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Boyz in must-win Gold Cup clash with Costa Rica today
IAN BURNETT, @ THE CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
COLUMBUS, USA - Coach Theodore Whitmore is expected to wring in the changes as the Reggae Boyz go in search of a much-needed victory in their second-round CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A preliminary round encounter here at the Crew Stadium at 7:00 pm (6:00 pm Jamaica time) today.
WHITMORE... we know what we have to do, we know our backs are against the wall
The feature game two hours later pits group leaders El Salvador against Canada.
Personnel changes, while not confined to the attacking segment of the team, is expected to be most evident in that area following on last Friday's toothless performance when the Boyz missed a few decent chances before bowing 0-1 to Canada in the opening round at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.
Along with Luton Shelton and Riccardo Fuller, three other fowards will be vying for places on the start roster. They are Omar Cummings, Nicholas Addlery and Dane Richards.
And with El Salvador surprising group favourites Costa Rica 2-1 in the second of that evening's double header, both Jamaica and Costa Rica will be gunning for victory to get themselves back in contention for one of the two automatic places up for grabs in the group.
There is also a chance for the team finishing third to advance to the eight-team quarter-finals, as the two best third-placed teams from the three groups of four teams will also make the cut.
JOHNSON (centre)... much will depend on pacy midfielder
"Definitely, we will make a couple of changes to the team. Basically up front," Whitmore revealed to reporters prior to yesterday's training session at the game venue, the Crew Stadium.
Whitmore, the former Reggae Boyz captain and star player who scored a brace against Japan at the 1998 France World Cup Finals in a 2-1 victory, appeared in a no-nonsense mood when he conducted training at the Obetz facility on Sunday evening. He was commanding and oftentimes halted the training session to direct instructions at players. He was not pleased with the combination play of the strikers against Canada and admitted that was one of the reasons for changes in that area.
"That is why we are going to make some changes upfront for the benefit of the team," he offered, though he has yet to finalise his starting 11 for today.
There was even suggestions from some quarters that the two strikers - Fuller and Shelton - were not on speaking terms, but that rumour was squashed during the team meetings.
When he addressed the media yesterday morning,
Whitmore said he would have to meet with ace midfielder Rodolph Austin to discuss the status of his troubled hamstring, which forced him off the field last Friday. The coach was also concerned about the fitness of Jason Morrison as well, before he could finalise his starting team.
However, team doctor Charlie Roberts, later told the Observer that all players were fit and available for the game.
Whitmore, who watched the game between El Salvador and Costa Rica, says the key for today's game is patience, and he once again reiterated that he believes the Reggae Boyz have the quality to succeed in this match.
"Both teams will be looking for a win and everybody will be coming in an attacking mood, but we will just have to be patient. We don't want to go all out and leave our back open, so we will have to be patient and approach this game in a different manner," he said.
The coach said the players must stay focused, and put away the chances when they come, even the half chances. "We know what we have to do, we know our backs are against the wall, and we know the Costa Ricans are going to be tough," Whitmore added.
The Jamaicans enter today's game against the Central Americans with an inferior head-to-head record, having won a mere three games in 18 encounters, with six draws and nine losses. The Boyz have managed just one victory in competition, Deon Burton's strike for a 1-0 win in the September 14, 1997 World Cup Qualifying game at Kingston's National Stadium.
Prior to that, the team managed two 2-0 friendly wins in Jamaica in 1995 and 1996, and the last meeting between the two teams in a friendly in Kingston last year February ended 0-0.
Costa Rica have been able to inflict humiliating defeats on Jamaica since their first meeting on March 24, 1964, according to the World Football Elo Rating website. Numbered among some of the huge defeats were 6-0 and 7-0 in CONCACAF Championship in 1964 and 1965, both in Costa Rica, and there was the excruciating 9-0 hammering in a friendly international in Costa Rica in 1999.
In their lone CONCACAF Gold Cup meeting in Mexico in 1993, the game ended 1-1.
Following last Friday's loss, Whitmore charged his players, including the seniors of the team, with underperforming, and since then the team has had some serious soul searching, which has pleased the boss.
"Well up to last night (Sunday night) we had a successful team meeting with the players. It was a one-on-one meeting and every player expressed his views. It is no one (outside) to blame (for the loss) because we got our chances and didn't capitalise.
Football is a game sometimes it is not who deserves it, but who takes it, and that is what the Canadians did the other night. We just have to put that behind us and move forward into the Costa Rica game, which everyone is looking forward to," said Whitmore.
During Sunday's training, there was a noticeable increase in the intensity of the session, and the coach spent some time on the areas of weakness identified from the previous game.
"Again we are not scoring goals and that is the most important aspect of our game. With our attacking team we did a bit of finishing yesterday (Sunday) and we did some defending as well. We did some work on the sharpness in which we got everybody involved and at one point the players were so involved that we had to stop it," Whitmore explained.
The coach had expressed concern with his team's defending from as far back as the one-week pre-Gold Cup training camp in the Cayman Islands, and it came to haunt the team against Canada.
Whitmore explained what happened against Canada, and rued the absence of a stalwart like Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who now seems destined to miss the tournament, what with his travel documents still in the possession of the UK Home Office.
"It was a bit of a communication (problem) with our defenders," Whitmore offered. "Again no disrespect, but we missed someone like an Ian Goodison, because he's the man to give that command even if he's not giving a hundred per cent. We need another person like a Peter Cargill, someone who when he talks it is law out there. That was another aspect of our team discussion last night (Sunday night), so again it is just communication."
Going forward, the coach says "everyone needs to take up that responsibility, we haven't left it up to any one person, but we want Tyrone Marshall to be that commander around the back there".
Costa Rica have been on a high since the turn of the calendar year, winning eight matches, drawing two and losing two. They currently sit atop the CONCACAF final round of World Cup Qualifying with 12 points from five matches, and are well on their way to the South Africa 2010 World Cup Finals.
They appeared the stronger team against El Salvador, but like Jamaica, were wasteful in the final third.
Coach Rodrigo Kenton is reported to have said that he is disappointed with last Friday's result, and that both teams will be under pressure today to get back into contention.
He blamed errors in defence for conceding two goals against El Salvador and he has promised changes in defence and possibly elsewhere. However, he applauded El Salvador for the manner in which they played on the counter attack.
He described the Reggae Boyz as "very physical" with "speed", and identified Jermaine Johnson as one of the "talented" players in the group.
But Johnson, who starred for Jamaica in the first game with some menacing dribbles, is bracing for special attention from the Central Americans today.
"I intend to keep running, make one touch, keep the ball at times (dribble) and don't allow them to read my game," he said yesterday.
He admitted that he is not fully match fit, but believes that every day he is getting closer to where he wants to be. "Match fitness is different from training fitness," he noted.
The Sheffield Wednesday winger said he was happy with his effort against Canada, and though he was tiring, he had wanted to carry on. "I feel I did a good job, but I felt tired in the second half, but I still wanted to be on the field because I wanted to help the team, especially after we went down a goal."
However, he was quick to add that he was not challenging the coach's decision. "We were down and I wanted to help get a goal back, but the coach made the decision and he is the right person to do it and that is final."
Now Johnson, the former Tivoli Gardens star player, believes that there is enough quality in the Reggae Boyz group to pull through to the next phase
Boyz in must-win Gold Cup clash with Costa Rica today
IAN BURNETT, @ THE CONCACAF GOLD CUP
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
COLUMBUS, USA - Coach Theodore Whitmore is expected to wring in the changes as the Reggae Boyz go in search of a much-needed victory in their second-round CONCACAF Gold Cup Group A preliminary round encounter here at the Crew Stadium at 7:00 pm (6:00 pm Jamaica time) today.
WHITMORE... we know what we have to do, we know our backs are against the wallThe feature game two hours later pits group leaders El Salvador against Canada.
Personnel changes, while not confined to the attacking segment of the team, is expected to be most evident in that area following on last Friday's toothless performance when the Boyz missed a few decent chances before bowing 0-1 to Canada in the opening round at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.
Along with Luton Shelton and Riccardo Fuller, three other fowards will be vying for places on the start roster. They are Omar Cummings, Nicholas Addlery and Dane Richards.
And with El Salvador surprising group favourites Costa Rica 2-1 in the second of that evening's double header, both Jamaica and Costa Rica will be gunning for victory to get themselves back in contention for one of the two automatic places up for grabs in the group.
There is also a chance for the team finishing third to advance to the eight-team quarter-finals, as the two best third-placed teams from the three groups of four teams will also make the cut.
JOHNSON (centre)... much will depend on pacy midfielder"Definitely, we will make a couple of changes to the team. Basically up front," Whitmore revealed to reporters prior to yesterday's training session at the game venue, the Crew Stadium.
Whitmore, the former Reggae Boyz captain and star player who scored a brace against Japan at the 1998 France World Cup Finals in a 2-1 victory, appeared in a no-nonsense mood when he conducted training at the Obetz facility on Sunday evening. He was commanding and oftentimes halted the training session to direct instructions at players. He was not pleased with the combination play of the strikers against Canada and admitted that was one of the reasons for changes in that area.
"That is why we are going to make some changes upfront for the benefit of the team," he offered, though he has yet to finalise his starting 11 for today.
There was even suggestions from some quarters that the two strikers - Fuller and Shelton - were not on speaking terms, but that rumour was squashed during the team meetings.
When he addressed the media yesterday morning,
Whitmore said he would have to meet with ace midfielder Rodolph Austin to discuss the status of his troubled hamstring, which forced him off the field last Friday. The coach was also concerned about the fitness of Jason Morrison as well, before he could finalise his starting team.
However, team doctor Charlie Roberts, later told the Observer that all players were fit and available for the game.
Whitmore, who watched the game between El Salvador and Costa Rica, says the key for today's game is patience, and he once again reiterated that he believes the Reggae Boyz have the quality to succeed in this match.
"Both teams will be looking for a win and everybody will be coming in an attacking mood, but we will just have to be patient. We don't want to go all out and leave our back open, so we will have to be patient and approach this game in a different manner," he said.
The coach said the players must stay focused, and put away the chances when they come, even the half chances. "We know what we have to do, we know our backs are against the wall, and we know the Costa Ricans are going to be tough," Whitmore added.
The Jamaicans enter today's game against the Central Americans with an inferior head-to-head record, having won a mere three games in 18 encounters, with six draws and nine losses. The Boyz have managed just one victory in competition, Deon Burton's strike for a 1-0 win in the September 14, 1997 World Cup Qualifying game at Kingston's National Stadium.
Prior to that, the team managed two 2-0 friendly wins in Jamaica in 1995 and 1996, and the last meeting between the two teams in a friendly in Kingston last year February ended 0-0.
Costa Rica have been able to inflict humiliating defeats on Jamaica since their first meeting on March 24, 1964, according to the World Football Elo Rating website. Numbered among some of the huge defeats were 6-0 and 7-0 in CONCACAF Championship in 1964 and 1965, both in Costa Rica, and there was the excruciating 9-0 hammering in a friendly international in Costa Rica in 1999.
In their lone CONCACAF Gold Cup meeting in Mexico in 1993, the game ended 1-1.
Following last Friday's loss, Whitmore charged his players, including the seniors of the team, with underperforming, and since then the team has had some serious soul searching, which has pleased the boss.
"Well up to last night (Sunday night) we had a successful team meeting with the players. It was a one-on-one meeting and every player expressed his views. It is no one (outside) to blame (for the loss) because we got our chances and didn't capitalise.
Football is a game sometimes it is not who deserves it, but who takes it, and that is what the Canadians did the other night. We just have to put that behind us and move forward into the Costa Rica game, which everyone is looking forward to," said Whitmore.
During Sunday's training, there was a noticeable increase in the intensity of the session, and the coach spent some time on the areas of weakness identified from the previous game.
"Again we are not scoring goals and that is the most important aspect of our game. With our attacking team we did a bit of finishing yesterday (Sunday) and we did some defending as well. We did some work on the sharpness in which we got everybody involved and at one point the players were so involved that we had to stop it," Whitmore explained.
The coach had expressed concern with his team's defending from as far back as the one-week pre-Gold Cup training camp in the Cayman Islands, and it came to haunt the team against Canada.
Whitmore explained what happened against Canada, and rued the absence of a stalwart like Ian 'Pepe' Goodison, who now seems destined to miss the tournament, what with his travel documents still in the possession of the UK Home Office.
"It was a bit of a communication (problem) with our defenders," Whitmore offered. "Again no disrespect, but we missed someone like an Ian Goodison, because he's the man to give that command even if he's not giving a hundred per cent. We need another person like a Peter Cargill, someone who when he talks it is law out there. That was another aspect of our team discussion last night (Sunday night), so again it is just communication."
Going forward, the coach says "everyone needs to take up that responsibility, we haven't left it up to any one person, but we want Tyrone Marshall to be that commander around the back there".
Costa Rica have been on a high since the turn of the calendar year, winning eight matches, drawing two and losing two. They currently sit atop the CONCACAF final round of World Cup Qualifying with 12 points from five matches, and are well on their way to the South Africa 2010 World Cup Finals.
They appeared the stronger team against El Salvador, but like Jamaica, were wasteful in the final third.
Coach Rodrigo Kenton is reported to have said that he is disappointed with last Friday's result, and that both teams will be under pressure today to get back into contention.
He blamed errors in defence for conceding two goals against El Salvador and he has promised changes in defence and possibly elsewhere. However, he applauded El Salvador for the manner in which they played on the counter attack.
He described the Reggae Boyz as "very physical" with "speed", and identified Jermaine Johnson as one of the "talented" players in the group.
But Johnson, who starred for Jamaica in the first game with some menacing dribbles, is bracing for special attention from the Central Americans today.
"I intend to keep running, make one touch, keep the ball at times (dribble) and don't allow them to read my game," he said yesterday.
He admitted that he is not fully match fit, but believes that every day he is getting closer to where he wants to be. "Match fitness is different from training fitness," he noted.
The Sheffield Wednesday winger said he was happy with his effort against Canada, and though he was tiring, he had wanted to carry on. "I feel I did a good job, but I felt tired in the second half, but I still wanted to be on the field because I wanted to help the team, especially after we went down a goal."
However, he was quick to add that he was not challenging the coach's decision. "We were down and I wanted to help get a goal back, but the coach made the decision and he is the right person to do it and that is final."
Now Johnson, the former Tivoli Gardens star player, believes that there is enough quality in the Reggae Boyz group to pull through to the next phase
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