History created - Jamaica 1 - 1 France

[Karl]

First point gained at the U-17 level.

A much improved performance.
The talent is there!

[Sir X]

History repeated TALENT FLUSHED DOWN THE DRAIN......allowed to sit on their asses for months before a FIFA tournament and gave a credible showing...what could have been.

[Me]

Considering how they looked in qualifiers, scoring 2 goals and conceding 3 when your opponents consisted of Japan, France and Argentina is a good job by the players and the coach. Time for the JFF to step up because we all know the club infrastructure/coaches is not there to properly continue the development of these youngsters.

I don't expect all the players to make it to the senior level or even under 20 team, but there is enough talent there that they should be forming the backbone of the next under 20 team and a few should make it to the senior ranks in a few years.

[Sir X]

Agreed.but yuh dun know wi lucky if one mek it.

[Karl]

Downswell wants investment in U17s

Downswell wants investment in U17s

Published: Wednesday | June 29, 2011




Jamaica's Under-17 footballer Jamaugh Cunningham (centre) gets the attention of teammate Cardel Benbow (right), as the players carry their luggage upon arrival at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday. - Gladstone Taylor/Photographer





Head coach Wendell Downswell.

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer JAMAICA'S under-17 football team returned to the island yesterday after a creditable showing at the World Cup, despite not making it past the first round.

The youngsters achieved two major milestones, as they were the first Jamaica team to score at the under-17 FIFA Youth Championship; and they were also the first to gain a point at that level.

This was the second Jamaica team that has made it to the under 17 World Cup, as in 1999 some of the top young players in the country formed part of Jamaica's first team to qualify for the tournament, which was held in New Zealand. However, only a minute number of the players who formed a part of that squad 12 years ago can be found among the current senior team setup.

Solid foundation

Head coach Wendell Downswell is hoping that the same thing will not happen with this current crop of players.

"A solid foundation has been laid and they were quite competitive throughout, it is just for us to build on this," Downswell said, shortly after touching down at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.

"We can't, after this World Cup, just forget about them and it is when qualifiers come around again we go and seek for them again."

He added: "We have to invest in these youngsters, we have started the process and it is just for us to continue. What we would like to see is that a larger volume of these players, having got this international exposure at the World Cup, make the transition."

Downswell has his own ideas as to how the continuous development of these players can be achieved.

"As a team you have to enter them in the local competitions, probably the under-20 and under-21 competitions and then between that you have some international games for them," Downswell proposed.

"Some may go overseas, but we have to maintain contact with them and the possibility of getting them some scholarships locally needs to be vigorously explored at the likes of G.C. Foster (College), University of Technology (UTech) and University of the West Indies (UWI)," he added.

Disappointed

The young Reggae Boyz finished at the bottom of the four-team group with one point, having lost 1-0 and 2-1 to Japan and Argentina, respectively. Their lone point came in their 1-1 draw with France, in their final game of the tournament.

Downswell, despite being pleased with the team's overall performance, was, however, disappointed with them not advancing past the first round.
"We are pleased with the performance of the team itself as the youngsters demonstrated that they are quite competent throughout the tournament," Downswell said.

"It was a bit unfortunate and I am somewhat disappointed that we didn't advance to the next round."

He added: "Argentina, which had a worse goal average than us, advanced and they did that by virtue of beating us 2-1 and that is a game that we could have won."

Downswell, who still regrets the fact that the team did not get the opportunity to train in Spain prior to the tournament, believes the major disparity between Jamaica and the other teams on show was goalscoring.

"I think defensively our organisation was good, but we did not score the opportunities that we created," Downswell expressed. "This is something we have to look at and not only our strikers, but in general our goalscoring machinery."

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports5.html

[Willi]

Only saw the 2nd half of the last match and France balled us there.

[Karl]

We were the poorer TEAM in all our matches.

...although I think based on scoreline...we could have won all the matches.
If we had won any of the matches the danger would be interpretation that we were on par with the opponents. We clearly are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay below them in competence and 'football knowledge'.

That being below level of competence does not detract from level of individual talent...we clearly were on par or better...but it showed up woeful lack of teaching and exposure.

Hey if you were never taught or exposed in any form to algebra or add-math it would be crazy to think you could sit an exam in either or both and be successful. ..but that surely would not speak to inherent talent and ability to grasp either or both subjects.

Our players were never taught or exposed to 'the necessary subject matter'. ...but I saw enough to know the talent and ability to grasp is, in each of them, there.

Respek to our kids!