Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

[Karl]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Bora and World Cup qualification</SPAN>
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Saturday, November 18, 2006
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>It's not yet official, but all indications are that the Serbian-born naturalised Mexican, Mr Bora Milutinovic, has reached an agreement in principle, if not on paper, with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) as technical director of Jamaica's football for the "Road to Africa" campaign.<P class=StoryText align=justify>And while there have been mixed reviews of the Reggae Boyz's performance on Wednesday night in their drawn Friendly International against Peru, we feel confident that Mr Milutinovic will have been relatively satisfied with the talent on show.
We agree with the outgoing head coach Mr Carl Brown that while the Jamaica team didn't "flow" as would have been ideal, they showed enough to suggest that with time and work, this squad will seriously challenge for a spot in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>We fully expect that Mr Milutinovic, who it is being suggested will earn on or around US$1 million per year, will have the sort of support structure, including people like Mr Brown, to help him along the way. For quite apart from the available football talent, there is much about Jamaica, its culture, values and attitudes, that a national coach will need to understand if he is to make a success of his assignment over the next four years.<P class=StoryText align=justify>One of the attributes of the now legendary Brazilian Mr Rene Simoes, who made history by guiding the Reggae Boyz to the 1998 World Cup Finals, was his appreciation of the importance of national culture to football.<P class=StoryText align=justify>His conscious effort to understand and interpret aspects of Jamaican culture, including music and folk language, as he sought to get the best out of the Jamaican players drew widespread admiration.
No doubt Mr Milutinovic, with his wealth of experience - having taken various national teams to five World Cups - will have his own ideas about Jamaica's talent pool. He, we are sure, will keep an open mind as he seeks to, for example, find the right blend between youth and experience.<P class=StoryText align=justify>He may want to take a leaf from the book of the Trinidadians who wisely utilised the skills of aging but highly respected players Messrs Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, not only in qualifying the Soca Warriors for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but during the finals campaign itself.
In that respect, Mr Milutinovic may want to keep a close eye on one of our true heroes of the '98 campaign, Mr Theodore Whitmore, whom we understand is playing good football for his club Seba.<P class=StoryText align=justify>At another level, there are those who will question the very high level of expenditure on football that comes with the employment of Mr Milutinovic when there is so much need in so many other vital sectors, including health and education.<P class=StoryText align=justify>But as we have said before in this space, sport is an extremely important element in the psyche of any nation. And in our case we need only look back at the feeling of national pride and unity that came with the Reggae Boyz's success in the late '90s and indeed the ongoing sense of well-being at the success of our athletes on the world stage.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Also, of course, there are the economic spin-offs for tourism and investment and the immeasurable strengthening of "Brand Jamaica" as a direct result of success on the field and on the track. And more directly, the rapid growth of sport as a service industry is providing increasing earning opportunities for our footballers and other sportsmen and women.<P class=StoryText align=justify>[b]Having said that, we must also say again, that unlike the last time, our football authorities must m

[Tilla]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

Karl (11/18/2006)<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>He may want to take a leaf from the book of the Trinidadians who wisely utilised the skills of aging but highly respected players Messrs Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, not only in qualifying the Soca Warriors for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, but during the finals campaign itself.
In that respect, Mr Milutinovic may want to keep a close eye on one of our true heroes of the '98 campaign, Mr Theodore Whitmore, whom we understand is playing good football for his club Seba.<P class=StoryText align=justify>

<P class=StoryText align=justify>While I am in agreement that Bora should keep his options open with respect the the use of older players, we must not lose sight of the fact that Latapy and York were not only included in their team for experience. These are guys who were still playing football close to the top of thier game. They were making their respective teams week in week out in fairly respectable leagues.<P class=StoryText align=justify>If people like Whitmore, Lowe or whoever should make the team, they should do it off current performance. Let the players demand a place on the team by having them convince Bora that they still have what it takes. Let us not force players on the man if players only redemptionare their gasmes leading up to the 1998 World Cup. Anyway, I am comfortable with the fact that Bora will know which players toput in his team when he sees them play.

[T.K.]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

A real stupid question here......Do we know how many spots FIFA will give CONCACAF this time around? It could be considerably harder to qualify than last time. FIFA could take away our half spot. - T.K.

[Muadib]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

What you fail to comprehend is that Tappa Whitmore due to his vastly superior skills compared to the average Jamaican player can make a Reggaeboyz side in his sleep.

No-one has ever given me a list of 4 midfield players that are good enough toplace Tappa as 5th...never in the history of this debate.. the silence has been defeaning in response to this request..

A phobia has developed resulting from the poor development of young players.. this phobia manifests itself in irrational attacks on our highly capable veterans.. other countries realize the worth of these players and find ways to use their abilities and experience, when a TD arrive and mek a Tappa Captain and the stablizing force unnun confuse.. continue to be confused....

[Tilla]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

Maudib (11/18/2006)What you fail to comprehend is that Tappa Whitmore due to his vastly superior skills compared to the average Jamaican player can make a Reggaeboyz side in his sleep.

No-one has ever given me a list of 4 midfield players that are good enough toplace Tappa as 5th...never in the history of this debate.. the silence has been defeaning in response to this request..

A phobia has developed resulting from the poor development of young players.. this phobia manifests itself in irrational attacks on our highly capable veterans.. other countries realize the worth of these players and find ways to use their abilities and experience, when a TD arrive and mek a Tappa Captain and the stablizing force unnun confuse.. continue to be confused....

Ben J, mi nah goh get into this Tappa dis and Tappa dat wid yuh again. Right now it is Bora who will decide if Tappa can still cut it. You know that is is a foregone conclusion that Tappa was a good baller. The same can be said of barnes, Skill Cole, Delapenah (sp), Corbett etc, etc. The fact is, time has a way of eroding the capabilities of all of us. Anyway, let us hope that Tappa will impress Bora enough for him to call him to the side.

[Hortical]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

Tilla (11/18/2006)



Anyway, let us hope that Tappa will impress Bora enough for him to call him to the side.

Impress Bora? The man must captain the side:hehe::hehe::hehe::hehe::hehe:

[Sickko]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

When he was riding the pines in England we heard people here calling for him to lead the Reggae Boyz saying cluib football was too low for Tappa, now he is riding the pines at Seba and we hear the same things.



I guess we have to blame Goeffrey Maxwell for not playing him 90 minutes in every game and forget about saving his tired legs to last a full season.



Geoffrey a fight gainst balla....

[Tilla]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

Sickko, don't get me wrong. I am not calling for Tappato be included no matter the form he is on. I am saying let us give him a fair shake like any other player. He is still playing in the NPL, so let we see if his game can demand a place in the side. I see the Observer editorial making reference to York and Latapy. Those two guys were playing good ball when they were called to the T&amp;T team. They were not just called off past performance, but called because their experience and game demanded they be there.

Anyway, over the past few years, we have seen Tappa struggle to make some lowely 3rd Division teams. If he is struggling at Seba, you can bet your bottom dollar that Bora is not going to call him.

[Muadib]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

Yuh have club ballan and you have international Balla.

Within the context of the Reggaeboyz, irregardless of his club situation he has performed at a level that more than justifies his selection.

This club ball argument has been debunked time and time again, more recently the last qualifying campaign where he Tappa Captained the most effective midfield the Reggaeboyz have ever put on a football field.

[Tilla]

RE: Observer EDITORIAL: Bora and World Cup qualification

You have to have a benchmark against which you select players Maudib (Ben J) and there can be no exceptions. The play of players at club level is what will get the attention of the TD, plain and simple. Yuh can't spark at college if you are failing at high school work.

So if the new TD does not use current form and fitness to chose his players Maudib, what do you want him to use? Watch some tapes from the 1994 to 1998 era? That is close to 10 years ago friend. Mi nuh tink dat going to work for Bora.