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U-20: First Blood
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RE: U-20: First Blood
Advantage Jamaica ... Under-20s secure two-goal cushion over T&T
published: Monday | December 4, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody Rjuf6="true">
Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Jamaica's Joel Grant turns away from his marker during their Under-20 CONCACAF Final Round play-off game at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium yesterday. Grant scored twice as Jamaica registered a 2-0 first-leg victory. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
A double strike by Joel Grant propelled Jamaica to a 2-0 first-leg win over Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) in their CONCACAF Under-20 Final Round play-off at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium yesterday.
Grant, who plays for English Premier League outfit Watford, netted in the 32nd and 75th minutes to give Jamaica a two- goal cushion for the return leg in the twin-island republic on Wednesday, December 6.
In a game that saw T&T missing two early chances, Grant opened the scoring after latching on to a through pass and calmly placed his shot wide of the advancing goalkeeper Adrian Foncette.
He then doubled Jamaica's lead and eased the nerves of the fidgeting Jamaica Football Federation President, Crenston Boxhill, with a beautiful strike.
Good volley
Grant, sitting at the top of the box, volleyed home an attempted clearance from an Eric Vernon corner kick in the 75th minute.
Dr. Dean Weatherly, coach of the young Reggae Boyz, although not altogether pleased noted that his team will have to make the best of the two-goal cushion.
Said Weatherly: "It (2-0) has to serve right now. We would have been happy with three or four and I saw where we created the chances, which is good. But I would be definitely happier with three or four goals."
Losing coach Brian Williams thought his team played poorly in defence and has a lot of work to do for the return leg.
"We could have played a much better game defensively, especially playing away from home. We have to go back to Trinidad and do our work. At any level to take away a two-goal deficit is a really tough job," said Williams.
He added: "Jamaica are really playing well but we have to play the game according to the situation. We have to try and get the goals and work as hard as possible. We have to get more offensive players in the game and go for the goals."
SCOREBOARD
Jamaica - 2
(Joel Grant 32nd, 75th)
Trinidad & Tobago - 0
</DIV>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
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RE: U-20: First Blood
Sickko (12/4/2006)And look who score too, the UB40......:smooooth:
...but, ignore the more important need for excellent back-office support and the need for excellent preparation of our national squads against TOP OF THE WORLD opposition in their respective groupings?
Totally ignored the trend of our national teams of whipping the CFU teams and falling at the higher levels of CONCACAF (95+% of the time) and being disgraced at FIFA final levels?
Why do you and our JFF run away fromwhatthe results show? Why is it we do just enough toget winning results at the CFU level and ignore the fact that preparation to reap successes at higher levelsis paramount?
Why the silly claims of not being able to provide proper preparations? If the results show us our current managment practises arenot getting us the results we desire in CONCACAF and at the FIFA Finals (1998, 1999 & 2001) levels then isn't it incombent on us to shape our preparations tobring results at those higher levels? Would not good managers do that?
The head in the sand approach has not worked! ...and, our football histroy shows it will not work!"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
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RE: U-20: First Blood
<DIV>The best part is, Dean realises that it wasn't pretty. Jamaica could have been down two goals had it not been for some quick recovery by our defence (or was it hesitation on the Trini's part?) and sloppy shooting by the Trinis. When we were up a goal, the Trinis had a very legitimate appeal for a penalty ignored. Everyone in the stands (and dem say Jamaicans nuh fair! :w00t were calling for the penalty. Those who were not calling for it were embarrassed that it was not given. (Yes, Nyamdirt, run with this on your Trini site.)</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Only after Grant fired in a marvellous left-footed volley from the top of the area, did it appear that we relaxed and began to play. Indeed, we should have converted at least 2 more. One diving header came crashing off the crossbar following a splendid build-up on the right hand side, and Grant should have had his hat-trick following that. In fact, there were more near missed, but you can't expect all of them to go in.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Wish I knew all the players, but the bright sparks were Grant, Senior and Cousins, the latter two in midfield. </DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Still, the team has a lot of work to do. This Trini team was not exactly a class outfit, and that why quite an ordinary team like our could have dominated, at least in terms of chances created.</DIV>
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RE: U-20: First Blood
Well, at least if we get over the CFU bumpwecan then start to work on beating thebigger teams.I have no problem with what HL once called the 8:3 ratio as that will put us in the bigger competitions. Look atthe predicamentwe find ourselves in with the senior team. While the Gold Cup willbe played, we will be at home getting rusty. If we had brought in 2 or three overseas based players at the 11th hour, things could've been different.
Joel Grant's 2-goal outburst is sweet Poetic Justice in the faces of those who would not wanthim on the team."The contribution of forumites and others who visit shouldn’t be discounted, and offending people shouldn’t be the first thing on our minds. Most of us are educated and can do better." Mi bredrin Sass Jan. 29,2011
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RE: U-20: First Blood
The fact is none of these players are what we would call 'foreigners' or last minute inclusions...they have been in the prgramme for a while and have represneted the country along with these same playersso the fear of the players not gelling was unjustified...also the talk about 'dissing' local players was nonsenseSolidarity is not a matter of well wishing, but is sharing the very same fate whether in victory or in death.
Che Guevara.
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RE: U-20: First Blood
<DIV>Preparation going into this match was spotty at best. I didn't want to say much for fear of giving the Trinis confidence. The team had one hurriedly arranged practice match and the practice sessions were...well, practice sessions. </DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>So, although Joel Grant proved his worth, I don't believe we would have lost if he wasn't there andwe had some decent preparation going in. The difference is, he has been preparing just by being in a professional outfit like Watford. So, I still say that we can do without looking through passports and family trees. If we prepare right, then we have the personnel to do just as much, or more, than what Grant had to offer.</DIV>
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RE: U-20: First Blood
I have been over the Trini forum from last week pointing out the same thing about limited with no international preparation for the Young Boyz. But the Trinis and Toussaint started lamblasting me about coming up with excuses and blaming Boxhill.
However I pointed out that we would still beat their Young Warriors. The fact being that our Young Boyz' motivation would merely be based on knowing that they would be playing their #1 rivals in CFU.
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