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  • Boyz Crumbled

    BOYZ CRUMBLED
    U-20 coach says team undone by big stage
    By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter walker@jamaicaobserver.com
    Thursday, March 12, 2009

    AS the post mortem continued on Jamaica's Under-20 footballers' demise during the CONCACAF qualifying final round held in Tobago and Tobago, head coach Donovan Duckie cited a lack of effort by the players.
    "I cannot say that the players gave 100 per cent, but I thought they tried. I don't think the effort was good enough," Duckie told the Observer on the trip back home from the twin-island republic yesterday.

    National Under-20 captain, Andre Darby, leads the pack ahead of coach Donovan Duckie as the young Reggae Boyz retured home yesterday at the Norman Manley International Airport. (Photo: Howard Walker)
    "I realised that from the moment we arrived, the team has not been the same. I thought the stage got the better of them. Some of the senior players did not play up to expectations and we were let down by that," he noted.

    Jamaica started the final day in second spot and needed a win or a draw to advance to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup set for Egypt in September, but crashed to a pathetic 0-4 defeat to Honduras and saw their dreams shattered.

    The USA topped Group A with seven points, followed by Honduras on five, Jamaica three and El Salvador, one.

    The Young Reggae Boyz became another statistic of failing to secure a World Cup spot since 2001, when the Under-20s qualified for the tournament in Argentina.

    This team was the last chance the Horace Burrell-led Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) had of salvaging some pride and qualifying a national team for a World Cup Final since returning to office in November 2007.
    Duckie, who has been in charge of this crop of youngsters for 11 months, had some advice for the JFF.

    "I think that in the future the JFF has to expose the team to better opponents like the Toulon Tournament (in France) and other big CONCACAF tournaments.

    "Playing against our Caribbean neighbours will not help. We have to get sponsorship to send our teams to France, Italy or Germany where the quality tournaments are.

    "Looking back at the previous groups in Cayman, Aruba and St Vincent that we were in, this was a much higher stage. These teams are way above the teams we're used to," Duckie said with a concerned look on his face.

    "They have done a wonderful job, especially in the latter stages where they got the practice games for us, which was good. The effort by the administration staff was good also, it was a good team effort.
    "Praises can't be too high for Horace Reid who came in and assisted tremendously with the team," Duckie noted.

    Jamaica, having lost the first encounter 0-3 to USA, bounced back against El Salvador, winning with nine men, and hopes were high of the team clinching a spot.

    But after holding their own for 43 minutes, the young Reggae Boyz crumbled, not because Honduras were playing well, but due to anxiety, as they began pressing high and left a lot of space at the back too soon in the game - as they did against the USA when they fell behind and went for broke too soon.

    "I thought we could have showed more patience, but these are youth players and maneuvering certain situations, they were not experienced enough.

    "This is the first time we have been in these situations throughout our campaign. This is the third time in 17 games that we had to chase. It was unusual for the team and they responded poorly," said Duckie.
    But at what stage do you play for pride? the Observer inquired after seeing the team losing 0-3 and 0-4.

    "We wanted a result and if we lost four, five or six, it wouldn't have mattered. We had to take risks. A result was a must for us, whether a draw or a win. But I thought we could have been more patient," Duckie reiterated.

    "I'm very disappointed to know that we have come this far and it came down to 90 minutes. It is a painful feeling for the guys. I thought they did a wonderful job in getting here.

    "Their efforts were good but not good enough for this last game. It's a learning experience for them and I'm a young coach and in different points in our lives it will help," Duckie said.
    Last edited by Karl; March 12, 2009, 03:42 PM.
    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

  • #2
    U-20s back in Jamaica
    Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

    National Under-20 assistant coach Lenworth Hyde (left) and team captain Andre Darby lead the young Reggae Boyz contingent on their return to the island at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. They were was unsuccessful in their bid to claim a place in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer



    "The other teams were more experienced. They have more experienced players with professional contracts. We will just have to regroup and capitalise on the next opportunity," said Darby, who received a red card ahead of Tuesday's crucial qualifier against Honduras.

    Striker Dever Orgill, who plies his trade with USL first division club, Vancouver Whitecaps, also had to sit out the final game, having picked up a red card against El Salvador, was philosophical about the issue.

    "It is disappointing that I stepped out of the game on a red card. But its not something that I am worried about as it is a stepping stone. I take the positive out of the worst negative and just move forward with my life," Orgill said.


    4-0 collapse
    The absence of Orgill, one of the squad's most experienced strikers, and Darby, the captain, are thought to be the two major reasons for the team's 4-0 collapse to the Hondurans in the final game.

    "I thought that the two red cards were big blows," said the team's, head coach, Donovan Duckie, on the team's arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.

    "You have to be very disappointed, because it was one year of hard work and it came down to 90 minutes," Duckie added.

    He believed the team had done well up to the game's opening goal by Honduras, which came in injury time of the first half. The young Boyz were drawn in Group A along with the United States, El Salvador Honduras.
    In their opening encounter on Friday, the Jamaicans had a rocky start, going down 3-0. However, their hopes were kept alive after battling to beat El Salvador 2-1 on Sunday. But the curtains came down on this historic journey on Tuesday. The US and Honduras were the teams from the group to book their place.
    "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

    Comment


    • #3
      How do we get to see videos of the Jamaica matches?
      "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

      Comment


      • #4
        'The two red cards were big blows'

        Published: Thursday | March 12, 2009


        Anthony Foster, Gleaner Writer

        National Under-20 coach Donovan Duckie (right) and team captain Andre Darby lead Jamaica's football delegation into the pick-up area at the Norman Manley International Airport, following their return yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer


        Jamaica's Young Reggae Boyz, having failed to secure a place in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup Finals, returned to the island yesterday a very disappointed bunch.

        The juveniles lost 4-0 to Honduras in their last Group A game of the eight-nation CONCACAF Finals, which eliminated them from the competition at the preliminary stage.

        The top two teams from the group were guaranteed spots in the semi-finals of the regional championship, and ultimately a place in the World Cup Finals, which will be held in Egypt from September 24 to October 16 this year.

        "You have to be very disappointed because it was one year of hard work and it came down to 90 minutes," said the team's head coach, Donovan Duckie.

        "It's not as if we dropped out of the competition in Cayman, Aruba or St Vincent, it came down to just 90 minutes."

        The Jamaicans went into the contest against Honduras as the second-place team in Group A and would have qualified for the World Cup had they held out for a draw.

        Honduras in
        Instead, the result pushed Honduras into second, and thus the Central Americans guaranteed themselves a place in the World Cup.

        Also advancing from were Group A winners the United States of America, who had beaten the Young Boyz 3-0 in their opening game.

        Jamaica tackled Honduras without captain Andre Darby and scoring ace Dever Orgill, both of whom were red-carded in the previous match they won 2-1 over El Salvador.

        Ace striker
        "The suspension of skipper Andre Darby, as well as our ace striker Dever Orgill, led to our demise," said Duckie.

        "I thought that the two red cards were big blows," added Duckie on the team's arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.
        Duckie said they did well until they conceded the game's opening goal, which came in injury time of the first half.

        The coach further stated that although they were well aware that attacking teams in the tournament suffered by counter-attacks, they took their chances.

        "We conceded a second goal but we still wanted to get on the scoresheet, so we had to be taking risks.

        "We could have sat back and lose the game, say 1-0, to look good, but no, we had to take risks.

        "It's a competition that you have to be getting results every game," he continued.

        "We took risks, we created eight chances, we did not score and this is the game, this is life."

        Despite the downfall, Duckie believes "there were high points", especially with the exposure the players got to showcase their skills.

        The Gleaner has learnt that agents are targeting five players and this, according to Duckie, is "also a plus for us".
        However, the names of the five players were not revealed.
        "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

        Comment


        • #5
          Must have been! These are important players, and even though the team is bigger than one or two players, sometimes the loss of even one player can affect the whole confidence of the team.


          BLACK LIVES MATTER

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