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By Vijay Setlur
MIAMI - A promising start could end with a disappointing finish for El Salvador.
That isn't the scenario Carlos de los Cobos envisioned amid the euphoria after his team beat Costa Rica 2-1 to win its opener.
Following a loss to Canada, El Salvador now is in a virtual must-win predicament.
Los Cuscatlecos can improve their chances of advancing to the next round of CONCACAF Gold Cup with a win over Jamaica Friday in the final match of Group A. In the first half of the doubleheader, Costa Rica and Canada will tussle for first place.
The Salvadorans are tied with Costa Rica for second place with three points, three behind Canada and three ahead of Jamaica. El Salvador can advance with a loss, but would need help.
After the opening win, El Salvador hit a Canadian wall, losing 1-0.
This time around, It will look to dictate the play against Jamaica.
"I feel the offensive capacity of the team depends on how the team gets to the game, not physically but how prepared they are when they get to the other team's goal," El Salvador manager Carlos de los Cobos said. "If you play with one or two attackers it doesn't necessarily mark the level of attack."
"It's more the sum of the units that accompany the action and that's what we lacked with Canada again - the depth. We were backed up too much and we lost continuity."
Goalless in their first two games, the Reggae Boyz need goals to stay alive.
Jamaica faced a disciplined Canadian midfield, and against Costa Rica played a man down for more than half the match after midfielder Rodolph Austin was sent off for kicking Costa Rican midfielder Celso Borges in the head.
Jamaica manager Theodore Whitmore plans no lineup changes and hopes that his selections finally will bear fruit.
"There's not much we can change at the end of the game, but I think our major concern is putting the ball into the back of the goal and that's what matters most," Whitmore said.
Some motivation can be gleaned from their play against Costa Rica up until the ejection. The Jamaicans matched Costa Rica's speed and at times had good spells of possession.
Whitmore tried to inspire his team by inserting Nicola Addlery for striker Luton Shelton against Costa Rica.
But that didn't not appear to have much effect.
The game will likely come down which team can impose its style, a technical possession game for El Salvador, while Jamaica will counter with speed and size.
If the Jamaicans can knock El Salvador off the ball and maintain possession, then they could service their speedy strikers who've been silent.
The Salvadorans will have success if they can maintain possession and break down Jamaica - something it couldn't accomplish against Canada.
"We didn't play well against Canada. We need to learn from our mistakes," De los Cobos said. "We didn't show our level and we know against Jamaica that the opportunity for us to show our virtues is there again -- and that's to keep the ball on the ground, have a lot of mobility and avoid physical contact because they're a little bit bigger than we are."
http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/...718429,00.html
MIAMI - A promising start could end with a disappointing finish for El Salvador.
That isn't the scenario Carlos de los Cobos envisioned amid the euphoria after his team beat Costa Rica 2-1 to win its opener.
Following a loss to Canada, El Salvador now is in a virtual must-win predicament.
Los Cuscatlecos can improve their chances of advancing to the next round of CONCACAF Gold Cup with a win over Jamaica Friday in the final match of Group A. In the first half of the doubleheader, Costa Rica and Canada will tussle for first place.
The Salvadorans are tied with Costa Rica for second place with three points, three behind Canada and three ahead of Jamaica. El Salvador can advance with a loss, but would need help.
After the opening win, El Salvador hit a Canadian wall, losing 1-0.
This time around, It will look to dictate the play against Jamaica.
"I feel the offensive capacity of the team depends on how the team gets to the game, not physically but how prepared they are when they get to the other team's goal," El Salvador manager Carlos de los Cobos said. "If you play with one or two attackers it doesn't necessarily mark the level of attack."
"It's more the sum of the units that accompany the action and that's what we lacked with Canada again - the depth. We were backed up too much and we lost continuity."
Goalless in their first two games, the Reggae Boyz need goals to stay alive.
Jamaica faced a disciplined Canadian midfield, and against Costa Rica played a man down for more than half the match after midfielder Rodolph Austin was sent off for kicking Costa Rican midfielder Celso Borges in the head.
Jamaica manager Theodore Whitmore plans no lineup changes and hopes that his selections finally will bear fruit.
"There's not much we can change at the end of the game, but I think our major concern is putting the ball into the back of the goal and that's what matters most," Whitmore said.
Some motivation can be gleaned from their play against Costa Rica up until the ejection. The Jamaicans matched Costa Rica's speed and at times had good spells of possession.
Whitmore tried to inspire his team by inserting Nicola Addlery for striker Luton Shelton against Costa Rica.
But that didn't not appear to have much effect.
The game will likely come down which team can impose its style, a technical possession game for El Salvador, while Jamaica will counter with speed and size.
If the Jamaicans can knock El Salvador off the ball and maintain possession, then they could service their speedy strikers who've been silent.
The Salvadorans will have success if they can maintain possession and break down Jamaica - something it couldn't accomplish against Canada.
"We didn't play well against Canada. We need to learn from our mistakes," De los Cobos said. "We didn't show our level and we know against Jamaica that the opportunity for us to show our virtues is there again -- and that's to keep the ball on the ground, have a lot of mobility and avoid physical contact because they're a little bit bigger than we are."
http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/...718429,00.html
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