto on Wednesday night. The [game ended 1-1. - AP
TORONTO, Canada:
AFTER HOLDING Canada to an admirable 1-1 draw at the BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, on Wednesday night, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) technical director René Simoes praised his players for their tactical discipline.
"It was good," said Simoes after the game. "That was the strategy, hold them, make them frustrated, don't make any space for number six and number 14 and in the end of the game put in three strikers. We wanted to win the game."
Luton Shelton and Omar Cummings were added late in the second half to add firepower to that provided by Deon Burton, who started as the only forward.
He harassed the Canada defence and helped the Jamaican team to hold the home team, which assembled a strong squad with 13 European-based players, to a 0-0 first-half finish.
Quick-fire response
Julian de Guzman, who represents Spain's Primera Liga team Deportivo de la Coruna, fired the Canadians into the lead at the 47th minute, but Andy Williams made a quick-fire response by scoring directly from a corner kick to level the scores.
"Andy is a terrific freekicker and on the corner. That is not the first one he has scored," Simoes said. "We had some luck, but you need luck because if you don't have any, when you cross the street, a car will come and hit you. It was not surprising that he scored."
Canada's goalkeeper, Pat Onstad, made a faulty play on the goal, advancing too far in reaction to Burton attacking the near post, but the ball curled beyond his grasp, hitting his outstretched hand on its way into goal.
Jamaica suffocated Canada's attacking style and played a possession game most times in the first half. The Reggae Boyz also crowded the midfield and disrupted Canada's passing flow, a plan which Simoes says worked perfectly.
"I analysed Canada and they don't press you at home. So, we held the ball at the back. If they don't come at us we will keep it for the entire 90 minutes and the game ends 0-0, no problem."
When asked about the upcoming match against Mexico, Simoes said: "I'll not say anything about the game. I don't want to give any ammunition to the Mexico team ... I think that Mexico will face some problems."
Jamaica play Mexico at the National Stadium in their second Group Two CONCACAF semi-final round qualifier, on September 6. Dale Mitchell, coach of Canada, who played a strong second half and made some excellent chances that were thwarted by Jamaica's custodian, Donovan Ricketts, said the result was all part of the game.
Played to a plan
"That's World Cup qualifying," Mitchell said. "You can see that it's going to be different to the practice games that we played.
"Teams go on the road to get a result and that's what Jamaica did. They played to a plan. We tried to play and there was nowhere to go through. The goal against us was unfortunate. There were chances for us to win the game, but it didn't happen."
Continuing, Mitchell said he was comfortable with their display.
"I think if we play five more games like that we'll have a good chance of qualifying. We've a point from the game and we'll take that and move on."
Canada's game included a lot of crosses from the flanks and they were obviously planned, but Mitchell said the Jamaican 'keeper was better than he thought, even though Guzman hit a shot against the crossbar four minutes from time. "I said before there are four tough teams in the group. The result tonight showed that none of the teams will be easy to win against. There were some chances but we didn't put them past Ricketts."
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