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Coach of the Reggae Boyz, Theodore Whitmore, is looking forward to Wednesday’s game against Honduras who beat Jamaica 2-0 when the two sides met in San Pedro Sula one month ago. This encounter will be different he told JamaicaWin.com.
“The team played without emotion at that time,” he said. “They just went through the motions. Now they are ready to prove what they can do.”
Whitmore said that he expects Honduras to be similar to the Mexicans in character, but will not be as aggressive as they need only a draw. “They are basically the same as the Mexicans,” he opined. “But I don’t expect them to be as aggressive as they were when they played at home. They will be more cautious as they need only a point. We will have to apply a similar strategy as we did against Mexico. We will have to attack while working hard not to concede a goal.”
Honduras, who beat Canada 3-1 on Saturday have nine points and are Group B leaders over Mexico who also have nine points but have scored a goal less. A win for the visitors would be perfect but a draw would also be enough. A draw eliminates Jamaica.
"Although they want to win, I don't think the Honduras team is as hungry as us because we need this win more than they do and we will show that," said the man who has the distinction of scoring two goals against Japan at the World Cup finals in France 1998. Jamaica won 2-1 then.
"Honduras are on the verge of qualifying and they would want to do it here, but we definitely need these three points," Whitmore added. “If we are to have a chance we have to win a keep on winning,” he said.
Jamaica’s final game in the round will be against Canada at home on November 19.
Whitmore told JamaicaWin.com that there are some injuries and at least one change will be made for Wednesday’s game. “Ricardo Fuller and Oneil Thompson are nursing injuries,” Whitmore lamented, “but they are being treated and we think they will be OK.”
However, he noted that midfielder Rudolph Austin will be forced to miss the game having picked up a second yellow card. “That’s why we have gone for Jermaine Hue,” he said. “It was a choice being Hue and Andy Williams, but since Hue is right here he was selected. Andy would not come in until Tuesday evening and would miss all but one of the training sessions and Hue is ready to go.” He went on to say that there is no guarantee that Hue would play, but at least he had the option should it become necessary.
"This (Austin) is a great loss for us, but this means that we will have to now sit and see how best we can work a way out, because at the end of the day we want these three points and nothing else," he noted.
Hue has been in and out of Jamaica’s squad over the years. He played in the Boyz's 1-1 draw with Canada in Toronto in August as a 90-plus-minute sub, stayed on the bench in the team's 0-3 defeat to Mexico in Mexico City, but came off the bench in the 55th-minute in the 0-2 loss to Honduras in San Pedro Sula last month.
“The team played without emotion at that time,” he said. “They just went through the motions. Now they are ready to prove what they can do.”
Whitmore said that he expects Honduras to be similar to the Mexicans in character, but will not be as aggressive as they need only a draw. “They are basically the same as the Mexicans,” he opined. “But I don’t expect them to be as aggressive as they were when they played at home. They will be more cautious as they need only a point. We will have to apply a similar strategy as we did against Mexico. We will have to attack while working hard not to concede a goal.”
Honduras, who beat Canada 3-1 on Saturday have nine points and are Group B leaders over Mexico who also have nine points but have scored a goal less. A win for the visitors would be perfect but a draw would also be enough. A draw eliminates Jamaica.
"Although they want to win, I don't think the Honduras team is as hungry as us because we need this win more than they do and we will show that," said the man who has the distinction of scoring two goals against Japan at the World Cup finals in France 1998. Jamaica won 2-1 then.
"Honduras are on the verge of qualifying and they would want to do it here, but we definitely need these three points," Whitmore added. “If we are to have a chance we have to win a keep on winning,” he said.
Jamaica’s final game in the round will be against Canada at home on November 19.
Whitmore told JamaicaWin.com that there are some injuries and at least one change will be made for Wednesday’s game. “Ricardo Fuller and Oneil Thompson are nursing injuries,” Whitmore lamented, “but they are being treated and we think they will be OK.”
However, he noted that midfielder Rudolph Austin will be forced to miss the game having picked up a second yellow card. “That’s why we have gone for Jermaine Hue,” he said. “It was a choice being Hue and Andy Williams, but since Hue is right here he was selected. Andy would not come in until Tuesday evening and would miss all but one of the training sessions and Hue is ready to go.” He went on to say that there is no guarantee that Hue would play, but at least he had the option should it become necessary.
"This (Austin) is a great loss for us, but this means that we will have to now sit and see how best we can work a way out, because at the end of the day we want these three points and nothing else," he noted.
Hue has been in and out of Jamaica’s squad over the years. He played in the Boyz's 1-1 draw with Canada in Toronto in August as a 90-plus-minute sub, stayed on the bench in the team's 0-3 defeat to Mexico in Mexico City, but came off the bench in the 55th-minute in the 0-2 loss to Honduras in San Pedro Sula last month.