Tuffy's true moment of glory could be at hand

[Karl]

Tuffy's true moment of glory could be at hand

Sean Williams
Tuesday, October 15, 2013

ONE wonders what is left to be said of Jermaine 'Tuffy' Anderson, the colourful Jamaican striker, that has not already been spoken?

So much has been said about the charismatic Waterhouse striker.





Jermaine Anderson being attended to by Dr Derrick McDowell during a training session in Kansas City, USA, last week. (JOSEPH WELLINGTON)

Anderson, will no doubt inspire more debate long after the embers of Jamaica's Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign have died.

But that's 'Tuffy', the crowd favourite and the darling of Jamaica's football. With him, there's never a dull moment.

No doubt, Anderson will want to end the World Cup campaign on a high by adding perhaps a couple more goals to the one he has when the Reggae Boyz face Honduras in the final performance of the campaign tonight at the National Stadium.

It would be wise if coach Winfried Schafer gave 'Tuffy' a starting role -- that's what his growing fan base would want.

And he is ready to go if that offer comes.

"Once I get my chance, I am just going to go there and run at them... we haffi just figet the past and just come again... I always look forward to playing and fighting for my country," he told the Jamaica Observer.

Anderson, 34, scored an equalising goal as a second-half sub against Costa Rica inside the National Stadium for a 1-1 tie in September, which justified his recall to the national set-up.


He now has two goals in seven appearances for Jamaica since his first game dating back to 2002, but his club record with Waterhouse is an impressive 52 goals in 98 matches.
He is currently the top scorer for the Jamaican national Premier League with 21 goals in one season.

And, if given more playing time tonight, the marksman could possibly be the lynch-pin in a Jamaica victory.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2hojM0hnx

[Karl]

Tuffy?

Plusses:
Strong like an Ox!

Kicks well with both feet (There is a paradox here. I shall list same in minuses)

Heads well (Certainly at goal!)

Runs well off defenders.

Minuses:
Not fast (not too slow either)

Based on my observation of him - Online Monday night football, once at Waterhouse and in his cameos for JA in these World Cup Hex Qualifiers - Does not pass well (...and therein lies the paradox. How can he pass at goal well but in the outfield does not????)

Seen as for no Earthly reason to assault opponents!!!

My fear: Start him and the TEAM ReggaeBoyz could end up playing with 10!!!!

[Karl]

Boyz want to end WCQ campaign with a flourish

Boyz want to end WCQ campaign with a flourish

BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Assistant Sport Editor
Tuesday, October 15, 2013

IT would be interesting to see if the Reggae Boyz have it within themselves, like the mythical phoenix, to rise from the ashes and finish off their World Cup qualifying campaign in a blaze of glory -- marked of course by a sublime performance and a win for which they so thirst.


If not for themselves, they should do it for the fans who have agonised over a tournament that gave them no victory to this point and, in many cases, renditions that fell below par.





Jamaica’s head coach Winfried Schafer prepares for a training session at the National Stadium last evening. (PHOTO: LIONEL ROOKWOOD)

Also, though late in coming, it's time the Boyz re-impose their dominance at 'The Office', a scene of two defeats in the current crusade -- albeit to strong opposition in Mexico (1-0) and the USA (2-1).

Jamaica midfielder Rodolph Austin, who captained the team in their 2-0 meltdown to the USA in Kansas City on Friday night, underpinned the importance of the curtain-call game against Honduras at the National Stadium.

Kick-off is 8:30 pm.

"We haven't won a game in this final round, and I think it would be good if we could finish up with a victory," said the former Portmore United man.

The coach, German Winfried Schafer, said after a losing to the USA in a match that the Boyz were highly competitive up the 70th minute before surrendering, the team will need more "power and discipline" going up against Honduras (ranked 40 by FIFA) who, on 14 points, are on the brink of bagging one of the three automatic qualifying spots to Brazil 2014. The USA (19 points) and Costa Rica (15) have already secured qualification.

Jamaica, already eliminated, go into tonight's game with four points, while Mexico (11 points) pumped oxygen into their campaign with a home win over Panama (eight), who look set to join Jamaica through the exit door.

Goalscoring has been a big problem with Jamaica in this campaign, and central defender Adrian Mariappa believes that it's about time his team got it right upfront.

"We conceded too many goals and we didn't score enough and that's something that we need to work on for the next game and for the future," said the Crystal Palace player.

Mariappa also reflected on the overall campaign even as he looked forward to this evening's match-up against the Central Americans and beyond.

"This round of the campaign has been disappointing from my point of view, because with the players that we have we should be able to qualify, but there have been a lot of changes with managers, other personnel and players and that didn't help; there was also injuries that obviously played a part," he told the Jamaica Observer.

Though public opinion may not favour him or the team at this time, the president of the JFF Captain Horace Burrell remains upbeat that the Boyz may very well have something special in store for home fans.

"We have to go into Tuesday's (tonight's) game positive, and I expect the players to perform at their best because they are professionals, and certainly we should do well," he said after Friday's defeat in Kansas.

Nobody has done any favours for the Boyz in this push for another World Cup qualification, not that they wanted any, so Honduras can expect that they will have to fight tooth and nail for their priceless victory that would propel them to Brazil.

Jamaica, ranked 79th by FIFA, will no doubt have memories of their ugly 2-0 loss to the Central Americans in the away fixture last June, and would want to reverse the humiliation.

Since taking the reins over three matches, Schafer has toyed with two formations -- the 3-5-2 he used in a 0-0 draw in Panama, and the 1-1 result against Costa Rica at home and then the 4-3-3 he employed against the USA on the weekend.

It will be interesting to see what system he will settle on and who the starting 11 will be.

Whatever he does must be aligned to whatever makes for an entertaining evening of football, and surely some young and emerging talent should have their moment to introduce themselves to the Jamaican people on this the big stage.

No doubt, Jermaine "Tuffy" Anderson has got to be a factor -- a feel-good factor for his many fans.

With nothing more than pride at stake now, and much of the pressure off, spectators to the National Stadium could be in for a treat as the curtain comes down on the Brazil 2014 campaign for Jamaica.

Onward to Russia 2018.



Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz2homm9rSl

[Karl]

Trivia - In these Hex matches our ReggaeBoyz have played at

least one match each against -
Mexico
Costa Rica
Panama

- and not lost!

The USA is the only team to have won both matches and in "The Office" it took them a last gasp goal during time added (90 + 2 min) to clinch a 1 - 2 Win.

Will we force Honduras to join the teams who we drew with or will our Reggae Boyz go one better and win the match????

STATS as per FIFA.com
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...910/index.html

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...910/index.html

Standings:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...ngs/index.html

[HL]

You are as good as your competition.

I recall players like Altidore, Johnson , Freddy adu and lots others were outstanding U-21 players.

The moment they went up in the big league...then they became like everyone else. They are good but not dominant anymore.

Tuffy is outstanding against NPL'ers. Never heard about his impact in the recent Caribbean Cup.

If he were that outstanding, how come he did not make it to the next level in football?

The little I have seen of him--he seems like a bullish type of striker. I can see defense having a hard time to contain him because of his strength.

I hope Winnie does what he think best in his starting line-up; and not make public pressure dictate.

[Rockman]

Can't tell for certain reason he wasn't contracted earlier in his career but I can tell the reaon he will not get snatched up now is because of his age,it has nothing to do with quality.
This is why the German should play Tuffy tonight,I can't see Germany majority calling for. The inclusion of a player and the coach ignores them.What,we Jakans ate missing something?
If we somehow knew from the beginning we would not qualify,we would have no objection to fielding the locals and do the necessary tweaking from the players' pool available there.
Finally,the German is looking to foster a relationship with fans,playing Tuffy tonight would ....

[Gamma]

one year we got knocked out and we lost only once (if at all, don't quite remember we just drew everything) and now we get knocked without winning a game ....

[Karl]

one year we got knocked out and we lost only once (if at all, don't quite remember we just drew everything) and now we get knocked without winning a game ....

I think it was the 'Year of Tappa's last go round'!
I seem to remember we also never lost a match in Central America.

Close we were...but then quality, sensible and continuous preparation was lacking!