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National senior team football coach Theodore Whitmore expects a rocky road for Jamaica's Reggae Boyz at next month's Gold Cup, with the team expected to travel to three separate destinations and over 2,000 miles in the opening round alone.
The Boyz, who will play in group A, open their campaign with a match against Canada at the Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles, before moving to Columbus, Ohio, where they tackle Costa Rica and close out against El Salvador in Miami.
In the event that the team does make the quarter-finals, the Boyz will travel another 1,020 miles to Philadelphia.
"It's going to be a tough tournament with the games being held at so many venues. The team will have to travel a lot and that is always very difficult," said Whitmore, following the team's training session at St George's College on Tuesday.
Whitmore was part of the 1998 team that achieved one of Jamaica's best ever results, finishing ahead of Brazil in their group before going out in the semi-finals to eventual champions Mexico.
While indicating that it was a bit early to have expectations regarding the Gold Cup, as a number of players had not yet joined the squad, the coach continued to stress fitness would be key.
"Right now we have to work on our conditioning and sharpness. A couple of the players have been off for awhile and some have not yet joined the team," he added.
Overseas-based players
Following this week's training sessions, the team will have a one-week camp in the Cayman Islands where other overseas-based players, including striker Marlon King, Rodolph Austin and Jamal Campbell-Ryce, are expected to join the team.
Reggae Boy captain Ricardo Gardner trained with the team on Tuesday after a one-month lay-off after sustaining an injury while playing for English Premier League team Bolton Wanderers late in the season.
Named as interim coach on two separate occasions, following the sacking of Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic and Rene Simoes, Whitmore was named head coach of the national programme as a successor to John Barnes last week.
The contract is officially expected to be signed by the end of the month.
"I am happy for the confidence displayed in me by the JFF but things are not yet official, we still have a couple of things to work out," Whitmore said.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...s/sports2.html
The Boyz, who will play in group A, open their campaign with a match against Canada at the Home Depot Centre in Los Angeles, before moving to Columbus, Ohio, where they tackle Costa Rica and close out against El Salvador in Miami.
In the event that the team does make the quarter-finals, the Boyz will travel another 1,020 miles to Philadelphia.
"It's going to be a tough tournament with the games being held at so many venues. The team will have to travel a lot and that is always very difficult," said Whitmore, following the team's training session at St George's College on Tuesday.
Whitmore was part of the 1998 team that achieved one of Jamaica's best ever results, finishing ahead of Brazil in their group before going out in the semi-finals to eventual champions Mexico.
While indicating that it was a bit early to have expectations regarding the Gold Cup, as a number of players had not yet joined the squad, the coach continued to stress fitness would be key.
"Right now we have to work on our conditioning and sharpness. A couple of the players have been off for awhile and some have not yet joined the team," he added.
Overseas-based players
Following this week's training sessions, the team will have a one-week camp in the Cayman Islands where other overseas-based players, including striker Marlon King, Rodolph Austin and Jamal Campbell-Ryce, are expected to join the team.
Reggae Boy captain Ricardo Gardner trained with the team on Tuesday after a one-month lay-off after sustaining an injury while playing for English Premier League team Bolton Wanderers late in the season.
Named as interim coach on two separate occasions, following the sacking of Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic and Rene Simoes, Whitmore was named head coach of the national programme as a successor to John Barnes last week.
The contract is officially expected to be signed by the end of the month.
"I am happy for the confidence displayed in me by the JFF but things are not yet official, we still have a couple of things to work out," Whitmore said.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/glean...s/sports2.html
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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