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published: Saturday | September 13, 2008
Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor Sports
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras:
WISHING on a hope and a prayer. That's the position the Reggae Boyz have found themselves in, following a 0-2 loss to Honduras in their Group Two CONCACAF semi-final round World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Wednesday night.
When asked what message he had for Jamaicans as the defeat made the team's qualification chances very faint, prior to being fired, René Simoes, the former Jamaica Football Federation technical director, said the country should remain hopeful.
"Work hard, don't lose faith, don't lose hope," he said. "The chance is there, you've to fight for the chance and make the impossible become reality. This is what you have to believe," he added.
Hero in Honduras
Allowed too much time, Ramon Nunes, a two-goal hero in Honduras' important away win over Canada in Montreal last week Saturday, made the turning point in the match when he broke the deadlock and Jamaica's resilience by scoring a goal at the 59th minute, after taking a pass off Carlos Costly and beating a defender to open a clear view on goal.
Then, at the 71st minute their captain, Amada Guevara, made a sagging blow to Jamaican hopes when he scored a penalty kick, after David Suazo was brought down by goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
Luckless Jamaica almost scored a minute after conceding both goals, but Ricardo Gardner's swerving kick hit the crossbar and rebounded outside the goal line; and substitute Ricardo Fuller hit a low shot against Honduras' goalie, Noel Valladares. Both assists were provided by Jermaine Hue, another second half sub.
Fuller almost scored again with three minutes on the clock, but after wrapping his boot around a defender to direct Luton Shelton's left-footed square on goal, Valladares scrambled across in time and anticipated well to use his body and deflect the ball.
The loss, the second on its scoreless two-match Central American trip after falling 0-3 to Mexico on Saturday, was a huge setback for the Boyz in the qualifying series.
After three matches they are bottom of the table with one point and a one-for, six-against goal record.
Canada also have a point, after giving up a one-goal lead to lose 1-2 to Mexico at The Azteca, while Honduras distanced itself in second on six points, three adrift of Mexico which have won all their matches.
Only two will qualify for the six-nation CONCACAF Finals and Jamaica must now win all its three remaining games - all at home - to maximise their chances of moving onto the next phase.
Mexico and Canada will visit Honduras for two of their three matches.
Simoes said: "Play at home and do your best, try to get 10 points."
Jamaica will begin that return phase on October 11, when they host Mexico at The Office.
Intent on not losing to Honduras, Jamaica made four changes to the team that started the Mexico match to complement a new format, that packed its midfield with six players, a three-man central defensive unit with Shavar Thomas as sweeper and Shelton playing as a lone striker.
Left attacking midfielder Wolry Wolfe and right flank midfielder O'brian Woodbine were the other changes that, apart from boosting numbers in the middle of the ballpark, freed up strong-kicking Rudolph Austin for a more attacking role.
He went forward and got off a shot from open play on one occasion, driving a low kick just wide of the upright from between 25 and 30 yards.
Kicking from that range was a bit too frequent in the first half by the Reggae Boyz, with no less than five attempts - which lessened the possibility of creating better options to score - as frontal support was always available.
In fact, the only dangerous attempt was one made by Wolfe at the 41st minute, after he took a pass off Austin and turned beautifully between two Hondurans, before hitting a high shot just wide of the far post.
Honduras, backed by a vociferous mass cheering wildly, as it almost filled the 45,000-seater stadium more than two hours before kick-off, were contrasting in offence with short, penetrative passes to the feet, mostly in the centre and through the spaces on the flanks, which was a feature of their play.
As no one started in the flank defensive positions and the coordination was lacking on many occasions, Jamaica were often caught out in those areas and Honduras utilised the channel to feed crosses that posed some amount of danger, with their players, led by top quality David Suazo, challenging.
Sometimes too, they never went the aerial route but the efforts to set up a shot were thwarted, or when they did manage to kick the ball, was blocked and the Boyz who were able to keep them scoreless in the first half.
Lack of quality
Jermaine Taylor, one of the central defensive starting trio, got a gash under his eye that only led to exposing the squad's lack of quality players with experience for big occasions, after he was prevented from playing any part in the second half.
It forced another rearrangement of the already rearranged team, with JeVaughn Watson, inexperienced at this big level, getting his second cap as he came in and played an attacking role wide right. Tyrone Marshall, who had been stabilising the midfield at the central position, was dropped back to centre half and Austin was brought back to the centre.
The equilibrium was never the same and though they held out for almost another quarter hour, the Honduran ascendancy was gaining in shape and rhythm as they danced about while making entry passes to the top of Jamaica's goal area at will, until the goals came.
To their credit, Jamaica fought back gallantly while making a strong response. As none of their chances went in, they were left to wonder what could have been, as they hope for a change in fortune when the qualifiers swing into home territory.
Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor Sports
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras:
WISHING on a hope and a prayer. That's the position the Reggae Boyz have found themselves in, following a 0-2 loss to Honduras in their Group Two CONCACAF semi-final round World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Wednesday night.
When asked what message he had for Jamaicans as the defeat made the team's qualification chances very faint, prior to being fired, René Simoes, the former Jamaica Football Federation technical director, said the country should remain hopeful.
"Work hard, don't lose faith, don't lose hope," he said. "The chance is there, you've to fight for the chance and make the impossible become reality. This is what you have to believe," he added.
Hero in Honduras
Allowed too much time, Ramon Nunes, a two-goal hero in Honduras' important away win over Canada in Montreal last week Saturday, made the turning point in the match when he broke the deadlock and Jamaica's resilience by scoring a goal at the 59th minute, after taking a pass off Carlos Costly and beating a defender to open a clear view on goal.
Then, at the 71st minute their captain, Amada Guevara, made a sagging blow to Jamaican hopes when he scored a penalty kick, after David Suazo was brought down by goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.
Luckless Jamaica almost scored a minute after conceding both goals, but Ricardo Gardner's swerving kick hit the crossbar and rebounded outside the goal line; and substitute Ricardo Fuller hit a low shot against Honduras' goalie, Noel Valladares. Both assists were provided by Jermaine Hue, another second half sub.
Fuller almost scored again with three minutes on the clock, but after wrapping his boot around a defender to direct Luton Shelton's left-footed square on goal, Valladares scrambled across in time and anticipated well to use his body and deflect the ball.
The loss, the second on its scoreless two-match Central American trip after falling 0-3 to Mexico on Saturday, was a huge setback for the Boyz in the qualifying series.
After three matches they are bottom of the table with one point and a one-for, six-against goal record.
Canada also have a point, after giving up a one-goal lead to lose 1-2 to Mexico at The Azteca, while Honduras distanced itself in second on six points, three adrift of Mexico which have won all their matches.
Only two will qualify for the six-nation CONCACAF Finals and Jamaica must now win all its three remaining games - all at home - to maximise their chances of moving onto the next phase.
Mexico and Canada will visit Honduras for two of their three matches.
Simoes said: "Play at home and do your best, try to get 10 points."
Jamaica will begin that return phase on October 11, when they host Mexico at The Office.
Intent on not losing to Honduras, Jamaica made four changes to the team that started the Mexico match to complement a new format, that packed its midfield with six players, a three-man central defensive unit with Shavar Thomas as sweeper and Shelton playing as a lone striker.
Left attacking midfielder Wolry Wolfe and right flank midfielder O'brian Woodbine were the other changes that, apart from boosting numbers in the middle of the ballpark, freed up strong-kicking Rudolph Austin for a more attacking role.
He went forward and got off a shot from open play on one occasion, driving a low kick just wide of the upright from between 25 and 30 yards.
Kicking from that range was a bit too frequent in the first half by the Reggae Boyz, with no less than five attempts - which lessened the possibility of creating better options to score - as frontal support was always available.
In fact, the only dangerous attempt was one made by Wolfe at the 41st minute, after he took a pass off Austin and turned beautifully between two Hondurans, before hitting a high shot just wide of the far post.
Honduras, backed by a vociferous mass cheering wildly, as it almost filled the 45,000-seater stadium more than two hours before kick-off, were contrasting in offence with short, penetrative passes to the feet, mostly in the centre and through the spaces on the flanks, which was a feature of their play.
As no one started in the flank defensive positions and the coordination was lacking on many occasions, Jamaica were often caught out in those areas and Honduras utilised the channel to feed crosses that posed some amount of danger, with their players, led by top quality David Suazo, challenging.
Sometimes too, they never went the aerial route but the efforts to set up a shot were thwarted, or when they did manage to kick the ball, was blocked and the Boyz who were able to keep them scoreless in the first half.
Lack of quality
Jermaine Taylor, one of the central defensive starting trio, got a gash under his eye that only led to exposing the squad's lack of quality players with experience for big occasions, after he was prevented from playing any part in the second half.
It forced another rearrangement of the already rearranged team, with JeVaughn Watson, inexperienced at this big level, getting his second cap as he came in and played an attacking role wide right. Tyrone Marshall, who had been stabilising the midfield at the central position, was dropped back to centre half and Austin was brought back to the centre.
The equilibrium was never the same and though they held out for almost another quarter hour, the Honduran ascendancy was gaining in shape and rhythm as they danced about while making entry passes to the top of Jamaica's goal area at will, until the goals came.
To their credit, Jamaica fought back gallantly while making a strong response. As none of their chances went in, they were left to wonder what could have been, as they hope for a change in fortune when the qualifiers swing into home territory.
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