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LIKE A cornered tiger, Jamaica's Reggae Boyz must draw upon all their fighting skills in tonight's CONCACAF Group Two semi-final round clash against Honduras to be certain of survival.
Today's battle, at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. (8:30 Ja time) and René Simoes, the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) technical director, said his charges were facing a 'crisis', noting that they have to be gutsy because "more than tactics and formation, it is the fight that you put in" that will decide the outcome. The 105th-ranked Boyz will be inspired by the availability of their toughest warrior, central defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who suffered a terrible injury after Mexican captain Rafael Marquez planted his studs into his right thigh and lower leg on Saturday.
Goodison was stretchered off the pitch, returned and had to be taken off for more treatment twice as he completed that match. He has undergone intense physiotherapy to make this match.
In the meantime, midfielder Demar Phillips has been ruled out for accumulating yellow cards against second-round opponents The Bahamas and then Mexico. Wolry Wolfe, who has been displaying better form in this semi-final series, will take his spot in the starting 11.
Quite simply, the Boyz don't have much room for error as after two rounds of matches in the six-game series, Mexico have taken a clear lead with the maximum six points. They are followed by Honduras on three, while Canada and Jamaica share a point apiece from their 1-1 draw on August 20 in Toronto.
With the top-two teams qualifying, what has affected the Jamaicans more is not so much the 3-0 loss in their second outing at the Azteca in Mexico City, but a surprise come-from-behind 2-1 away win by Honduras over Canada in Monterrey. It has given the Central Americans the advantage over Jamaica with three-quarters of their four matches at home. But the situation is not irreconcilable.
"It's crucial. We cannot lose the game," said Simoes. "If Honduras reach six points, they have two other games at home and they can reach 12 points. It would be out of our control," he said.
Ricardo Gardner, the team's captain who often pumps up the vibes among his team with his deejay talents, sang the same tune.
"This is a very important one. This one will decide a lot," he told The Gleaner after training.
Pointing to their second-round, three-match schedule at 'The Office', Gardner added: "We'll still have the home advantage but we don't want to leave it up to those games.
"We can't afford to lose, it's do-or-die come Wednesday," he said.
Maximum attainable tally
Should the Reggae Boyz survive with a draw against Honduras, then win all their remaining matches, they will accumulate 11 points. That would also be the maximum attainable tally for Honduras, should they win all their matches. Then, Jamaica would be certain to advance by virtue of having won the battle between the two, regardless of whether Mexico clean up Canada to make 12 points or falter in one match and not qualify. It's purely speculative.
The countries have faced off in eight World Cup qualifiers, dating back to 1968 when Honduras swept the home-and-away tie 2-0 in Kingston and 3-1 away. History is not on Jamaica's side as they have never won in Honduras, who won 1-0 in 2000 and 2001 qualifying. The other encounter ended 0-0 when Jamaica eliminated that nation on their way to the historic France '98 finals.
In the remaining battles, all in Kingston, Jamaica beat Honduras 3-0 in 1996 and 3-1 in 2000, then drew 1-1 in April 2001.
However instructive, the Boyz must leave it all on the pitch as records will count for nothing.
Specifically, they must play unlike Saturday when more than half the team went missing in action in a performance that would best be forgotten.
"We didn't play," said Simoes. "It was a shame. Even when we lost 6-0 against Mexico, we played," he recalled of the 1997 debacle at the Azteca.
Splendid goals
"Even when you look at the first half, the first time we kicked the ball it was when Ricardo Fuller kicked a shot after 43 minutes. There was nothing."
Starting forwards Deon Burton and Ricardo Fuller, who has scored some splendid goals for his English Premiership club, as well as sub Luton Shelton, who has a healthy national scoring record, and midfielders Andy Williams, the steady Rudolph Austin and Wolfe are expected to lead the goal-hunt.
The defence is packed with the experience of Goodison, Gardner, Tyrone Marshall and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, as well as the somewhat seasoned Jermaine Taylor.
Simoes called Honduras, who returned from Canada on Monday, "a really strong team" and says their format, which includes two strikers and a diamond-shaped midfield, could influence "some adjustments".
Importantly, their strikers combined to sink Canada with Ramon Nunez scoring twice off assists from Benfica's David Suazo, who is also quite dangerous in tandem with Amada Guevara, the midfield general from Toronto FC, who runs their team.
The Wigan Athletic duo of Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa, along with Edgard Alvarez (Pisa, Italy), are some of their top players. Luckily for Jamaica, their best player, Julio Cesar 'Rambo' de Leon, is not representing his country.
After being dropped from the squad for hitting out publicly against the national federation and its coach, Reinaldo Rueda said he is more interested in his club than the national team.
Tough battle
Rueda, in the meantime, says he expects a tough battle and "each game has a different historical significance", but hopes the result will be for Honduras, who are ranked 60th by FIFA.
Their top strikers are also hopeful.
"We hope to dance points and not reggae," said Suazo.
Nunez , in an interview with Honduran daily sports tabloid Golaza, said yesterday: "It appears to me that it is the most important game since winning it should allow us to make a big step towards the qualifying phase."
Preventing that advance by not losing is the only clear guarantee the Reggae Boyz have of ensuring survival.
Today's battle, at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. (8:30 Ja time) and René Simoes, the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) technical director, said his charges were facing a 'crisis', noting that they have to be gutsy because "more than tactics and formation, it is the fight that you put in" that will decide the outcome. The 105th-ranked Boyz will be inspired by the availability of their toughest warrior, central defender Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who suffered a terrible injury after Mexican captain Rafael Marquez planted his studs into his right thigh and lower leg on Saturday.
Goodison was stretchered off the pitch, returned and had to be taken off for more treatment twice as he completed that match. He has undergone intense physiotherapy to make this match.
In the meantime, midfielder Demar Phillips has been ruled out for accumulating yellow cards against second-round opponents The Bahamas and then Mexico. Wolry Wolfe, who has been displaying better form in this semi-final series, will take his spot in the starting 11.
Quite simply, the Boyz don't have much room for error as after two rounds of matches in the six-game series, Mexico have taken a clear lead with the maximum six points. They are followed by Honduras on three, while Canada and Jamaica share a point apiece from their 1-1 draw on August 20 in Toronto.
With the top-two teams qualifying, what has affected the Jamaicans more is not so much the 3-0 loss in their second outing at the Azteca in Mexico City, but a surprise come-from-behind 2-1 away win by Honduras over Canada in Monterrey. It has given the Central Americans the advantage over Jamaica with three-quarters of their four matches at home. But the situation is not irreconcilable.
"It's crucial. We cannot lose the game," said Simoes. "If Honduras reach six points, they have two other games at home and they can reach 12 points. It would be out of our control," he said.
Ricardo Gardner, the team's captain who often pumps up the vibes among his team with his deejay talents, sang the same tune.
"This is a very important one. This one will decide a lot," he told The Gleaner after training.
Pointing to their second-round, three-match schedule at 'The Office', Gardner added: "We'll still have the home advantage but we don't want to leave it up to those games.
"We can't afford to lose, it's do-or-die come Wednesday," he said.
Maximum attainable tally
Should the Reggae Boyz survive with a draw against Honduras, then win all their remaining matches, they will accumulate 11 points. That would also be the maximum attainable tally for Honduras, should they win all their matches. Then, Jamaica would be certain to advance by virtue of having won the battle between the two, regardless of whether Mexico clean up Canada to make 12 points or falter in one match and not qualify. It's purely speculative.
The countries have faced off in eight World Cup qualifiers, dating back to 1968 when Honduras swept the home-and-away tie 2-0 in Kingston and 3-1 away. History is not on Jamaica's side as they have never won in Honduras, who won 1-0 in 2000 and 2001 qualifying. The other encounter ended 0-0 when Jamaica eliminated that nation on their way to the historic France '98 finals.
In the remaining battles, all in Kingston, Jamaica beat Honduras 3-0 in 1996 and 3-1 in 2000, then drew 1-1 in April 2001.
However instructive, the Boyz must leave it all on the pitch as records will count for nothing.
Specifically, they must play unlike Saturday when more than half the team went missing in action in a performance that would best be forgotten.
"We didn't play," said Simoes. "It was a shame. Even when we lost 6-0 against Mexico, we played," he recalled of the 1997 debacle at the Azteca.
Splendid goals
"Even when you look at the first half, the first time we kicked the ball it was when Ricardo Fuller kicked a shot after 43 minutes. There was nothing."
Starting forwards Deon Burton and Ricardo Fuller, who has scored some splendid goals for his English Premiership club, as well as sub Luton Shelton, who has a healthy national scoring record, and midfielders Andy Williams, the steady Rudolph Austin and Wolfe are expected to lead the goal-hunt.
The defence is packed with the experience of Goodison, Gardner, Tyrone Marshall and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, as well as the somewhat seasoned Jermaine Taylor.
Simoes called Honduras, who returned from Canada on Monday, "a really strong team" and says their format, which includes two strikers and a diamond-shaped midfield, could influence "some adjustments".
Importantly, their strikers combined to sink Canada with Ramon Nunez scoring twice off assists from Benfica's David Suazo, who is also quite dangerous in tandem with Amada Guevara, the midfield general from Toronto FC, who runs their team.
The Wigan Athletic duo of Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa, along with Edgard Alvarez (Pisa, Italy), are some of their top players. Luckily for Jamaica, their best player, Julio Cesar 'Rambo' de Leon, is not representing his country.
After being dropped from the squad for hitting out publicly against the national federation and its coach, Reinaldo Rueda said he is more interested in his club than the national team.
Tough battle
Rueda, in the meantime, says he expects a tough battle and "each game has a different historical significance", but hopes the result will be for Honduras, who are ranked 60th by FIFA.
Their top strikers are also hopeful.
"We hope to dance points and not reggae," said Suazo.
Nunez , in an interview with Honduran daily sports tabloid Golaza, said yesterday: "It appears to me that it is the most important game since winning it should allow us to make a big step towards the qualifying phase."
Preventing that advance by not losing is the only clear guarantee the Reggae Boyz have of ensuring survival.
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