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Over the last six months or so I have been watching a number of local (T&T) u-16 units play and I have come to the conclusion, after reading the match report of JA's first game in the present U16 tournament, and seeing some of the other "islanders" (including Guyana) vs T&T on TV (the only games I've seen televised are with T&T) that our, as in Caribbean players, cannot play football for ninety minutes.
Mind you I can't even play for nine (ask Exile who is deceptively fit these days, man a score goal like dem going outta style) but the point being is that we, i.e. JA, T&T, Guyana, Grenada etc cannot maintain intensity or a high level of football for the required 90 minutes. This is why I predict that Canada, Mexico and maybe the other central American teams involved in the u16 competition have a better chance of being victorious than say JA does.
Why is this? On a skill level and taking certain given fifteen minute periods brilliant football is being played by Jamaica, T&T and even Guyana, and on a level on par with the "bigger" countries. We fall down when it comes to sustainability.
This is an area of weakness that our coach(es) have to work on. It is disappointing to see teams work brilliantly for half a match and then throw it away because of lack of intensity...and I'm not talking fitness...looks more like the mental aspect of the game is sadly lacking.
PeterR
Over the last six months or so I have been watching a number of local (T&T) u-16 units play and I have come to the conclusion, after reading the match report of JA's first game in the present U16 tournament, and seeing some of the other "islanders" (including Guyana) vs T&T on TV (the only games I've seen televised are with T&T) that our, as in Caribbean players, cannot play football for ninety minutes.
Mind you I can't even play for nine (ask Exile who is deceptively fit these days, man a score goal like dem going outta style) but the point being is that we, i.e. JA, T&T, Guyana, Grenada etc cannot maintain intensity or a high level of football for the required 90 minutes. This is why I predict that Canada, Mexico and maybe the other central American teams involved in the u16 competition have a better chance of being victorious than say JA does.
Why is this? On a skill level and taking certain given fifteen minute periods brilliant football is being played by Jamaica, T&T and even Guyana, and on a level on par with the "bigger" countries. We fall down when it comes to sustainability.
This is an area of weakness that our coach(es) have to work on. It is disappointing to see teams work brilliantly for half a match and then throw it away because of lack of intensity...and I'm not talking fitness...looks more like the mental aspect of the game is sadly lacking.
PeterR
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