A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

[Karl]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic</SPAN>
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Saturday, February 24, 2007
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<P class=StoryText align=justify>Despite the losing start by the national under-20s at the age-group CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers in Mexico on Wednesday, this has been a pretty good week for Jamaica's football.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Like the rest of the sporting fraternity we are extremely heartened by the performance in Hong Kong of a Jamaica senior squad in their first competitive assignment under the guidance of Technical Director Mr Bora Milutinovic.<P class=StoryText align=justify>For the record, Mr Milutinovic's squad, made up entirely of Jamaica-based players - a mix of under-23s and older - went to Hong Kong, China and won the 2007 Lunar New Year Cup, an annual football festival. This, after they travelled at relatively short notice and with very little preparation.<P class=StoryText align=justify>The Reggae Boyz won on penalty kicks in both their games, against a Hong Kong XI made up of professionals playing in that city's football league and China's Under-23s, after regulation and extra time ended in stalemate.<P class=StoryText align=justify>For those of us watching on television a half a world away, the most striking thing about the Reggae Boyz performance was the lack of technical quality of their football. Penalty kicks apart, the technical aspect was fair, but far from outstanding. The element that was most appealing was the tactical discipline; the obvious adherence to team plan and coach's instructions - in line with what the coach clearly thought was possible in the specific circumstances.<P class=StoryText align=justify>It was a case of recognising limitations, and having the mental strength and composure to execute within those limitations. The effort by the Reggae Boyz - a few of whom had never even played overseas before - reflected a mix of good sense and practical application that is all too often lacking in national life.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Importantly, the games told us a thing or two about Mr Milutinovic's approach to football and what to expect from him.<P class=StoryText align=justify>For one thing, having spent several weeks touring the country and watching football at all levels, Mr Milutinovic made a few choices that raised eyebrows. He included players who had been ignored by national coaches for years and others - including one or two from the lower leagues - of whom most football followers had never heard.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Then in the opening match preview published in the Sunday Observer, Mr Milutinovic, spoke of his respect for intelligence and mental strength on the football field.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Said he: "The football is not exact science. Soccer is a game and the winner is the team with the more intelligent players. With intelligent players, everything becomes much easier.
"I can use any formation to enter the field, but during the game players need to know the game to realise what they need at every moment."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Just from watching those two games on television, there could be no doubt that Mr Milutinovic had paid due attention to IQ and strength of mind. As we look forward to next year's start of the qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, we say press ahead, Mr Milutinovic.

[Karl]

RE: A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

Is it a good beginning for Jamaica? Our Seniors won and our U-20 got beaten - glass half-empty or glass half-full?

[Gamma]

RE: A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

how about the u17's? everbody figget dem arready?

[Mosiah]

RE: A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

<DIV>I am going to go against popular opinion here again. Surprise! </DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>I thought we did so badly against China that all this talk about tactical discipline is just baloney. China hit the bar at least twice, shot directly at the goalkeeper on other occasions and were just plain unfortunate. We appeared "tactically disciplined" in defence, when we had the ball. But we always do. No team's defencepasses around the ball more often than we do. In the football world, there must be a name for that by now. I call it the Simoes Shuffle. But when we don't have the ball...stress! Major stress at that.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Sorry, but we won the Lunar New Year Cup because of Jamaica's undercover love of the Pig. </DIV>

[Karl]

RE: A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

Mosiah (2/25/2007)<DIV>I am going to go against popular opinion here again. Surprise! </DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>I thought we did so badly against China that all this talk about tactical discipline is just baloney. China hit the bar at least twice, shot directly at the goalkeeper on other occasions and were just plain unfortunate. We appeared "tactically disciplined" in defence, when we had the ball. But we always do. No team's defencepasses around the ball more often than we do. In the football world, there must be a name for that by now. I call it the Simoes Shuffle. But when we don't have the ball...stress! Major stress at that.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Sorry, but we won the Lunar New Year Cup because of Jamaica's undercover love of the Pig. </DIV>

Unfortunately some of us do not understand that you can be crappy and go on to win. Usually a crappy team will sometimes win...just never usually winning a tournament.

Qualifying for a World Championship and or the World Cup entails playing in tournaments that require playing many matches. The crappy teams fall by the wayside in those tournaments.

[Jamaica2099]

RE: A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

Wait! Didn't Coach Bora point out the technical aspects of the game enroute to China. Didn't Coach Bora chose the Lunar Cup over the Costa Rica friendly for a reason.Didn't Coach Bora point out thathe was not looking at results but experience for the Olympic team since he had had the team together in training for less than a month.

Now let's put what Coach Bora said in the post-match conference: Bora said the Jamaican team was 60% ready that 40% belong to the defence 10% for the midfield and you know the other 10%.

For a team that started trainingtwo&amp; half weeks for a tournament. That 100% good news to me. (Clap)(Clap)(Clap)

[Jangle]

RE: A good beginning for Mr Milutinovic

Come on guys! I think some of you are being too harsh. It is very unrealistic to expect us to be playing at high quality international level with this team. This is a local team afterall, with very few of them having even travelled on a plane. A few of them were having their pictures taken for the first time to get a passport. Damn it man!!!! Give them a break!!!!! Give the coach a break also!!!! The man has a plan, let him execute it!!!!

I personally don't think that the U20 was more important. Why should he waste his time to go to Mexico with them? The man probably knew beforehand that they weren't going anywhere.Given the fact that they were without any form of international match practice, what was the use? He didn't pick the team. You guys need to realise that Bora is approaching team selection in a way that is completely alien to Jamaicans. He is selecting players who have sense. The man is basically starting from ground up.The real test is when he has all the foreigners at his disposal. For now I will reserve my criticisms until after he has had at least three top quality international matches with the foreigners.