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Boyz ease tension off the field
published: Saturday | November 22, 2008
Digicel marketing executive, Mark 'Bones' Martin, shakes hands with Reggae Boy Tyrone Marshall, while goalkeeper coach Aaron Lawrence looks on, at a dinner hosted for the team at Norma's Restaurant, Devon House, on Tuesday night.- Contributed
On Tuesday night, the Reggae Boyz, at least the group that played the Canada game they won 3-0 on Wednesday at the National Stadium, spent precious moments together, [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]dining[/COLOR][/COLOR] in the quiet, serene setting of Norma's Restaurant, Devon House.
Candles lit, lights dimmed, they appeared one big, happy family while sharing a joke-filled, nerve-popping moment ahead of their defining World Cup qualifying clash, in the company of several representatives of the sponsors, Digicel.
"The players always eat at the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]hotel[/COLOR][/COLOR] the night before the match, but this time we thought a more relaxed [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]environment[/COLOR][/COLOR] would do them good as a team,"explained coach Theodore Whitmore, a star from the historic '98 team that qualified for the World Cup Finals in France, 1998.
Bringing vibes
He added: "This is something we used to do when we were qualifying for World Cup '98 and it worked then, so we decided to bring this tradition back.
"A dinner like this, in a setting like this, helps with building a team spirit. We all laughed and chatted and it was a nice little chill vibe. It brings a unity to the team, which I think is important. It's all about a positive vibe before a match and we need this more than ever. We would love to do this before every big match. Thanks again to Digicel for helping us make this possible."
The team's captain, Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner, added his bit: "The dinner was great. It was good to get everyone together to sit and have a laugh and chat. It's always good to be united and last night (Tuesday) really did that ... it was a good tension-breaker."
And, according to Paula Pinnock-MacLeod, Digicel sports sponsorship manager, "...It was a great evening. The Boyz got an opportunity to relax as a team in a way that they would not normally have a chance to do because of their overseas commitments.
Show appreciation
She noted that "The Reggae Boyz' success is no small accomplishment and we are happy to have had the opportunity to show 'Tappa' and the Boyz how much they are appreciated not only by Digicel, but by the entire country. Digicel and 'Tappa' Whitmore have a long [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]history[/COLOR][/COLOR] built not only through the Reggae Boyz, but through his involvement in the Kick Start Programme (sponsored by Digicel across the Caribbean) and now with the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Championships." [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica[/COLOR][/COLOR] will host the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals in December and there is no doubt that the Reggae Boyz will be looking to share more nerve-popping moments like that on Tuesday night.
We did our best - Gardner, Whitmore
published: Saturday | November 22, 2008
Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica's[/COLOR][/COLOR] captain, Ricardo Gardner, in action against [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Canada[/COLOR][/COLOR] on Wednesday evening.- Ian Allen/Staff [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Photographer[/COLOR][/COLOR]
AFTER THE Reggae Boyz's failure to qualify for the final round of the CONCACAF [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]South [COLOR=orange! important]Africa[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] 2010 World Cup, coach Theodore Whitmore and captain Ricardo Gardner took the time out to say thanks to sponsors, the media and fans for their support, and said that the team tried its best.
Speaking at a press conference after the team's elimination on Wednesday night despite spanking Canada 3-0 at the National Stadium, Whitmore, who was in charge of the second half of the qualifying campaign, and will now make way for former [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]England[/COLOR][/COLOR] international, Jamaica-born John Barnes, said he and the team tried their best, and while they were unsuccessful, they appreciated everyone's support.
"We tried our best given the circumstances. Unfortunately, it was not good enough. But I am proud of the guys and how we conducted ourselves in the last three games and I think if Jamaicans can take anything from the failure, it is the fact that we fought right until the end," said Whitmore.
"We want to thank you for the support we got from everyone and want to assure you that football will remain alive and well in this country, despite this setback," he said.
praised supporters
The press conference, which was attended by local, regional and international journalists, some of whom hailed from as far as South Africa, also saw Gardner heaping praise on supporters.
"I would like to say a big thank you to all those who supported the campaign. From the sponsors, to the media, to spectators. I want to let you know that we did our best," he said.
"You were there for us throughout the qualifiers and we hope that, despite this setback, you will be there for us in the future. We really need your continued support. We tried for 2010, but 2014 is not that far, and if we can start putting things in place from now we could do much better then," Gardner declared.
But what about the game itself, which saw the Boyz falling four goals short of qualifying for the next round? Did the team play up to its potential, or was the task too big?
Whitmore said it was a mixture of both, as everyone was aware of the situation and kept abreast of what was happening throughout the night.
"We knew what we had to do and, as such, I started with our most in-form strikers," said Whitmore. "The aim was to get as many goals as we could before halftime and then go for it in the second half.
"We were always keeping abreast of the Honduras-Mexico match (which went 1-0 in Honduras' favour).
"As a result, in the second half, when we realised that the goals were not coming as we wanted, we tried to bolster the attack with a couple of changes up front. Unfortunately it was not enough," he said.
The Boyz will now turn their attention to the eight-nation Digicel Caribbean Championships, which will be held here in two weeks' time. The Championship is a qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will be held next year, and Jamaica is expected to field relatively strong teams for the event.
Theodore Whitmore ... We want to thank you for the support we got from everyone, and want to assure you that football will remain alive and well in this country, despite this setback. -File
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Blame aplenty to go around
published: Saturday | November 22, 2008
Tym Glaser
IT'S OVER, it's over, [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica's[/COLOR][/COLOR] 2010 World Cup dream was laid to rest late on Wednesday evening not at the National Stadium, but in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The Reggae Boyz did everything right at 'The Office' and downed a spirited but outclassed young [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Canada[/COLOR][/COLOR] team 3-0.
However, Honduras took care of their business in their own yard by beating [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Mexico[/COLOR][/COLOR] 1-0 and that, my friends, was when the band stopped playing.
Jamaica recovered from one all mighty one-point-from-three-games hole to miss advancing to CONCACAF's final qualifying group on mere goal difference to the Mexicans and the team and coaching staff should be applauded for showing tremendous fighting spirit, in the face of great odds, right to the final whistle of the final game.
However, three straight wins can't cover the fact that the 'Back to Africa' campaign is now in tatters and the national football programme is in a precarious state.
stubborn persistence
Every man and his goat want to blame sacked technical director René Simoes for the failed Cup run and in some other countries effigies of the little Brazilian would still be burning.
For sure, the Professor must take the largest slice of the blame cake for his stubborn persistence in not picking the best players available in the first three encounters before being summarily dismissed.
However, from the beginning, I was firmly in the camp of those who felt Simoes should not have been brought back to try and recapture lightning in a bottle.
To me, it was akin to [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]meeting[/COLOR][/COLOR] an old girlfriend, getting back together, enjoying the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]honeymoon[/COLOR][/COLOR] period and, then, rediscovering why you broke up in the first place.
To expect to revive the magic of the Road to France '98 campaign was purely fanciful thinking on the part of Jamaica Football Federation president and Simoes ally Captain Horace Burrell, who went to great lengths after Wednesday night's game to exonerate himself of any blame for the blown campaign.
Burrell reacted with great haste to jettison the technical director he inherited from the Boxhill regime, 'Bora' Milutinovic, and replace him with his little buddy.
See how well that worked out now.
There's no saying Bora would have got the team any further than it reached but, then, he was never given the chance. His blueprint was to check out the local talent (which led to some dreadful but expected results abroad) and then bring in the big guns, the guns Simoes refused to let loose.
On Wednesday night, Burrell described Bora as a "tourist" who did "nothing" for the football programme. It was an unnecessary blast from the man who never gave him an opportunity, not even one practice game, to show his programme and possible worth.
Instead, it appears, Burrell just wanted to purge his JFF of all traces of the Boxhill group which usurped him from his treasured post and Bora was part of the residue.
bigger problems
Now, the president has even bigger problems than when he retook office. While the rest of the 'big' football world will be immersed in World Cup qualifying next year, Jamaica are going to have to beg, borrow and scrape for friendlies against Cup hopefuls.
The sponsorship dollars from those corporations ready to hop on the South Africa bandwagon will now not appear and public interest in a national team going nowhere of consequence for at least four years is likely to wane dramatically.
Hopefully, new head coach John Barnes can use some of his international fame to boost the programme, but the lion's share of the heavy lifting has to be done by Burrell.
It's certainly not all his fault but he is also not as blameless as he would have us believe.
Later ...
Feedback: tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com
published: Saturday | November 22, 2008
Digicel marketing executive, Mark 'Bones' Martin, shakes hands with Reggae Boy Tyrone Marshall, while goalkeeper coach Aaron Lawrence looks on, at a dinner hosted for the team at Norma's Restaurant, Devon House, on Tuesday night.- Contributed
On Tuesday night, the Reggae Boyz, at least the group that played the Canada game they won 3-0 on Wednesday at the National Stadium, spent precious moments together, [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]dining[/COLOR][/COLOR] in the quiet, serene setting of Norma's Restaurant, Devon House.
Candles lit, lights dimmed, they appeared one big, happy family while sharing a joke-filled, nerve-popping moment ahead of their defining World Cup qualifying clash, in the company of several representatives of the sponsors, Digicel.
"The players always eat at the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]hotel[/COLOR][/COLOR] the night before the match, but this time we thought a more relaxed [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]environment[/COLOR][/COLOR] would do them good as a team,"explained coach Theodore Whitmore, a star from the historic '98 team that qualified for the World Cup Finals in France, 1998.
Bringing vibes
He added: "This is something we used to do when we were qualifying for World Cup '98 and it worked then, so we decided to bring this tradition back.
"A dinner like this, in a setting like this, helps with building a team spirit. We all laughed and chatted and it was a nice little chill vibe. It brings a unity to the team, which I think is important. It's all about a positive vibe before a match and we need this more than ever. We would love to do this before every big match. Thanks again to Digicel for helping us make this possible."
The team's captain, Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner, added his bit: "The dinner was great. It was good to get everyone together to sit and have a laugh and chat. It's always good to be united and last night (Tuesday) really did that ... it was a good tension-breaker."
And, according to Paula Pinnock-MacLeod, Digicel sports sponsorship manager, "...It was a great evening. The Boyz got an opportunity to relax as a team in a way that they would not normally have a chance to do because of their overseas commitments.
Show appreciation
She noted that "The Reggae Boyz' success is no small accomplishment and we are happy to have had the opportunity to show 'Tappa' and the Boyz how much they are appreciated not only by Digicel, but by the entire country. Digicel and 'Tappa' Whitmore have a long [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]history[/COLOR][/COLOR] built not only through the Reggae Boyz, but through his involvement in the Kick Start Programme (sponsored by Digicel across the Caribbean) and now with the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Championships." [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica[/COLOR][/COLOR] will host the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals in December and there is no doubt that the Reggae Boyz will be looking to share more nerve-popping moments like that on Tuesday night.
We did our best - Gardner, Whitmore
published: Saturday | November 22, 2008
Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica's[/COLOR][/COLOR] captain, Ricardo Gardner, in action against [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Canada[/COLOR][/COLOR] on Wednesday evening.- Ian Allen/Staff [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Photographer[/COLOR][/COLOR]
AFTER THE Reggae Boyz's failure to qualify for the final round of the CONCACAF [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]South [COLOR=orange! important]Africa[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] 2010 World Cup, coach Theodore Whitmore and captain Ricardo Gardner took the time out to say thanks to sponsors, the media and fans for their support, and said that the team tried its best.
Speaking at a press conference after the team's elimination on Wednesday night despite spanking Canada 3-0 at the National Stadium, Whitmore, who was in charge of the second half of the qualifying campaign, and will now make way for former [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]England[/COLOR][/COLOR] international, Jamaica-born John Barnes, said he and the team tried their best, and while they were unsuccessful, they appreciated everyone's support.
"We tried our best given the circumstances. Unfortunately, it was not good enough. But I am proud of the guys and how we conducted ourselves in the last three games and I think if Jamaicans can take anything from the failure, it is the fact that we fought right until the end," said Whitmore.
"We want to thank you for the support we got from everyone and want to assure you that football will remain alive and well in this country, despite this setback," he said.
praised supporters
The press conference, which was attended by local, regional and international journalists, some of whom hailed from as far as South Africa, also saw Gardner heaping praise on supporters.
"I would like to say a big thank you to all those who supported the campaign. From the sponsors, to the media, to spectators. I want to let you know that we did our best," he said.
"You were there for us throughout the qualifiers and we hope that, despite this setback, you will be there for us in the future. We really need your continued support. We tried for 2010, but 2014 is not that far, and if we can start putting things in place from now we could do much better then," Gardner declared.
But what about the game itself, which saw the Boyz falling four goals short of qualifying for the next round? Did the team play up to its potential, or was the task too big?
Whitmore said it was a mixture of both, as everyone was aware of the situation and kept abreast of what was happening throughout the night.
"We knew what we had to do and, as such, I started with our most in-form strikers," said Whitmore. "The aim was to get as many goals as we could before halftime and then go for it in the second half.
"We were always keeping abreast of the Honduras-Mexico match (which went 1-0 in Honduras' favour).
"As a result, in the second half, when we realised that the goals were not coming as we wanted, we tried to bolster the attack with a couple of changes up front. Unfortunately it was not enough," he said.
The Boyz will now turn their attention to the eight-nation Digicel Caribbean Championships, which will be held here in two weeks' time. The Championship is a qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which will be held next year, and Jamaica is expected to field relatively strong teams for the event.
Theodore Whitmore ... We want to thank you for the support we got from everyone, and want to assure you that football will remain alive and well in this country, despite this setback. -File
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Blame aplenty to go around
published: Saturday | November 22, 2008
Tym Glaser
IT'S OVER, it's over, [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica's[/COLOR][/COLOR] 2010 World Cup dream was laid to rest late on Wednesday evening not at the National Stadium, but in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The Reggae Boyz did everything right at 'The Office' and downed a spirited but outclassed young [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Canada[/COLOR][/COLOR] team 3-0.
However, Honduras took care of their business in their own yard by beating [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Mexico[/COLOR][/COLOR] 1-0 and that, my friends, was when the band stopped playing.
Jamaica recovered from one all mighty one-point-from-three-games hole to miss advancing to CONCACAF's final qualifying group on mere goal difference to the Mexicans and the team and coaching staff should be applauded for showing tremendous fighting spirit, in the face of great odds, right to the final whistle of the final game.
However, three straight wins can't cover the fact that the 'Back to Africa' campaign is now in tatters and the national football programme is in a precarious state.
stubborn persistence
Every man and his goat want to blame sacked technical director René Simoes for the failed Cup run and in some other countries effigies of the little Brazilian would still be burning.
For sure, the Professor must take the largest slice of the blame cake for his stubborn persistence in not picking the best players available in the first three encounters before being summarily dismissed.
However, from the beginning, I was firmly in the camp of those who felt Simoes should not have been brought back to try and recapture lightning in a bottle.
To me, it was akin to [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]meeting[/COLOR][/COLOR] an old girlfriend, getting back together, enjoying the [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]honeymoon[/COLOR][/COLOR] period and, then, rediscovering why you broke up in the first place.
To expect to revive the magic of the Road to France '98 campaign was purely fanciful thinking on the part of Jamaica Football Federation president and Simoes ally Captain Horace Burrell, who went to great lengths after Wednesday night's game to exonerate himself of any blame for the blown campaign.
Burrell reacted with great haste to jettison the technical director he inherited from the Boxhill regime, 'Bora' Milutinovic, and replace him with his little buddy.
See how well that worked out now.
There's no saying Bora would have got the team any further than it reached but, then, he was never given the chance. His blueprint was to check out the local talent (which led to some dreadful but expected results abroad) and then bring in the big guns, the guns Simoes refused to let loose.
On Wednesday night, Burrell described Bora as a "tourist" who did "nothing" for the football programme. It was an unnecessary blast from the man who never gave him an opportunity, not even one practice game, to show his programme and possible worth.
Instead, it appears, Burrell just wanted to purge his JFF of all traces of the Boxhill group which usurped him from his treasured post and Bora was part of the residue.
bigger problems
Now, the president has even bigger problems than when he retook office. While the rest of the 'big' football world will be immersed in World Cup qualifying next year, Jamaica are going to have to beg, borrow and scrape for friendlies against Cup hopefuls.
The sponsorship dollars from those corporations ready to hop on the South Africa bandwagon will now not appear and public interest in a national team going nowhere of consequence for at least four years is likely to wane dramatically.
Hopefully, new head coach John Barnes can use some of his international fame to boost the programme, but the lion's share of the heavy lifting has to be done by Burrell.
It's certainly not all his fault but he is also not as blameless as he would have us believe.
Later ...
Feedback: tym.glaser@gleanerjm.com