Experts question Tappa

[Sir X]

SPORT

Experts question Jamaica's tactics against Panama

BY HOWARD WALKER Observer Senior Reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, March 24, 2013

A few tweaks here and there in team selection and positional play could have given Jamaica the edge against Panama in their CONCACAF World Cup qualifier and three vital points, agreed local coaches Calvin Lewis and Donovan Duckie.

Both coaches, though not critical of head coach Theodore Whitmore, would have done things a little bit different noting that every coach has their own style.

Both coaches believe that, although Jamaica needed to win at home, they were lucky to come away from the 'The Office' with a point.

Lewis, who led Portmore United to the Premier League title last year and the current coach of Arnett Gardens, said it was a game Jamaica could have lost based on the number of chances Panama created.

"I think tactically we should have played with Shelton (Luton) further forward and McAnuff (Joel) playing on the left side. I think that's where the breakdown came," Lewis highlighted.

"The set-up, 4-4-2, because of the short time span to prepare the team, we should put the players in the positions they play in their clubs. But as coaches, we tend to do things a little bit different[ly] and we want to put our own mark on what we are doing," said Lewis.

Lewis, who is also a police officer, thought the team played well at the back but was outplayed in the middle of the park.

"Defensively, we were good, based on the fact that Panama never really penetrated. I think they were a bit wayward in terms of the attacking third, didn't create enough, and yes they were passing the ball in midfield, but I think they outboxed our midfield by putting numbers, and we didn't respond. And on several occasions they created a lot of two versus one, three versus two situations and they were always more dominant in midfield, and that's where we struggled in the game," he noted.

Jermaine 'Teddy' Johnson came on late and made his mark with some telling penetrative dribbles and fans were left wondering why he didn't retain his place in the starting team following the Mexico game.

"Teddy Johnson left a lot of people saying, 'yes, he should have started in the game', but again that's a decision for the coaching staff. When a player come on the field for the last 15 or 20 minutes... a player with that pace and skill and display all of that, people are going to say he should have started," Lewis explained.

Meanwhile, Duckie, a former National Under-20 head coach and assistant to Serbian Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic a few year ago, noted that Jamaica were not aggressive enough and played like the away team.

"We never pressed and be aggressive, and it looked like Panama were at their home. When they lost the ball they could bounce out, while we couldn't. One, two passes and we kick it up field," said Duckie.

"If we did re-establish pressure at the top, they couldn't hurt us. They wouldn't get to come out so easily. When they lose the ball we can't bounce out, we have to either dribble out," he added.

"It's the same thing we did against Mexico, and it's basically the same here at home, in term of the style of play and the approach. We can't be a counter-attacking team. We must be a dynamic team with a style of play. When we were in possession the attack was based upon individualism. Shelton a dribble, McAnuff a dribble, and Teddy came on a dribble. There were no three or four passes and come out," noted Duckie.

According to Duckie, Jamaica's game against Panama showed no connection, and was clearly missing something, when compared to the Mexico game.
"In Mexico we were more compact. 'Teddy' was there to make two passes and connect. This game, the team just had runners and defensive players. We had no player with extreme dynamism to add a little flavour and mobility in the final third.

There was no overlapping run, no third-man run," he said.

Duckie also questioned the rationale of Doyley being left on the bench in favour of a converted midfielder Omar Daley playing right back after Nosworthy got injured.

"Now, Nosworthy got injured, why bring Jermaine Taylor inside, why we have a midfielder coming on and Doyley a specialist right back on the bench? So, in other words, when we conceded the goal we had a midfielder and two wingbacks playing in a back four, because Taylor would still be in a psychological mode of a right back," Duckie noted.

Duckie also pointed out that no attention was paid to the blonde looking Nelson Barahona when he was introduced into the game.

"We didn't make any adjustment and this guy had all the freedom in the park. We didn't put an individual on him to cool him down," said Duckie.

Both coached highlighted the poor transition, and that basically came from a poor display in the midfield area, that needs to be addressed for the Costa Rica encounter.

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[Sir X]

A diagnosis of Boyz' 'Office' hiccup

BY CLYDE JUREIDINI
Sunday, March 24, 2013

THE massive turnout of the proud 30,000 Jamaicans all flocked to 'The Office' while Jamaicans at home and the diaspora were glued to their television sets to witness first- hand how the new band of Reggae Boyz would make the Panamanians dance to a different beat. But they left disappointed that their team could not hold on to the lead and win the match.

One of the things that stands out in the game, at least in my mind, is the substandard handling of the game by the Honduran refereeing team. The less said of that the better.


THE GAME:
Panama went on the offensive with short snappy passes, co-ordinated team movement going forward as they thrust six players and sometimes seven into midfield positions to swarm the possession areas with two high-pressing players, deployed against our central defenders to keep them under constant pressure and seeking the first goal advantage. It worked for them in dominant possession, but poor penetrative selections and hurriedly shooting from distance raised no real alarm bells until after 20 minutes when twin-brother coaches, led by Julio Dely Valdes, seemed to voluntarily withdraw his troops for Jamaica to start possession amongst defenders and launch long ball attacks, largely through right wingback, Jermaine Taylor.
Two minutes later, Garath McClearly's dribble earned the first Reggae Boyz corner on the right, taken by left-footer, Demar Phillips curving onto the forehead of Marvin Elliott, his towering presence a distinct advantage to head downward inside the far post to score his first goal to send the stadium crowd into wild celebration.
After the goal, Jamaica took the ascendancy but without any real authority and conviction to lead 1-0 at the break.
But, out of nowhere Nyron Nosworthy sustained an ankle injury just before the break as he was helped off the field to appreciative handclaps, Omar Daley entered the fray and Jermaine Taylor assumed his customary central defensive role alongside the very capable Adrian Mariappa.
Segment two started with the Reggae Boyz in a more assuring stance, stroking the ball around with composure searching for openings, but that was short lived.
In minute 53, as one of these passing combinations reached striker Jermaine Beckford, who quickly turned his marker to burst towards goal, but he was blatantly fouled about the centre circle by last defender, Felipe Baloy, but there was no call.
FIFA Rules dictate, if this infringement is recognised, it bears a compulsory ejection of the defender, not so, on this night with this referee.
To add insult to injury, the referee runs away from this series of play, to go immediately on the other side of the half-line to award Panama with a simple infringement, and get this, penalise a puzzled looking Omar Daley with a caution -- Jamaica's third.
Six minutes later, following a constant chorus of boos from the large crowd, players and coaches, referee Hector Rodriquez finally finds one Panamanian player is worthy of a caution, and in return, for his incompetence, the packed stadium gives him a sarcastic resounding round of applause.
Whitmore made a second substitution of replacing the now out of sorts Beckford with Theo Robinson, who immediately rushed goalward to blast a shot high to announce himself but may have missed the real game as Panama's, coach Dely Valdes had made two telling substitutions in midfield, as we seemed to have overlooked this area of great concern.
Panama now were in total charge of the second half, as they strolled about 'The Office' with disdain, as if they owned it while the Reggae Boyz failed to respond in a cohesive manner but sporadic individual attempts and speculative shots only from Luton Shelton, Theo Robinson and Rodolph Austin as Jobi McAnuff, McCleary and the departed Beckford were absent for long spells.
In the 76th minute, finally the 911 call was issued to Jermaine 'Teddy' Johnson, who seemed to have been given a free hand to run riot, helter-skelter, and that he did as no one else can. Twice he came close to breaking the opponent's defensive lines, after handling the ball, which the referee did not see, he ran for 60 yards with the ball in search of a shot at goal, as he bypassed a free moving Shelton on his left, he reluctantly shunted it to awaiting Robinson to the right, but the striker, totally mis-controlled it from a ridiculous offside position.
Panama then introduced a third defensive midfielder in Alberto Quintero to seal the areas and possess more.
The best chance spurned, as in minute 85, Shelton's effort, a 22-yard shot was saved by the custodian, the first and only shot that he handled that was on target. In the dying moment, McClearly finally appeared in attack to drive a wicked shot just inches pass the far right upright with the goalkeeper beaten and every Jamaican guiding it in. It went outside and so too the chance of winning the game.
The question every Jamaican football supporter left the 'Stadium' asking was what has happened to the faith and trust bestowed on our best attackers in Jermaine Hue and Dane Richards, both who turned up at 'The Office' when we were on our way out in the preliminary round and created magic to score all of four goals against an inferior opposition with class, only to be sidelined in the obscurity of the bench. Are we going to wait until we are at death's door again, to give them their due respect and opportunities?
Is it that, this new team is better at defensive organisation and counter-attacking as in Mexico and possibly will be deployed in Costa Rica next Tuesday, but seriously limited in possession and penetration, or were they just overworked from socialising on their first journey to 'The Office'.




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[Sir X]

Players give mixed views but are upbeat going forward

BY IAN BURNETT Sport editor
Sunday, March 24, 2013

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — The Reggae Boyz might differ on how well they executed against Panama on Friday night, but they are united in the fact that they are still in the thick of things in this early stages of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Series.
"It wasn't a good game from our perspective," captain Donovan Ricketts told the Jamaica Observer last evening ahead of a swimming pool session at the team's base here.

"I think we were slow in all the areas of the pitch last night (Friday night), we got outplayed on our pitch and that can't happen again," he added.



RICKETTS... I think we were slow in all the areas of the pitch last night

1/1

For central defender Adrian Mariappa, of English Premier League outfit Reading FC, though it was disappointing not to gain all three points, there are positives to take from the game.
"Obviously we are disappointed to give up a one-goal lead, but we are still unbeaten so far and that's a big positive, and now we just have to put our thoughts to the next game and look to give our best in that one," he offered.
"It's not ideal when you have to reshuffle the back four... Nyron (Nosworthy) getting injured and things like that, but even so, I thought we definitely had enough to see the game out, but it wasn't to be, but like I said taking a point is not the worst thing in the world, at least it gives us a good base to go forward for Costa Rica."
Mariappa lost his central defensive partner Nosworthy to a ruptured Achilles tendon on his left leg a few minutes shy of the half-time break. He did not travel with the team yesterday, but remained in Jamaica where he was scheduled to undergo a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to determine the gravity of the injury. Early indication are that he will be out for at least a few months, with the worst-case scenario being that his CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying campaign could be over.
He was replaced by Montrose Phinn from Harbour View.
Huddersfield striker Jermaine Beckford, who made his debut on the night, also suffered an injury after he broke a metatarsal on his left hand inside the first five minutes of the game. He thought the team played well, considering at the challenges with team chemistry.
"I thought the team performance was very good," he offered. "Don't forget that we are still getting used to each other as well, so this is the first time a few of us are playing together, and you can only improve on games like these, especially when you have another game so close.
"With each day that goes by we are going to get better, we are going to get stronger, and obviously score more goals," he promised.
Despite the sub-par effort, Ricketts doesn't believe that there's too much to worry about.
"No, nothing to worry about because we got a point from the game and when you look at the bigger scheme of things, once you keep winning points you are in good stead, but obviously we would have loved three points, but if you look at the overall picture we are still close to everybody, so we take heart from that and move on."
Mariappa, too, is unfazed and expects the team to do well.
"There's always things we can improve on, but it's rare that you play a hundred per cent every single game, and as fluid and as free-flowing as you ever want to be, but at the end of the game Panama is a very, very good side -- we played them twice last summer and they beat us both times, and that shows what a good side they are, and I believe it shows what a long way we've come in that time, when coming into the game people were expecting us to beat them and talking three and fours (3-0, 4-0). To come out with three points would have been a great result, but at the end of the day we came out with a point and we will have to be positive with that."
Beckford added: "It was amazing, the atmosphere was phenomenal, but I didn't expect anything less. The support we got was perfect, it's just unfortunate we didn't keep hold of the one-goal advantage that we had, but that's two games unbeaten that we have and we have to look at the positives and take the positives from it and look to improve on Tuesday night."
He even admitted being awe-struck by the occasion on Friday night.
"When you walk through the tunnel and you hear all the trumpet, the cheering, you see the flags, the colours, it was just amazing, what we received was just out of this world and that's what people signed up for.
The skipper ended with a warning. "I wouldn't say fatigue played a part, because we were just second best the whole night. Panama came and obviously they did their home work and it seems like they caught us by surprise and we can't let that happen again."




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[Mosiah]

We can't be a counter-attacking team. We must be a dynamic team with a style of play. When we were in possession the attack was based upon individualism. Shelton a dribble, McAnuff a dribble, and Teddy came on a dribble. There were no three or four passes and come out," noted Duckie.

Football nuh play suh again, people!

[Sir X]

Jamaica Lacked Clear Team Plan, Says Maxwwell

Published: Sunday | March 24, 20130 Comments

Donovan Duckie

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Robert Bailey, Sunday Gleaner Writer
Veteran football coach Geoffrey Maxwell has hit out at the lack of a Jamaican team plan during last Friday's 1-1 draw with Panama in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium.

Marvin Elliott of Bristol City had put Jamaica ahead in the 23rd minute when he headed home a Demar Phillips corner, but Luis Henriquez ensured a point for Panama with a 66th-minute strike.

"I didn't see anything Friday night that indicated to me that there was a team plan," former national senior coach Maxwell said. "We could see what Panama were doing, but you couldn't at any given time see what Jamaica's method of play was.

"It was a disappointing result for us. I am also disappointed with the fact that we can't seem to understand what possessional football is. You can't 'over possess', but you must have some idea of possessing at the right time," Maxwell said. "There was just nothing in midfield in terms of creativity for us to score goals."

STRONGER MIDFIELDERS NEEDED
Continuing Maxwell, who is the current coach of Premier League outfit Humble Lion added: "I think we need to have a midfield player that can dictate the pace of the game, when to play it long, when to play it short and when to play a possessional game."

Maxwell pointed out that a number of players were not playing in their usual positions and this hampered the flow of the team throughout the game.
"I think that selected individuals were not playing in their right positions. I have always said that Rodolph Austin is not a holding midfielder and, therefore, he should be playing right behind the two forwards," he said.
Looking ahead to the Reggae Boyz game against Costa Rica on Tuesday, Maxwell said: "Playing Costa Rica in Costa Rica is not going be easy for us because I know down there, and I think we have some homework to do very fast."

Former national youth coach, Donovan Duckie, believes that the Reggae Boyz could have won the game but a number of the players were too selfish.

"We looked lethargic on the field and weren't pressing the ball," said Duckie. "I think that when we were on the offence, it was too much individualism by our players."

He added: "I also think a number of players looked match-rusty, because both Luton Shelton and Jermaine Beckford weren't sharp. I think Panama played like they were at home because we backed up too deep and we should have been a lot more aggressive in all areas of the field.

Continuing, Duckie stated: "I am very disappointed because I think it was our chance to go atop the table. However, the important thing for us now is to ensure that we don't lose the game against Costa Rica on Tuesday."

[Sir X]

Disappointing Result!

Published: Sunday | March 24, 20133 Comments

Panama's Nelson Barahona (right) controlling play in midfield while under pressure from Jamaica's Garath McCleary during Friday night's CONCACAF final round World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium. The game ended 1-1. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
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AudleyBoyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

DISAPPOINTING. In a word, it gives the sum total of Jamaica's result, and feeling, following their 1-1 draw against hard-to-beat Panama in their CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying (WCQ) fixture at the National Stadium Friday night.

"The guys are a bit disappointed," noted head coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore in a post-game press conference less than an hour before midnight. "When playing at home, we expect three points. Due to the performance, they didn't get that, so they're a bit down.

"Tonight's game is not the sort of result we were looking forward to, but unfortunately, we have to prepare ourselves for good moments and bad moments," he added.

Jamaica and Panama now have two points in the hexagonal play-offs. Honduras lead with four points after their 2-2 comeback draw at home against Mexico, while the United States are second on three points after beating Costa Rica 1-0 in a snowstorm in Colorado. Costa Rica are protesting match conditions.

All six countries will play each other home and away (10 matches) to decide the three automatic qualifiers for next year's World Cup Finals in Brazil. A fourth CONCACAF representative will play off against New Zealand, the winners of the Oceania group, for another World Cup slot.

Recently recruited Britain-based midfielder, Marvin Elliott, provided the brightest spark for Jamaica, rising to meet Demar Phillips' corner kick six yards out, then firmly heading the ball into goal to hand the locals a 1-0 lead at the 23rd minute.

However, Luis Henriquez wiped away that deficit with an angled finish from the top of the penalty box, his bouncing shot beating the fully extended figure of goalie !Donovan Ricketts into the far post at the 66th minute.

"We played the match to win. We played very well and we were able to draw and that was a positive result for us," said Julio Dely Valdez, Panama's head coach.

It was the second stalemate for Panama and the Reggae Boyz in as many regional final-round WCQ fixtures. Only this time, the emotions were different for Jamaica.

The 0-0 result in February against powerful Mexico at its dreaded high-altitude Azteca Stadium - a historic feat given the prior perfect trend of losses in Mexico City - felt like a win. Friday's draw at what Jamaicans consider their fortress, 'The Office', was largely perceived as a loss.

Yet it could have ended that way, given the way the Panamanians invaded Kingston and took out the Boyz and their capacity crowd of over 30,000, decked out in a sea of yellow, with a dominating performance.

From almost the time they conceded the goal, they begun pulling the strings with a neat short-passing game and virtually had Jamaica on the run. With good skill and cunning plays while displaying much composure, they protected the ball and made good advances on goal, only to be thwarted with last-ditch clearances as they tried to make one pass too many inside the 18-yard box, seemingly intent on walking the ball into the goal.

WASTED CHANCES
They wasted the game's clearest chance on the stroke of half-time when unchallenged Blas Perez couldn't finish a cross from Leonel Parris inside the six-yard box.

That occurred just when Jamaica lost their top central defender, Nyron Nosworthy, to injury, forcing a late first-half replacement with versatile midfielder Omar Daley, who played right back, with Jermaine Taylor switching to a central role.

"We lost Nosworthy and that changed the whole complexity of our team. That caused us to make a lot of adjustments and that didn't help the team," Whitmore reasoned. "But we have to give thanks for the one point."
After the half-time break, trailing Panama maintained the ascendancy and then increased their tempo with the introduction of number 10 player Nelson Barahona and duly picked up the equaliser 24 minutes from time.
It was hard to imagine so many thousands of people going so quiet in a moment. You could hear a pin drop.

Interestingly, Elliott's goal apart, their most vocal servings were dished out on brave Honduran referee Hector Rodriquez, who made a lot of controversial calls against the home team, angering players and spectators alike.

"The referees are out there to do their job," was Whitmore's response to the officiating.

Valdez's take never offered much more.
"The refereeing was very good, even on both sides," said the man whose team shrieked when notified of the refereeing assignment, given the relations between both countries.

During Friday's game, Panamanians suffocated the Reggae Boyz with close marking and consistent fouling, a tactic that significantly took away Jamaica's rhythm and opportunities to put their pacy game into motion.

The Jamaicans were hardly able to put three passes together, opted to go long from the back on most occasions, and played a disconcertingly high number of passes off the field. There were hardly any linkages through the middle, with central midfielders Elliott and Austin beaten to the ball or caught in possession many times, resulting in a high number of turnovers and not much team coordination.

ONE STEP AT A TIME
"It's one of our concerns, keeping possession of the ball, taking into consideration we don't have a lot of time to do what we set out to do," Whitmore said. "But it's a game-by-game situation and, as much as possible, we want to improve on every situation. Tonight, I wouldn't say we were at our best, but we were a bit fortunate."

At the offensive end, there weren't any meaningful offerings from the much-talked-about Jermaine Beckford, Garath McCleary and the pair of Jobi McAnuff and Luton Shelton, who might have offered better in opposite roles.

"Basically, the engine room, the midfield didn't operate the way we wanted," Whitmore observed.

Another Jermaine though, 'Teddy' Johnson, provided much spark from the bench with dribbles half the length of the pitch on three occasions that pushed the Panama team back to their goal and brightened expectations of a winning strike.

It almost came with McAnuff's stoppage-time shot from near the top of the penalty box that went inches wide of the far post with beaten goalkeeper, Luis Mejia, looking on.

Johnson was one of two changes to the Jamaica starting eleven that over-performed in Mexico, the other, ironically, being the other Johnson, striker Ryan, who played well and got chances but missed in The Azteca. He never got a minute.

"When you look at the Panama team and the way we wanted to play against them, we had to make some adjustments. Probably it didn't work out for us for a number of reasons, but we just have to go back and look at the tape and see where we went wrong and move on," said Whitmore.

"We're looking forward now to the Costa Rica game," the Jamaica coach said of their next game on Tuesday in San José.
"None of the games we play will be easy. There will be obstacles," Whitmore concluded.

[Sir X]

Any man who blame fatigue on that loss, need a box.We were at home in the office , what more vibe do you need to wake you up.Jet lag fatigue would more show on panama , it did not.

Tappa need to check imself.

[Jangle]

Agree

[Sir X]

I called the draw a loss ,it seemed like it was a loss, di subconscious is deep.

[Mosiah]

Agree wid what, X ignorant statement?

All of Panama's players play in this hemisphere. How is jet lag a factor for them?!?

Stay deh mek X tun yuh in a bigger fool!

[Sir X]

I used the wrong terminology but that doesnt excuse that fatigue does develop in traveling and could be a factor, and if anyone could use it as an excuse it would be the panamanians, i keep forgetting how smart you are, thanks for enlightening me.

Travel fatigue

Travel fatigue is general fatigue, disorientation and headache caused by a disruption in routine, time spent in a cramped space with little chance to move around, a low-oxygen environment, and dehydration caused by limited food and dry air. It does not necessarily have the shift in circadian rhythms that cause jet lag. Travel fatigue can occur without crossing time zones, and it often disappears after a single day accompanied by a night of high-quality sleep.

[Tilla]

Tappa nuh know wha 'im ado. There I said it!

[Reggaedoc]

Any man who blame fatigue on that loss, need a box.We were at home in the office , what more vibe do you need to wake you up.Jet lag fatigue would more show on panama , it did not.

Tappa need to check imself.

The mediocre coach that we have seem to blame fatigue when he makes clueless tactical adjustments.

In the preliminary round we beat the USA, several days later the clueless made tactical adjustments against the same team, we looked sloppy, lost the match and the reason was fatigue. A month ago we did well against Mexico, then the coach made tactical and personnel changes and we looked sloppy against Panama, at home. Again the blame was fatigue. This coach seems to not be able to stand success. I think our problem is a coaching problem, from selection to tactics.

[Assasin]

So a no longer the players??? now it turn to the coach??? LOL.

Come like mi foriegn big striker dem left them pretty boots. Mi think them just have fi show up and beat teams like Panama.

[Tilla]

Tappa is to be blamed to for wrong tactics in the situation. He is responsible for the team selection, he is responsible for making the changes. He is responsible for formation and how the team play. If the players on the field are not cutting it, he has three changes to make to influence the outcome of the game. Nosworthy's change was forced on him, but the other two did nothing to bring us back into the game.