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JAMAICA'S players are being urged to be more tactically aware as they campaign in CONCACAF Final Round World Cup Qualifying for a spot at next year's finals in Brazil.
The challenge comes from assistant coach Alfredo Montesso, and follows their 2-0 loss to Costa Rica at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica (Costa Rica National Stadium) on Tuesday night.
Montesso, who had been suspended from the bench, watched from the stands and observed set pieces utilised by the home team that Jamaica should have countered differently. He says they had simulated such exercises in practice and should have prepared better defensively.
In fact, one of the set pieces resulted in the opening goal at the 22nd minute, which was scored by Michael Umana. The kick was taken from the right flank near the 18-yard box channel by Ariel Rodriguez, who floated the ball to the back post, where unmarked Alvaro Saborio - the second highest scorer in 2014 CONCACAF qualifying with six goals - controlled then played across the goal. "I think that we took too long to adjust ourselves, especially in the set plays," observed Montesso. "They (Costa Rica) were doing that movement. The guy was running from the middle, turn around and received from behind (back post). This happened in the second half as well, so I think that we need to be more intelligent in those situations and then avoid those chances."
In the second half, at the 69th minute, Costa Rica made a play identical to the one which brought the first goal but this time, only that the player receiving the pass did not have time to control Rodriguez's pass with his feet. However, he headed to Joel Campbell who hit just wide from within the six-yard area.
"We've to be more sharp in our attitude and play to qualify this team to the World Cup," said Montesso, who explained other tactical deficiencies in the defensive set-up.
"Once the guy keeps position, a right-footer, we don't need three or four players in the wall. I think that we missed those players in the 18-yard box. We took too long to be intelligent and adjust to that situation. We should've had two players in the wall.
"The set piece was established, they showed that they were going to do the set piece, so we should have had two more players inside to defend. I think that we had two tall guys in the wall, Marvin (Elliott) was one, that we needed inside and they did that movement - leaving from the middle of the 18 yards and move to the second post ... and we didn't follow," lamented Montesso.
"I believe that this was not the best team that we've played so far. I think that we played Mexico, we played Panama, both more balanced teams and unfortunately our team didn't have the same type of performance we had in Mexico or even close to what we had in Jamaica."
team coordination
Montesso was also displeased with the general positioning of the midfielders as he says it affects the team coordination, both in attack and defence. This was especially so in the first half, when one of the two central midfielders, Rodolph Austin, was not stationary; and the wide midfielders, Garath McCleary and Joel (Jobi) McAnuff, were not getting back into the middle on defence, but staying wide, allowing Costa Rica more numbers and an easy lane to run at the Jamaican back four.
"In the second half, we did much better. We spoke with them and we asked McCleary and McAnuff to get more involved because sometimes we say that the midfield is empty, but what happen is that the coordination between the two wings (is not right); when the ball is in the opposite side they have to get inside to compose and release the other gate, so they were not doing that," he reasoned.
"In the second half, especially Austin and Marvin (Elliott), they centralised themselves much better in the middle of the pitch and then we were able to control that movement in there."
The Reggae Boyz are bottom of the hexagonal series on two points. Panama lead with five, the United States, Honduras and Costa Rica have four while Mexico have three. All the teams have played three of 10 matches.
Jamaica have only scored once in the final round, Elliott's header in 1-1 draw against Panama at the National Stadium and Montesso is concerned about the conversion rate.
"I worry because we don't capitalise," he said. "But at least we are building, we are creating. We created against Mexico very good chances; we scored against Panama; Tuesday we created the chances again - Luton (Shelton) got one with the goalkeeper, Beckford (Jermaine) came outside and the goalkeeper did a very good save; we had another chance with Demar (Phillips), inside 18 yards, so we've been creating those chances. Teddy (Jermaine Johnson) also did a good movement and had one saved from outside 18 yards, but we've to believe more in that because in high-level football sometimes you have to create chances to score two or three goals.
"We had many chances outside 18 yards to kick and then when you start to kick from outside the 18 yards you start to force the defenders to attack the ball and open the options to put that ball between the defenders," Montesso pointed out.
Montesso says Jamaica is still very much in the race for a spot in Brazil.
"Remember clearly our qualification in 1997," noted Montesso, a Brazilian who also worked with the Jamaica team when Rene Simoes was head coach in the successful 1998 qualifying. "We finished four games and we had just one point. I think that we've to believe, we've to keep our team in a positive way, in a positive mood and, of course, improve every day.
The top three countries from the six-team round advance automatically to Brazil 2014. The fourth will engage in a two-way play-off against Oceania champions New Zealand with the winners advancing to the World Cup.
The challenge comes from assistant coach Alfredo Montesso, and follows their 2-0 loss to Costa Rica at the Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica (Costa Rica National Stadium) on Tuesday night.
Montesso, who had been suspended from the bench, watched from the stands and observed set pieces utilised by the home team that Jamaica should have countered differently. He says they had simulated such exercises in practice and should have prepared better defensively.
In fact, one of the set pieces resulted in the opening goal at the 22nd minute, which was scored by Michael Umana. The kick was taken from the right flank near the 18-yard box channel by Ariel Rodriguez, who floated the ball to the back post, where unmarked Alvaro Saborio - the second highest scorer in 2014 CONCACAF qualifying with six goals - controlled then played across the goal. "I think that we took too long to adjust ourselves, especially in the set plays," observed Montesso. "They (Costa Rica) were doing that movement. The guy was running from the middle, turn around and received from behind (back post). This happened in the second half as well, so I think that we need to be more intelligent in those situations and then avoid those chances."
In the second half, at the 69th minute, Costa Rica made a play identical to the one which brought the first goal but this time, only that the player receiving the pass did not have time to control Rodriguez's pass with his feet. However, he headed to Joel Campbell who hit just wide from within the six-yard area.
"We've to be more sharp in our attitude and play to qualify this team to the World Cup," said Montesso, who explained other tactical deficiencies in the defensive set-up.
"Once the guy keeps position, a right-footer, we don't need three or four players in the wall. I think that we missed those players in the 18-yard box. We took too long to be intelligent and adjust to that situation. We should've had two players in the wall.
"The set piece was established, they showed that they were going to do the set piece, so we should have had two more players inside to defend. I think that we had two tall guys in the wall, Marvin (Elliott) was one, that we needed inside and they did that movement - leaving from the middle of the 18 yards and move to the second post ... and we didn't follow," lamented Montesso.
"I believe that this was not the best team that we've played so far. I think that we played Mexico, we played Panama, both more balanced teams and unfortunately our team didn't have the same type of performance we had in Mexico or even close to what we had in Jamaica."
team coordination
Montesso was also displeased with the general positioning of the midfielders as he says it affects the team coordination, both in attack and defence. This was especially so in the first half, when one of the two central midfielders, Rodolph Austin, was not stationary; and the wide midfielders, Garath McCleary and Joel (Jobi) McAnuff, were not getting back into the middle on defence, but staying wide, allowing Costa Rica more numbers and an easy lane to run at the Jamaican back four.
"In the second half, we did much better. We spoke with them and we asked McCleary and McAnuff to get more involved because sometimes we say that the midfield is empty, but what happen is that the coordination between the two wings (is not right); when the ball is in the opposite side they have to get inside to compose and release the other gate, so they were not doing that," he reasoned.
"In the second half, especially Austin and Marvin (Elliott), they centralised themselves much better in the middle of the pitch and then we were able to control that movement in there."
The Reggae Boyz are bottom of the hexagonal series on two points. Panama lead with five, the United States, Honduras and Costa Rica have four while Mexico have three. All the teams have played three of 10 matches.
Jamaica have only scored once in the final round, Elliott's header in 1-1 draw against Panama at the National Stadium and Montesso is concerned about the conversion rate.
"I worry because we don't capitalise," he said. "But at least we are building, we are creating. We created against Mexico very good chances; we scored against Panama; Tuesday we created the chances again - Luton (Shelton) got one with the goalkeeper, Beckford (Jermaine) came outside and the goalkeeper did a very good save; we had another chance with Demar (Phillips), inside 18 yards, so we've been creating those chances. Teddy (Jermaine Johnson) also did a good movement and had one saved from outside 18 yards, but we've to believe more in that because in high-level football sometimes you have to create chances to score two or three goals.
"We had many chances outside 18 yards to kick and then when you start to kick from outside the 18 yards you start to force the defenders to attack the ball and open the options to put that ball between the defenders," Montesso pointed out.
Montesso says Jamaica is still very much in the race for a spot in Brazil.
"Remember clearly our qualification in 1997," noted Montesso, a Brazilian who also worked with the Jamaica team when Rene Simoes was head coach in the successful 1998 qualifying. "We finished four games and we had just one point. I think that we've to believe, we've to keep our team in a positive way, in a positive mood and, of course, improve every day.
The top three countries from the six-team round advance automatically to Brazil 2014. The fourth will engage in a two-way play-off against Oceania champions New Zealand with the winners advancing to the World Cup.
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