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Reggae Boyz focus on positive result
Published: Wednesday | November 17, 2010
Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sports FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida:
EXECUTION at goal, marshalling the ball and their opponents, are prime targets at which Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will be taking aim, when they line up against Costa Ticos in a friendly international football match, at the Lockhart Stadium here tonight, beginning at 8 p.m.
"Our major concern is we're trying to work on our ball possession, and how we close down players, and our shooting," said Theodore Whitmore, head coach of the Jamaica team, following an extensive and intensive training session at Sunrise in the North Lauderdale area, yesterday morning.
There was much focus on all three elements in various drills, as the Reggae Boyz extended their preparation for the match, which is expected to provide a genuinely decent yardstick of their readiness for the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Cup (DCC) finals, which will be held in Martinique from November 26 to December 5.
The Jamaicans are the defending champions and want to earn a lift ahead of their regional title defence by closing out tonight's game with a morale-boosting win.
Important game
"It's a very important game for us," Whitmore noted of the clash against the Central Americans. "It's the last game before we enter a major competition. We're looking forward to a positive result, we're looking forward to see how we approach this game going into the DCC."
The last time the countries met, Jamaica won 1-0 on a Ryan Johnson goal, in early September at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Johnson, who represents Major League soccer outfit San Jose Earthquakes, will miss tonight's encounter after contesting Saturday's semi-finals against Colorado Rapids, with Reggae Boy Omar Cummings.
Both strikers will be included in the DCC squad, for which several players on Whitmore's roster are looking to stake strong claims, as the final selection is incomplete.
"Every player here is under consideration for the DCC. After the game tomorrow night, we'll select the final 20 players for the DCC," Whitmore stated.
Actually, one player, prolific striker Luton Shelton, will miss the match following a collision with goalkeeper Dwayne Miller at yesterday's practice.
Shelton, who appeared uncon-scious while lying flat after the clash, received attention on the pitch from team physician Dr Derrick McDowell, before he was taken to the West Side Hospital, Broward County.
"He had a minor head injury, not a concussion," McDowell revealed. "They did a CT scan and an X-ray of the jaw - at the tempero mandibular joint - and everything was normal.
"They suggested that he rest for two to three days with outpatient neurological observation," McDowell added.
The coach had played Shelton and O'Brian White as a pair upfront, on the starting eleven during the training session, and was keen to see them work together.
He said: "We've seen O'Brian White, basically himself and Shelton, we'd like to see where they are."
White represented Jamaica at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 levels, and now gets his first look-in among the seniors. Shelton's likely replacement could be Dever Orgill, a livewire of immense talent who made his debut in Jamaica's last game, a home win against Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), earlier this month.
Whitmore could also push winger Dane Richards upfront from the wide midfield role and inject another midfielder, as tried, tested and proven regulars Jason Morrison and Richard Edwards were not among the starters in yesterday's drills.
Rodolph Austin, Shaun Francis, who got a debut against T&T, Keammar Daley and Lovel Palmer featured among that midfield listing, as Whitmore looked at his options. At the back of the team, Shavar Thomas, Jermaine Taylor and Adrian Reid shielded goalkeeper Miller, while the team worked on its plot.
Launch pad for 2014 w cup
The Boyz are ranked 79th by FIFA, 14 places below the Costa Ricans, who had mixed results in their last two friendlies - beating El Salvador 2-1 at home, but losing 2-0 away to Peru.
Jamaica also lost to Peru recently, 2-1 here in Fort Lauderdale.
Ultimately, the Costa Ricans are using the game to launch their preparations for the 2014 World Cup Finals, to be staged in Brazil. They have a new coach, Argentine Ricardo Lavolpe, who previously managed Mexico.
He has included about eight overseas-based players in his squad, headed by Bryan Ruiz, their captain, who plays in the Netherlands at FC Twente.
Several of the Costa Ricans are used to matching up against their Jamaican counterparts, with the New York Red Bulls' Roy Miller, Chivas USA's Michael Umana, Michael Barrantes of Norwegian club Aalesunds and Randall Alofeica (KAA Gent, Belgium) playing in same leagues.
Speaking through an interpreter, Lavolpe told a press conference yesterday that he is "more interested in seeing how the players react" in the game against Jamaica and "know that they are on the same page."
He also said even though it is a friendly, "it's a game to get results."
For Jamaica, the target is the same.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports3.html
Published: Wednesday | November 17, 2010
Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sports FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida:
EXECUTION at goal, marshalling the ball and their opponents, are prime targets at which Jamaica's Reggae Boyz will be taking aim, when they line up against Costa Ticos in a friendly international football match, at the Lockhart Stadium here tonight, beginning at 8 p.m.
"Our major concern is we're trying to work on our ball possession, and how we close down players, and our shooting," said Theodore Whitmore, head coach of the Jamaica team, following an extensive and intensive training session at Sunrise in the North Lauderdale area, yesterday morning.
There was much focus on all three elements in various drills, as the Reggae Boyz extended their preparation for the match, which is expected to provide a genuinely decent yardstick of their readiness for the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Cup (DCC) finals, which will be held in Martinique from November 26 to December 5.
The Jamaicans are the defending champions and want to earn a lift ahead of their regional title defence by closing out tonight's game with a morale-boosting win.
Important game
"It's a very important game for us," Whitmore noted of the clash against the Central Americans. "It's the last game before we enter a major competition. We're looking forward to a positive result, we're looking forward to see how we approach this game going into the DCC."
The last time the countries met, Jamaica won 1-0 on a Ryan Johnson goal, in early September at the National Stadium in Kingston.
Johnson, who represents Major League soccer outfit San Jose Earthquakes, will miss tonight's encounter after contesting Saturday's semi-finals against Colorado Rapids, with Reggae Boy Omar Cummings.
Both strikers will be included in the DCC squad, for which several players on Whitmore's roster are looking to stake strong claims, as the final selection is incomplete.
"Every player here is under consideration for the DCC. After the game tomorrow night, we'll select the final 20 players for the DCC," Whitmore stated.
Actually, one player, prolific striker Luton Shelton, will miss the match following a collision with goalkeeper Dwayne Miller at yesterday's practice.
Shelton, who appeared uncon-scious while lying flat after the clash, received attention on the pitch from team physician Dr Derrick McDowell, before he was taken to the West Side Hospital, Broward County.
"He had a minor head injury, not a concussion," McDowell revealed. "They did a CT scan and an X-ray of the jaw - at the tempero mandibular joint - and everything was normal.
"They suggested that he rest for two to three days with outpatient neurological observation," McDowell added.
The coach had played Shelton and O'Brian White as a pair upfront, on the starting eleven during the training session, and was keen to see them work together.
He said: "We've seen O'Brian White, basically himself and Shelton, we'd like to see where they are."
White represented Jamaica at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-20 levels, and now gets his first look-in among the seniors. Shelton's likely replacement could be Dever Orgill, a livewire of immense talent who made his debut in Jamaica's last game, a home win against Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), earlier this month.
Whitmore could also push winger Dane Richards upfront from the wide midfield role and inject another midfielder, as tried, tested and proven regulars Jason Morrison and Richard Edwards were not among the starters in yesterday's drills.
Rodolph Austin, Shaun Francis, who got a debut against T&T, Keammar Daley and Lovel Palmer featured among that midfield listing, as Whitmore looked at his options. At the back of the team, Shavar Thomas, Jermaine Taylor and Adrian Reid shielded goalkeeper Miller, while the team worked on its plot.
Launch pad for 2014 w cup
The Boyz are ranked 79th by FIFA, 14 places below the Costa Ricans, who had mixed results in their last two friendlies - beating El Salvador 2-1 at home, but losing 2-0 away to Peru.
Jamaica also lost to Peru recently, 2-1 here in Fort Lauderdale.
Ultimately, the Costa Ricans are using the game to launch their preparations for the 2014 World Cup Finals, to be staged in Brazil. They have a new coach, Argentine Ricardo Lavolpe, who previously managed Mexico.
He has included about eight overseas-based players in his squad, headed by Bryan Ruiz, their captain, who plays in the Netherlands at FC Twente.
Several of the Costa Ricans are used to matching up against their Jamaican counterparts, with the New York Red Bulls' Roy Miller, Chivas USA's Michael Umana, Michael Barrantes of Norwegian club Aalesunds and Randall Alofeica (KAA Gent, Belgium) playing in same leagues.
Speaking through an interpreter, Lavolpe told a press conference yesterday that he is "more interested in seeing how the players react" in the game against Jamaica and "know that they are on the same page."
He also said even though it is a friendly, "it's a game to get results."
For Jamaica, the target is the same.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports3.html
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