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Young Boyz go down in hot-tempered showdown
BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Both Jamaica and the United States Under-17 coaches are reporting they met their objectives in the two-game friendly series between the teams in Montego Bay last week.
The United States won Sunday's second game 2-1 after drawing the first 0-0, both at Jarrett Park as the teams continued preparations for the 12-team CONCACAF Under-17 Championship to be held at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and the Montego Bay Sports Complex, starting February 14.
Esteban Rodriquez scored a hotly-contested penalty in the 45th minute for the Americans, while Alfred Koroma added a second in the 52nd minute before Jamaica's captain Omar Holness scored a well-placed header in the 67th minute.
Tempers flared late in the game after Rodriquez was fouled and taken out of the game as the Americans reacted with a rash of hard tackles.
Rodriques, who was one of the best players on the field, went down under a challenge from Oshane Jenkins and had to be taken off.
Soon after a melee broke out where punches were thrown and the entire US bench and coaches went onto the field.
Interestingly after the players were separated, only two cautions were issued by referee Valdin Ledgister, one to Jenkins and the other to the American Jack McBean.
It took a while for tempers to calm down and another American Zach Carroll was also cautioned in the 80th minute, two minutes after he replaced Alejandro Guido.
In post match interviews, Cabrera said he was pleased with the reaction of his players. "When you have to go into an environment we need to see if they can react and to show if they have personality and not be scared and they responded well," he told the Observer. "When we have to play soccer we play soccer, when we have to go hard we can go hard," he added.
Cabrera -- a former Colombian international who played at the 1998 France World Cup -- said it was important for the players to identify "momentum change" and described the game as "good, tough and intense game, but we saw good things".
The US team made eight changes to the starting team that played on Thursday, while the locals made four of their own. "We need to see the players... we brought 20 players and we wanted to see who can stand the pressure, who can wear the national team jersey and who can perform at the level that we need," said Cabrera.
Jamaica's head coach Wendell Downswell said the games were beneficial for his team. "It was an excellent exercise for us against a formidable opposition," he noted. He added that there needs to be more consistency "especially in attack".
"We just need to be a bit more consistent in terms of our approach especially offensively; overall I wouldn't say I am completely satisfied and we have some work to do," noted Downswell.
Despite conceding two goals, he said the defence did well.
Both coaches agreed that Sunday's game was better than the first one as the team came out positive and played attractive attacking football.
The goalkeepers were called into action early as Jamaica's Richard Trench made a good reflex save in the sixth minute to keep out a shot from Guido with his left boot.
Two minutes later, Jamaica's Patrick Hadden was sent through, but Fernando Pina was off his line to intercept the cross.
The USA team was awarded a penalty in the 45th minute when Jamaica's Quante Smith was ruled to have fouled Marc Pelosi as both players jumped for a high ball and the American fell.
Rodriquez converted the spot kick even as the Jamaican bench protested.
Koroma made it 2-0 seven minutes into the second half when he finished off a brilliant move by punching the ball left-footed past Trench at his near right post.
Holness pulled one back for the Jamaicans when he rose to head home from a corner, picking his spot and beating Pina to his left.
Teams:
Jamaica -- Keino Wallace, Richard Trench (Niko Campbell-81st), Patrick Palmer, Oshane Jenkins, Romario Jones, Melvin Blair (Troy Moo-Pen 65th), Omar Holness, Jason Wright, (Romario Williams 64th), Patrick Hadden (Noel Johnson 59th), Quante Smith, Shawn Lawson (Jovia Roberts 54th).
Subs not used: Odean Clarke, Roman Brown, Jason Jacobs, Junior Flemming, Cordel Benbow, Kaya Beckford
Booked: Q Smith (45th), Jenkins (73rd), Williams (80th)
United States -- Nathan Smith, Mobi Fehr, Alfred Koroma (Andrew Oliver 81st), Marc Pelosi, Alejandro Guido (Zach Carroll 78th), Kellyn Acosta, Andrew Souders (Tarick Salkicic 90th), Matt Dunn, Fernando Pina, Jack McBean, Esteban Rodriquez (Jordan Allen 70th).
Subs not used: Kendell McIntosh, Joe Amon, Paul Arriola, Christian Duarte, Mario Rodriques
Booked: Jack McBean (73rd), Carroll (80th)
Referee: Valdin Ledgister
Assistants: Kedlee Powell, Antoinette Williams
Fourth Official: Dwight Royal
Match Commissary: Fitzroy Reid
Young Boyz go down in hot-tempered showdown
BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Both Jamaica and the United States Under-17 coaches are reporting they met their objectives in the two-game friendly series between the teams in Montego Bay last week.
The United States won Sunday's second game 2-1 after drawing the first 0-0, both at Jarrett Park as the teams continued preparations for the 12-team CONCACAF Under-17 Championship to be held at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium and the Montego Bay Sports Complex, starting February 14.
Esteban Rodriquez scored a hotly-contested penalty in the 45th minute for the Americans, while Alfred Koroma added a second in the 52nd minute before Jamaica's captain Omar Holness scored a well-placed header in the 67th minute.
Tempers flared late in the game after Rodriquez was fouled and taken out of the game as the Americans reacted with a rash of hard tackles.
Rodriques, who was one of the best players on the field, went down under a challenge from Oshane Jenkins and had to be taken off.
Soon after a melee broke out where punches were thrown and the entire US bench and coaches went onto the field.
Interestingly after the players were separated, only two cautions were issued by referee Valdin Ledgister, one to Jenkins and the other to the American Jack McBean.
It took a while for tempers to calm down and another American Zach Carroll was also cautioned in the 80th minute, two minutes after he replaced Alejandro Guido.
In post match interviews, Cabrera said he was pleased with the reaction of his players. "When you have to go into an environment we need to see if they can react and to show if they have personality and not be scared and they responded well," he told the Observer. "When we have to play soccer we play soccer, when we have to go hard we can go hard," he added.
Cabrera -- a former Colombian international who played at the 1998 France World Cup -- said it was important for the players to identify "momentum change" and described the game as "good, tough and intense game, but we saw good things".
The US team made eight changes to the starting team that played on Thursday, while the locals made four of their own. "We need to see the players... we brought 20 players and we wanted to see who can stand the pressure, who can wear the national team jersey and who can perform at the level that we need," said Cabrera.
Jamaica's head coach Wendell Downswell said the games were beneficial for his team. "It was an excellent exercise for us against a formidable opposition," he noted. He added that there needs to be more consistency "especially in attack".
"We just need to be a bit more consistent in terms of our approach especially offensively; overall I wouldn't say I am completely satisfied and we have some work to do," noted Downswell.
Despite conceding two goals, he said the defence did well.
Both coaches agreed that Sunday's game was better than the first one as the team came out positive and played attractive attacking football.
The goalkeepers were called into action early as Jamaica's Richard Trench made a good reflex save in the sixth minute to keep out a shot from Guido with his left boot.
Two minutes later, Jamaica's Patrick Hadden was sent through, but Fernando Pina was off his line to intercept the cross.
The USA team was awarded a penalty in the 45th minute when Jamaica's Quante Smith was ruled to have fouled Marc Pelosi as both players jumped for a high ball and the American fell.
Rodriquez converted the spot kick even as the Jamaican bench protested.
Koroma made it 2-0 seven minutes into the second half when he finished off a brilliant move by punching the ball left-footed past Trench at his near right post.
Holness pulled one back for the Jamaicans when he rose to head home from a corner, picking his spot and beating Pina to his left.
Teams:
Jamaica -- Keino Wallace, Richard Trench (Niko Campbell-81st), Patrick Palmer, Oshane Jenkins, Romario Jones, Melvin Blair (Troy Moo-Pen 65th), Omar Holness, Jason Wright, (Romario Williams 64th), Patrick Hadden (Noel Johnson 59th), Quante Smith, Shawn Lawson (Jovia Roberts 54th).
Subs not used: Odean Clarke, Roman Brown, Jason Jacobs, Junior Flemming, Cordel Benbow, Kaya Beckford
Booked: Q Smith (45th), Jenkins (73rd), Williams (80th)
United States -- Nathan Smith, Mobi Fehr, Alfred Koroma (Andrew Oliver 81st), Marc Pelosi, Alejandro Guido (Zach Carroll 78th), Kellyn Acosta, Andrew Souders (Tarick Salkicic 90th), Matt Dunn, Fernando Pina, Jack McBean, Esteban Rodriquez (Jordan Allen 70th).
Subs not used: Kendell McIntosh, Joe Amon, Paul Arriola, Christian Duarte, Mario Rodriques
Booked: Jack McBean (73rd), Carroll (80th)
Referee: Valdin Ledgister
Assistants: Kedlee Powell, Antoinette Williams
Fourth Official: Dwight Royal
Match Commissary: Fitzroy Reid
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