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San Pedro Sula, Honduras - The margin for error has suddenly become nil.
That's the situation Jamaica's senior footballers face when they oppose a buoyant Honduras here at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano at 7:30 pm (8:30 pm Jamaica time) today in their Group B CONCACAF Semi-Final round 2010 South Africa World Cup Qualifying Series.
Dubbed the 'Group of Death', from which two teams will advance to the final round of six, for all intents and purposes, unfavourable results today for any of the bottom two teams, Canada and Jamaica, could signal the end of the campaign, though not necessarily mathematically.
Mexico lead the four-team group with maximum six points ahead of Honduras on three, with Canada and Jamaica on one point each.
Mexico host Canada at the Tuxtla Gutierrez today, seeking their third straight win at home, having carved out a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Honduras on August 20, and a comprehensive 3-0 hammering of Jamaica last Saturday.
Canada are probably in the worst position, having garnered just a solitary point from their two home games, being held 1-1 by Jamaica in Toronto on August 20, then surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 to Honduras in Montreal last Saturday.
After today's game, Jamaica will head home for three games on the trot but for technical director Rene Simoes, the task is simple. Don't lose the game!
"We cannot lose the game, that is the first thing to put into our minds," Simoes told the Observer.
"If they (Honduras) win, they have two more home games and they can get to 12 points, which would be out of our hands," he added. And that would result in Jamaica being only able to garner a maximum 10 points, providing they win their remaining three home matches.
In eight meetings between the two countries in World Cup Qualifying, Honduras hold the advantage with four wins, two losses and two draws, and in the four games played in the Central American country, Honduras have won three times and drawn once.
ccording to Observer research, Jamaica have lost 0-1 on their last two trips to Honduras in Tegucigalpa on September 5, 2001 and October 8, 2000.
But the last time the Boyz visited San Perdo Sula at a game played at the Estadio Francisco Morazan, the game ended goalless. The Boyz also lost 1-3 on December 5, 1968 in Honduras.
On the other hand, Jamaica have won twice, lost once and drawn once in fixtures at the National Stadium. The victories were 3-1 and 3-0 on July 23, 2000 and September 15, 1996, respectively. They drew 1-1 on April 25, 2001 and lost 0-2 on December 8, 1968.
Still smarting from last Saturday's loss to Mexico, Jamaica's captain Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner concurred with Simoes on the way forward. "This is a very important game that we cannot afford to lose. We will give 110 per cent on the pitch, even the players coming off the bench, in order to get a positive result. We will enter this game with a positive attitude," the Bolton Wanderers veteran player promised.
He will have to deliver if he hopes to lead the Boyz into a second World Cup Finals appearance in South Africa in two years' time, and with a chartered flight filled with supporters arriving yesterday from the Cayman Islands, there could be that sprinkling of support to spur the Boyz to the much needed result in what is expected to be a capacity crowd at the stadium.
One fan who will be throwing his support behind the Reggae Boyz is the president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, Jeff Webb.
"This is a big, big game and I had to be here to support the Boyz," he told the Observer yesterday, as he prepared to welcome about three bus loads of supporters who had landed outside of San Pedro Sula on the direct charter flight from the Caribbean.
The sprinkling of support aside, Simoes accepted responsibility for an ill-advised programme which led to last Saturday's debacle.
"I am to be blamed!" he screamed. "I did the programme, and unfortunately it didn't work. We came here (Mexico) very late. I am tired, so imagine the players if I am tired," added Simoes, whose team was also hassled by a hoard of eager journalists immediately upon exit of customs on arrival at the Mexico City airport on Friday evening.
Now the little Brazilian has promised that the team would rebound today.
"The performance of some of the players today (Saturday) was awful, but against Honduras it will be different. I told the players to be cool, and let's learn from our mistakes and correct them against Honduras.
"We need to do some adjustments, overall," he added, refusing to elucidate, for fear of showing his hands too early.
And having scouted the Hondurans against Canada, he is expecting the home side to employ a 4-4-2 formation with the four midfielders utilising a diamond shape.
As a consequence, Simoes held a closed-door training session at the Estadio Francisco Morazan on Monday night, where he placed emphasis on the team's defensive structure.
With left back Gardner and central defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison rested because of injury, Simoes utilised Obrian Woodbine at left back, Tyrone Marshall at right back and Jermaine Taylor and Shavar Thomas in central defence.
The initial drill was to maintain the structure of the team against a handful of attacking players, before he introduced Evan Taylor and Keneil Moodie (in the absence of Rudolph Austin) to lend support as defensive midfielders. The other players trained separately.
The technical boss would not divulge his starting team, but one thing is certain, left-sided midfielder Demar Phillips is suspended, having picked up his second yellow card warning on Saturday. He was booked in the 23rd minute in the first game against The Bahamas for pulling his shirt over his face after scoring, followed by a 39th minute booking against the Mexicans.
Another training session was scheduled for the game venue at game time last night, where Gardner, along with Goodison, who suffered a crunching, studded tackle on his inner right thigh and leg by Mexican skipper Rafael Marquez, and Austin were expected to participate.
ustin was being rested after suffering from muscle fatigue in his lower limbs, but they are all expected to take their place in the starting line-up for the 105th ranked Reggae Boyz, alongside the outstanding Donovan Ricketts in goal, Jermaine Taylor, Evan Taylor, Marshall, Wolry Wolfe, Andy Williams, Ricardo Fuller and Deon Burton or Luton Shelton.
Meanwhile, the Hondurans - who ranked 45 places above the Jamaicans - arrived in their homeland on Monday night, after staying overnight in Miami on their way from the Montreal game.
The man responsible for their win was Ramon Nunez, who hit both goals. He replaced the wily Julio Cesar de Leon, who was axed by coach Reinaldo Rueda, after the Parma player criticised him.
Outside of David Suazo, possibly the best striker in the region, and Nunez, Honduras also boast quality players such as captain Amado Guavera, a teammate of Marshall at Toronto FC in Major League Soccer; Wilson Palacious and Maynor Figueroa of England's Wigan Athletic and Edgard Alvarez of Pisa in Italy.
That's the situation Jamaica's senior footballers face when they oppose a buoyant Honduras here at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano at 7:30 pm (8:30 pm Jamaica time) today in their Group B CONCACAF Semi-Final round 2010 South Africa World Cup Qualifying Series.
Dubbed the 'Group of Death', from which two teams will advance to the final round of six, for all intents and purposes, unfavourable results today for any of the bottom two teams, Canada and Jamaica, could signal the end of the campaign, though not necessarily mathematically.
Mexico lead the four-team group with maximum six points ahead of Honduras on three, with Canada and Jamaica on one point each.
Mexico host Canada at the Tuxtla Gutierrez today, seeking their third straight win at home, having carved out a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Honduras on August 20, and a comprehensive 3-0 hammering of Jamaica last Saturday.
Canada are probably in the worst position, having garnered just a solitary point from their two home games, being held 1-1 by Jamaica in Toronto on August 20, then surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 to Honduras in Montreal last Saturday.
After today's game, Jamaica will head home for three games on the trot but for technical director Rene Simoes, the task is simple. Don't lose the game!
"We cannot lose the game, that is the first thing to put into our minds," Simoes told the Observer.
"If they (Honduras) win, they have two more home games and they can get to 12 points, which would be out of our hands," he added. And that would result in Jamaica being only able to garner a maximum 10 points, providing they win their remaining three home matches.
In eight meetings between the two countries in World Cup Qualifying, Honduras hold the advantage with four wins, two losses and two draws, and in the four games played in the Central American country, Honduras have won three times and drawn once.
ccording to Observer research, Jamaica have lost 0-1 on their last two trips to Honduras in Tegucigalpa on September 5, 2001 and October 8, 2000.
But the last time the Boyz visited San Perdo Sula at a game played at the Estadio Francisco Morazan, the game ended goalless. The Boyz also lost 1-3 on December 5, 1968 in Honduras.
On the other hand, Jamaica have won twice, lost once and drawn once in fixtures at the National Stadium. The victories were 3-1 and 3-0 on July 23, 2000 and September 15, 1996, respectively. They drew 1-1 on April 25, 2001 and lost 0-2 on December 8, 1968.
Still smarting from last Saturday's loss to Mexico, Jamaica's captain Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner concurred with Simoes on the way forward. "This is a very important game that we cannot afford to lose. We will give 110 per cent on the pitch, even the players coming off the bench, in order to get a positive result. We will enter this game with a positive attitude," the Bolton Wanderers veteran player promised.
He will have to deliver if he hopes to lead the Boyz into a second World Cup Finals appearance in South Africa in two years' time, and with a chartered flight filled with supporters arriving yesterday from the Cayman Islands, there could be that sprinkling of support to spur the Boyz to the much needed result in what is expected to be a capacity crowd at the stadium.
One fan who will be throwing his support behind the Reggae Boyz is the president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, Jeff Webb.
"This is a big, big game and I had to be here to support the Boyz," he told the Observer yesterday, as he prepared to welcome about three bus loads of supporters who had landed outside of San Pedro Sula on the direct charter flight from the Caribbean.
The sprinkling of support aside, Simoes accepted responsibility for an ill-advised programme which led to last Saturday's debacle.
"I am to be blamed!" he screamed. "I did the programme, and unfortunately it didn't work. We came here (Mexico) very late. I am tired, so imagine the players if I am tired," added Simoes, whose team was also hassled by a hoard of eager journalists immediately upon exit of customs on arrival at the Mexico City airport on Friday evening.
Now the little Brazilian has promised that the team would rebound today.
"The performance of some of the players today (Saturday) was awful, but against Honduras it will be different. I told the players to be cool, and let's learn from our mistakes and correct them against Honduras.
"We need to do some adjustments, overall," he added, refusing to elucidate, for fear of showing his hands too early.
And having scouted the Hondurans against Canada, he is expecting the home side to employ a 4-4-2 formation with the four midfielders utilising a diamond shape.
As a consequence, Simoes held a closed-door training session at the Estadio Francisco Morazan on Monday night, where he placed emphasis on the team's defensive structure.
With left back Gardner and central defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison rested because of injury, Simoes utilised Obrian Woodbine at left back, Tyrone Marshall at right back and Jermaine Taylor and Shavar Thomas in central defence.
The initial drill was to maintain the structure of the team against a handful of attacking players, before he introduced Evan Taylor and Keneil Moodie (in the absence of Rudolph Austin) to lend support as defensive midfielders. The other players trained separately.
The technical boss would not divulge his starting team, but one thing is certain, left-sided midfielder Demar Phillips is suspended, having picked up his second yellow card warning on Saturday. He was booked in the 23rd minute in the first game against The Bahamas for pulling his shirt over his face after scoring, followed by a 39th minute booking against the Mexicans.
Another training session was scheduled for the game venue at game time last night, where Gardner, along with Goodison, who suffered a crunching, studded tackle on his inner right thigh and leg by Mexican skipper Rafael Marquez, and Austin were expected to participate.
ustin was being rested after suffering from muscle fatigue in his lower limbs, but they are all expected to take their place in the starting line-up for the 105th ranked Reggae Boyz, alongside the outstanding Donovan Ricketts in goal, Jermaine Taylor, Evan Taylor, Marshall, Wolry Wolfe, Andy Williams, Ricardo Fuller and Deon Burton or Luton Shelton.
Meanwhile, the Hondurans - who ranked 45 places above the Jamaicans - arrived in their homeland on Monday night, after staying overnight in Miami on their way from the Montreal game.
The man responsible for their win was Ramon Nunez, who hit both goals. He replaced the wily Julio Cesar de Leon, who was axed by coach Reinaldo Rueda, after the Parma player criticised him.
Outside of David Suazo, possibly the best striker in the region, and Nunez, Honduras also boast quality players such as captain Amado Guavera, a teammate of Marshall at Toronto FC in Major League Soccer; Wilson Palacious and Maynor Figueroa of England's Wigan Athletic and Edgard Alvarez of Pisa in Italy.